kenyans consult logo

How To Start A Law Firm In Kenya Easily & Legally Now

How To Start A Law Firm In Kenya Easily & Legally Now

Law firm business in Kenya is the most lucrative business idea that one can delve into. How to start a virtual law firm can be easy or complicated depending on the type of information that you have for the start.

This article is really meant for you as it will help you in knowing how to get clients for your law firm in Kenya.

Perhaps you are wondering how to start a law firm with no money or maybe a minimum capital as possible. I will show you the simplest ways that will be used as an eye opener for you as a beginner.

Below is a procedure on how to start a law firm business in Kenya:

Step 1: Select your preferred area of specialization which you are qualified for example criminal law, business law among others.

Step 2: Draft an effective solo law firm business plan that will act aa your direction in the beginning and management of your law firm business.

Step 3: Register your law firm business name in the eCitizen portal so as to make it a legal entity in the country.

Step 4: Get an approval letter from the law society of Kenya that has no any objections.

Step 5: Registration of your Law Firm business with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for taxation purposes.

Step 6: Locate a strategic place where you will set up your law firm business and acquire lots of clients at your doorstep.

Step 7: Launching your business immediately after everything is set.

I wish you the very best as you start your law firm business in Kenya. Remember the more effective your LSK law firm management plan you have the more successful your business becomes.

Law Firm Requirements In Kenya

You may also be interested in knowing the Law firm requirements which include:

1. Have an approval letter from the law society of Kenya.

2. Have a diploma from the Kenya school of law.

3. Degree in law from a recognized university.

4. Have a law practicing certificate.

In summary, law firm business is very professional and requires a lot of consideration in order to build a good reputation. Besides, there are Advocates rules Kenya that will guide you in your law firm business.

Kenyans Consult

At Kenyans Consult, we are proud Kenyan writers. We write anything that pertains to Kenya and is worth sharing. We hope to share more about Kenya with the world through our writing. Check our articles to learn more about Kenya.

Recent Posts

Newcastle vs Arsenal: Clash of Titans - Live Stream, Team News, and More

In an electrifying face-off at St. James' Park, Newcastle United braces itself to challenge the unstoppable Arsenal this Saturday at 1:30pm ET. The Premier League battle promises intense action and...

Government Spokesman Office Finds New Home at the Presidency

In a groundbreaking move that heralds a new era for government communication, the office of the government spokesperson has been relocated from the Ministry of Information, Communication, and the...

new logo

  • Forex & Crypto
  • Resources & Tools

How to Start Your Own Law Firm Business in Kenya

Starting and growing a successful law firm business in kenya takes immense dedication, skill, and effort. here's how to succeed.

Carson O.

If you’re a lawyer in Kenya looking to hang up your own shingle, starting a law firm business can be an exciting move. But it also takes plenty of hustle and smart planning to turn your dream into a success. Here’s the inside scoop on launching a law practice in Kenya from the ground up.

Picking How You Want to Structure Your Firm

First things first – you need to decide how you want to set up your business. Will you be a solo hustler to start, or do you have a partner to share the journey with? Tag-teaming with a colleague can give you strength in numbers, but also means splitting profits and decisions down the middle.

If you want to limit personal liability, you may look at registering as a limited liability company or professional corporation. But that requires more paperwork and costs upfront. Many lawyers kick things off as sole proprietors before structuring a more formal partnership or company. Think about your vision and do what makes strategic sense.

Making It Official with Registration

Once you pick a business structure, it’s time to register your shiny new law firm business with the government.

claim deal

Rolling solo? You can register a business name and get licensed up with the Kenyan Business Names Registry.

If you opt for a partnership, get your partnership deed locked down tight and apply for permits to make it legit.

For a limited liability company, you’ll need to prepare memorandums and articles of association and file with the Companies Registry.

No matter what, leave plenty of lead time – registration can take weeks or longer. Better get the paperwork party started ASAP .

