Institutionalization of corporate legal service continues to thrive
In the context of a new law enabling the registration and licensing of law firms, a new firm, Aman & Partners LLP is yet another corporate legal service provider that has completed its registration as a de jure law firm obtaining its license from the Ministry of Justice. First founded by Aman Assefa, a reputed corporate lawyer with over two decades of experience, the new firm is established based on a partnership agreement signed between four advocates: Aman Assefa, Bahakal Abate, Ermias Ayalew and Micael Sehul bolstering a combined experience of more than 70 years in the legal profession. The firm is currently advising on major foreign direct investments in their legal needs across various sectors and industries including telecommunications, infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, textile, beverage, fin-tech, media, data protection, acquisitions, corporate governance and many others. In the practice of corporate and commercial law for over two decades, the firm currently employs 20 staff members in total who hold diverse specializations in various fields of law from reputed universities in the USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa and Australia. Having worked and practiced together in a de-facto partnership since 2017, the team at Aman Assefa & Associates Law Office have had a strong and dependable working relationship and a synergy that is reflected in the recently announced legal awards by IFLR, a law firm rating institution, that awarded the team to be the winner in the
“National Firm of the Year” category.
It is also remembered that Bowmans, a reputed Pan-african law firm, had signed an alliance agreement with the founders of Aman & Partners LLP back in 2019. A statement shared by Richard Harney, Senior Partner and founder of the Bowmans Kenya team celebrated the new development by saying “we congratulate the whole team at Aman & Partners LLP on this timely transition into a full-fledged law firm. At Bowmans, we continue to be optimist about the potential of Ethiopia as a vibrant and burgeoning market and are very happy that our alliance partners in Ethiopia are taking this historical step in institutionalizing their high-end corporate legal service in the market.” Aman who was appointed as the first Managing Partner for Aman & Partners LLP said,“I am thrilled to witness this historic transition and even more so in anticipation of what our strong and tested track record would mean in continuing to provide increased quality of service to clients and realizing our dream, which was, and still is, establishing a firm that will outlive the founders.” Aman stated this in light of the law which allows establishment of law firms which will help formalize and ensure the continuity of legal partnerships and institutionalization of legal service delivery in Ethiopia.
It is to be recalled that one of the biggest challenges to the legal industry has been lack of appropriate legal framework to institutionalize and guarantee the continuity of legal service to clients. It is not so long ago that the late Teshome Gebremariam’s law office had to close its doors due to the sudden passing away of its founder; alas at a time when law firms did not have the opportunity to institutionalize and register under the relevant legislation at the time. Since the enactment of the new law, it is recalled that firms such as Habesha Advocates LLP and Mihrteab & Getu Advocates have also been incorporated. In a joint statement from Aman & Partners LLP, the team has emphasized that they will “continue to elevate the standard of legal service delivery in Ethiopia through thought leadership and ensuring dependable and tailored legal service to investors and businesses in Ethiopia.”