Commercial and Corporate Practice

The following are some of the areas we advise on in our Commercial and Corporate Advisory Practice Group:

Corporate Finance

Capital Raising & Corporate Reorganizations (Mergers, Demergers & Acquisitions)

We are involved in both local and cross-border capital raising transactions. We advise various companies in capital raising transactions either through entry of strategic investors, sale of assets, rights issue, private placements, initial public offers and secondary offers. The firm is also engaged in legal advisory work in structures and models of our client companies through mergers, reconstructions, demergers and acquisitions; conducting legal due diligences and drafting the necessary documents to effect the mergers reconstructions, demergers and acquisitions.

Privatization

We are engaged by the Government of the Republic of Kenya (through the Privatization Commission) as part of the consortiums advising on the privatization of some of the Parastatals. We act as the legal advisors to the consortiums and Privatization Commission. We also conduct legal due diligences as well as advise on legal advisory and regulatory framework for privatization.

Loans, Bonds and Securities

We advise clients on large scale borrowings as well as preparation and perfection of standard loan documentation for various local banks. We advise on secured and unsecured lending, drafting and review of loan and subordinated loan agreements, realization and enforcement of securities and issue of bonds (corporate, infrastructure) and debentures to the public

Securitizations, Real Estate Asset Backed Securities and Factoring

Securitization is the pooling of receivables through a special purpose vehicle and transforming them into marketable securities through suitable repackaging of cash flows that they generate. The firm possesses expertise in securitization and asset backed securities and is currently acting as a lead advisor in a first ever securitization transaction in Kenya involving assignment and pooling of real estate receivables and repackaging them into asset backed securities. The firm also advises clients on factoring which is a lower form of securitization that involves the transmission of short-term account receivables to an entity, which agrees to manage those receivables at a fee and to recover them on behalf of the transmitter.

Capital Markets Regulations and Transactions:

The firm was engaged to act as the lead legal advisor in the largest initial public offer by a leading bank in Rwanda. The firm advises on issues of shares and other securities to the public ( through initial public offering, rights issues, secondary offers of securities, issue of bonds, debenchers and notes) through the Nairobi Stock Exchange and other regional stock exchanges. We conduct legal due diligence exercise, prepare legal opinions, review and assist in the drafting of e prospectuses/ information Memorundums to ensure compliance with the relevant legislations draft resolutions, appropriate for the particular transaction, attending transaction meetings among other duties.

Employment and Labour Laws

The firm has broad experience in employment law practice. Our client base consists of large companies, individuals, SMEs, employee and professional associations in all labour law and employmentrelated matters, pension and benefits matters, human resource manuals and policies, service contracts drafting and advisory, labour laws consultancy and employment audits

Equipment Leasing & Civil Aviation

Equipment Leasing covers a wide range of assets including construction equipments, heavy commercial vehicles, and industrial machinery among others. We advise International and local clients on aircraft and other forms of leasing and draft equipment leasing agreements specific to each transaction.

Intellectual Property and Technology

The firm understands that core purpose of Intellectual Property Rights protection is the protection of innovations that are of commercial value. Further the firm understands that the basis for protection of intellectual property is to encourage and promote further creativity. The firm has a team of highly skilled Intellectual Property lawyers. Our practice is broad-ranging, from all aspects of patent, trademark, and copyright protection and enforcement, utility models, industrial designs, advice on entertainment law, domain names, and security interests in intellectual property, licensing, franchising and related aspects of commercial and technology law.

Insurance and Reinsurance

The firm has as its Clients a host of major insurance and reinsurance companies in Kenya. We offer day to day legal advisory on the various aspects of the businesses of the clients.

Legislation & Regulations

The firm offers legislative drafting services with regard to drafting of bills that involves translation of policy into law. We draft and review Acts, Bills, subsidiary legislations, guidelines and rules for various government institutions and professional bodies.

Entertainment Law: Sports and Music

The firm’s Entertainment Law practice is new and has witnessed a steady growth recently.. The firm is keen on becoming the firm of choice in matters relating to Entertainment and Sports law and has in place mechanisms to equip their Advocates with the necessary skills and expertise to handle the same.

Energy, Minerals & Environment

The firm’s Energy, Minerals and Environment practice group offers legal advisory services on all energy, mineral exploration and mining and environment sectors and has as our clients’ petroleum companies, state corporations, multinational mining corporations, private energy and environment companies among other players. We are currently advising on the purchase of a power plant by a local energy company. We have also advised on the establishment of several mining companies in Kenya.