Grabbing Your Law Licenses

You want to make sure your i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed when it comes to getting licensed up. Here are the must-haves:

  • Earn that LLB degree and pass the bar exam with flying colours
  • Get admitted to the bar – woo hoo!
  • Maintain your active law practising certificate with the Law Society of Kenya
  • Apply for all required business permits and tax compliance certificates – don’t sleep on this step!

Setting Up Your Legal Eagle HQ

Every great lawyer needs an awesome nest to meet clients and legal eagles. Location is prime – set up shop in Nairobi’s bustling Kilimani or Upper Hill districts or another convenient legal hub.

Make sure you have solid furnishings, technology, a law library, and most importantly – a lobby and meeting rooms tailored to wow clients. Don’t forget essentials like support staffers to keep operations smooth. And create killer branding materials and signage so people know your firm means business.

Attention: Business Startup Checklist For Kenyan Entrepreneurs

Getting Your Niche On

Trying to be a jack of all trades can spread you thin. It’s smart to niche down and be known as a top gun in specific areas of law. Play to your experience and interests.

Popular options include corporate, real estate, litigation, family, employment and tax law. Start by specializing in a few sectors, then expand your offerings once you’ve gotten your groove. Being “the” expert in your corners of the law can attract serious clients.

Funding Your New Enterprise

Starting any business means covering costs before the profits pile up. Funding choices include:

  • Tapping your personal savings – avoids debt but limits how big you can go.
  • Business loans – provide more capital but must be repaid.
  • Bringing on investors – get a cash boost but lose some control.
  • Business credit cards – help with cash flow but don’t get stuck paying interest!

Cover your bases but only take on responsible funding levels within your means.

Spreading the Word

Marketing and networking make or break getting your firm off the ground. Must-dos include:

  • Hit up professional associations, conferences, and community events – perfect venues to connect with potential clients and partners
  • Launch an awesome website highlighting your credentials and legal expertise
  • Get social on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – share legal tips to build your audience
  • Publish blogs and articles on trending legal issues – this content marketing builds authority
  • Take out ads in newspapers, radio, billboards, online to reach your target audience
  • Pitch yourself as a legal expert for news stories and interviews – landing this media exposure can be game-changing

Handling Your Books

You have to keep your accounts in tip-top shape from day one. Make budgets, track billable hours and expenses, analyze financials – or bring in an accountant or bookkeeper for help. Tight books keep your firm tuned up and profitable.

Growing Your Baby Over Time

Launching a successful firm requires hustle upfront. But with hard work and smart strategic moves, you can build a thriving practice. Stay focused on:

  • Delivering killer legal services and expertise
  • Building your reputation as a top lawyer in your niche
  • Expanding your team by bringing on seasoned attorneys
  • Boosting your offerings by adding new practice areas and talent
  • Keeping your skills and knowledge razor-sharp
  • Moving into larger office space when the time is right

With the right business savvy and legal genius, you can grow your law firm into a hometown hero. Ready to shake up the Kenyan legal scene and make it happen? Then it’s time to get grinding! The steps above will help launch your dream law firm – now go out there and make it a reality.

Manage Your Law Firm Business Finances

Running the financial operations of your new law firm will be one of your most important responsibilities. Start by creating detailed budgets and cash flow projections to inform your financial decision-making. Use law practice management software to automate tracking for billable time, client accounts, payments and more. Set appropriate billing rates and invoice clients promptly when work is completed. Have clear procedures to consistently collect payments owed and follow up on late or missing invoices.

Plan ahead for expenses like office rent, staff salaries, supplies, taxes and other overhead costs. Produce regular financial statements, such as profit and loss reports, to evaluate the financial health of your business. Consider working with an experienced accountant or bookkeeper for assistance with essential bookkeeping, taxes, and financial analysis. Keeping a steady hand on the financial wheel will keep your law firm profitable and set up for lasting success.

Optimize Your Office Workflows

Taking the time to create organized systems and workflows in your office is essential for operating efficiently. Formalize processes for intake of new client cases, tracking details and deadlines for each matter, scheduling conferences and court dates, recording billable time, generating invoices, and organizing legal files and records. Identify ways to streamline repetitive tasks through checklists, templates, automation and technology. Smooth operations free up more time for you to focus on substantive legal work.

