DABLO Law Firm LLP

Managing Partners: Dawit Kidane, Addisu Hailegebriel, Bruk Geremew

Number of Partners: 3 (Co-Founders)

Total Team Members: 15+ (Including Associates, Consultants, and Support Staff)

Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Recognitions: Leading Firm in Ethiopia (Legal500, 2023)

DABLO Law Firm LLP is a premier full-service Ethiopian law firm renowned for its multi-sectoral expertise and practices, which include dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, tax, ICT, and civil society law. Notably, the firm’s recent focus on project finance, particularly evident in its work with Public-Private Partnerships, positions it to play a key role in the country’s infrastructure development.

DABLO was founded by three seasoned partners, Dawit Kidane, Addisu Hailegebriel, and Bruk Geremew, who collectively have over 45 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of legal services, encompassing everything from guiding businesses through the formation process to providing day-to-day legal counsel, advising on regulatory frameworks, and representing clients in disputes. DABLO Law Firm extends its reach as a member of the Alliott Global Alliance (AGA), an esteemed global network of professional service firms. This affiliation links DABLO to skilled legal experts in almost 100 countries, enabling seamless cross-border legal assistance for clients with international needs.

• Corporate & Commercial Law

• Regulatory Compliance

• Dispute Resolution & Litigation and Arbitration

• Construction & Real Estate

• Environmental, Social & Governance

• Intellectual Property & Trademarking

• Banking & Finance

• Energy, Mining & Natural Resources

• Tax & Customs Law

• Employment & Immigration Law

• Fintech, ICT and Data Privacy

• Capital Market

• NGOs & Civil Society Law

• Gaming & Sport Betting

• Media & Entertaiment

• Hospitality

• Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

• Media law

• Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)

Corporate & Commercial Law

• The firm has guided numerous companies through corporate formation and daily operations.
• We advise clients on regulatory frameworks, ensuring compliance with relevant laws.
• We provide guidance on negotiating, drafting, and executing contracts for business asset purchases and share acquisitions in mergers.
• assisted and represented clients in various enterprises.
• offer legal guidance on corporate governance, shareholders' meetings, and commercial agreements, ensuring compliance with laws and bylaws.

Construction & Real Estate

• Assisted Gift Real Estate in a major Public-Private Partnership with Addis Ababa City Administration for 12,000 housing units.
• Advised National Prefabricated and Construction Materials PLC on a PPP agreement for housing units and infrastructure in Addis Ababa.
• Provided legal counsel to M Lid Plc for a commercial mall project at Arada Giorgis, Piassa, involving design, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance.

Dispute Resolution & Litigation

• Representing a construction company in multi-million-dollar litigation against Addis Ababa City Administration.
• Represented a multinational company in disputes over a product distributorship and a usufruct agreement.
• Resolved a $1.5 million contract dispute for Tis Abay International PLC regarding marble production.

Tax & Customs Law

• Secured a favourable tax dispute ruling for American Investment Company engaged in a Coffee production and export
• Representing a foreign logistics company in a tax dispute at the Federal Tax Appeal Commission.
• Collaborated with BDO Ethiopia on various tax matters.

Intellectual Property and Technology

• Registered and protected clients' intellectual properties in Ethiopia.
• Registered and renewed hundreds of trademarks and patents
• Advised a Turkish cosmetics company on product licensing and intellectual property registration

Employment and Labor Law

• Prepared an Ethiopia Employment Law Guide for Afriwise.
• Represented African Union Employees before the AU Administrative Tribunal.
• Prepared a comprehensive policy manual and work rules on Employmentfor different clients
• Represented numerous companies in labor-related court cases
• Advised clients on suspension, termination, and reduction of employment contracts

Fintech, ICT and Data Privacy

• Prepared an ICT, Data, and Cybersecurity Guide for Afriwise.
• Managed the incorporation of a tech company in the Fintech industry
• Provided advisory services to a foreign FinTech company on financial regulation and data protection compliance.
• Conducted Ethiopia’s first GDPR-aligned data protection assessment.

NGOs & Civil Society Law

• Advised on legal implications and strategic measures for organizational restructuring.
• Provided legal advice on procurement processes and business contracts.
• Our advice and support extend to handling investigations and malpractice claims from private parties and governmental bodies, ensuring that International NGO can operate effectively and within legal bounds.
• Handled investigations and malpractice claims for an International NGO.

Regulatory compliance

• Reviewed and assisted with the legal and regulatory compliance of $50M EPCC contracts for a Chinese corporation.
• Provided consultation to a global ride-hailing company in the Ethiopian market.
• Provided guidance to an international sports betting company on foreign direct investment regulations.
• Conducted extensive legal research for a prominent African bank intending to establish a shared service centre in East Africa..
• Conducting a regulatory compliance assessment on employee offshore savings contributions concerning capital transactions

Business Formation and Operational Readiness

·Advised and Assisted CropConex (Ethiopia's first registered e-commerce platform) on registration and compliance.

·Facilitating acquisition to American based Pharmaceuticals company.

·Handled company formation and registrations for multiple companies.

·Ensured operational readiness for various companies by obtaining necessary licenses and registrations.

·Assisted companies with bank account setups and payment solutions for taxes and payroll.

‘We highly recommend DABLO Law Firm to other organizations for quality legal services.’’ BDO Ethiopia (Part of BDO International)

“DABLO Law Firm's legal services have been essential to our company's overall operations. The firm has provided invaluable support in the following areas Representation in Federal Courts including complex construction disputes of mega projects with claim amount of more than 400 million ETB. We are very satisfied with DABLO's legal services and believe they can provide similar high-quality services to other companies”Etete Construction

“ DABLO’s ability to articulate complex legal matters in a clear and concise manner has been invaluable to our decision-making.”– Heineken Breweries SC

‘‘ From the outset, the Team at DABLO has demonstrated a deep understanding of the law and ability to provide sound, strategic advice tailored to our specific needs’’ MSI EthiopiaReproductive Choices (MSI)

“DABLO Law Firm has drafted and reviewed numerous real estate agreements, ensuring that our interests are well-protected and that all transactions comply with relevant legal standards.” YA Real Estate



‘DABLO’s provision of timely, exceptional and accurate legal advice to our company makes the firm a dependable partner’’ Cosmopolitan Real Estate