Expand Your Legal Service Offerings

When starting out, specializing in your strongest areas of legal expertise is wise. But over time, consider broadening your offerings to take on more diverse cases and clients. Strategies can include expanding your practice areas, adding complementary legal services, merging with lawyers having different specialities, offering unbundled legal services for discrete tasks, and providing services like legal clinics or DIY legal document templates. Gradually expanding your menu of services positions your firm as a convenient one-stop-shop able to meet more client needs.

Implement Law Practice Technology

Legal technology and software can maximize your productivity and capabilities in today’s digital era. Valuable solutions to explore include practice management software, document automation, eSignature, client portals, cybersecurity tools, cloud-based apps, and digital marketing platforms. Taking time to research and integrate the right technology creates a digital ecosystem that profoundly enhances your firm’s effectiveness.

Develop Strategic Vendor Relationships

Law firms regularly rely on quality vendors for services like litigation support, records retrieval, process serving, debt collection, and courier needs. Research top options and maintain preferred vendor lists, so you can easily access support when needed. Centralizing vendor billing enables easier tracking and analysis.

Foster a Positive Firm Culture

Don’t underestimate the impact company culture has on attracting and retaining top legal talent. Promote an inspiring culture by articulating core values like integrity, excellence and work/life balance. Invest in professional development and prevent burnout. Make diversity, inclusion and collaboration priorities. Celebrate achievements and promote mentoring. A rewarding culture keeps your team engaged and productive.

Plan for Future Firm Growth

Once your law firm matures, proactively planning for growth is crucial. Strategies can include increasing lawyer and staff capacity, opening additional locations, creating specialized practice groups, designating firm management roles, succession planning for leadership transitions, and considering mergers or acquisitions. Getting ahead of future growth phases will allow your firm to scale and expand smoothly.

Stay on Top of Legal Industry Trends

As the legal industry evolves, read up on emerging trends and upgrade your skills accordingly. Follow developments like increased use of legal technology and AI, new billing models beyond hourly fees, unbundled legal services, niche emerging practice areas, digital marketing tactics, and an emphasis on exceptional client service and communication. Anticipating shifts in the legal landscape will help future-proof your firm.

Build Your Professional Reputation

Recognizing a leading lawyer or respected legal expert takes focus and perseverance. Consider strategies like speaking at conferences, authoring articles for legal publications, teaching courses, serving on Boards, providing pro bono legal services, and earning honours and awards. Building a solid professional reputation brings prestige and expands business opportunities.

Starting and growing a successful law firm business takes immense dedication, skill, and effort. But for lawyers with entrepreneurial drive and business savvy, it is an incredibly rewarding journey. Follow the tips covered in this guide during each stage of establishing your own firm – from selecting a business structure to handling finances to building your reputation. Learn continually, leverage technology, surround yourself with a talented team, and deliver excellent legal services. By laying the right foundations and adapting to industry evolutions, you can grow your new law firm into a respected leader in Kenya’s legal community. Be prepared for hard work, but also relish the autonomy and pride that comes from building your own distinguished law practice.

' data-src=

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign me up for the newsletter!

daily hub retina

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Varsity Scope

  • Universities
  • Attachments
  • Internships

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING A LAW FIRM IN KENYA

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING A LAW FIRM IN KENYA

  • Sole Proprietorship
  • Partnership
  • Limited Liability Company

Contact Form

How to Run a Law Firm

Nairobi business monthly,september issue.

Business Monthly September Issue

Running a law firm

T he subject is law. After eight years of legal practice, one of those as Managing Partner at G.M. Gamma Advocates LLP, Gad Ouma’s litigation presence is  lithe and assured. He represents a diverse portfolio of cor-porate clients, personalities and state corporations, includ-ing Kenya Power - he successfully navigated a class-action suit for the latter. Establishing the firm in July 2019 as a limited liability partnership based in Nairobi, he and his partners quickly realized that the Firm had grown expo-nentially with clients across the various regions in the country and, with just months into their operation, estab-lished the Mombasa Branch to cater to their growing client base. Barely a year old in the market, the firm is already on the path towards attaining an ISO 9001:2015 certification on Quality Management Systems, an illustration of its extra focus on offering high quality legal services to its clients. A cum laude graduate of Moi University, Gad sat down with the Nairobi Business Monthly for a chat.

What is the philosophy behind G.M. Gamma Advocates?

Our institutional philosophy can be summed up in the acronym ARCS: Available to our clients, and reliable service delivery; Resulto-riented - meaning we first seek to understand a client’s business needs to generate solutions that respond to the unique legal needs of our clients; Confidentiality, which is par-amount and non-negotiable; and the Soundness of the legal and advisory services we offer.

What is your niche?

We are a versatile firm that offers legal, advisory and training over a broad spectrum of laws. We, amongst others, have expertise in commercial law, dispute resolution, Arbitration, Aviation, Banking and Financial Services, Succession & Real Estate Management, and labour and em-ployment laws. We straddle a wide range of sectors, from mining, tele-communication, energy, construc-tion, agribusiness, financial services, healthcare, insurance and manufac-turing, among others. In the one year we have existed, we have morphed into a cogent team of Advocates and Legal Consultants that prides itself with a bottomline of quality and pro-fessionalism. We also practice pre-ventive law.

What does preventive law entail?

It mean we anticipate likely legalchallenges and proffer legal solutions, training and audits, and compliance legislation. Like pre-ventive medicine, preventive law works to prevent prob-lems before they arise. It entails dealing with ‘hot facts’, which can be altered because they haven’t yet arisen.

What goes into starting a law firm?

The practice of law is both a business and a profession. To run a successful law firm, one must see it as both. Before you make the commitment, you need to ask your-self: Do I want to be involved in the entire running of the business? Am I committed to being a business owner and leader – not just an attorney? Do I consider the time I spend working on developing and maturing the business as important as my career/work? If the answers here are all affirmative, you must then focus on building a team that you can trust. It helps if you scout for such people early enough so that you also determine if you have a shared passion and culture. Don’t be after hiring employ-ees simply to fill a position; hire smart - people who em-body the vision and mission of the firm, who will help you grow the business.

So like any other business then?

You could say so, but it is much more than that, be-cause it is anything but conventional business. To be suc-cessful, you will need to invest immense amounts of time so that you over deliver and be consistent at it. Time - for your clients and your firm family - is your most precious commodity. When delivering a draft plaint is expected Wednesday, deliver it on Monday afternoon. Return calls and emails promptly. Create your niche and work out-wards as you grow. Break out of your comfort zone and aim to solve problems, then deliver consistent results. Most importantly, build relationships and be grateful - you never understand how important it is to say thank you and appreciate those around you until you begin do

Sufficient capital is essential for a successful business,as is having the understanding of how to manage it properly.It is important to put aside adequate funds to begin and subsequently run for months while you guve room for stability in the firm.Planninh ahead is also crucial.I often ask myself:how will I finance my business growth plans for the next  half a decade?It is also prudent to consider options for outside financing.Finally,one has to track the firm’s spending to be able  to predict trends a dplans ahead.Tracking weekly and  monthly expenditure is a key factor for growth  and sustainable development.

You left a good job at Robson Harris & Co. Advocates where you were the head of litigation to start your own firm. Why?

The Firm of Robson Harris Advocates, and more so, its Managing Partner Jane Mwangi have been instrumen-tal to my professional growth. Now to answer your ques-tion, I started G.M Gamma Advocates, LLP because I felt ready for the challenge, and I believed in myself. I set out to offer a blueprint for those willing to put in the work, to demonstrate that young lawyers can courageously step out of their comfort zones and establish successful legal practice. We are barely one year old yet the firm of G.M Gamma Advocates is already on its path to attaining ISO certification, an accomplishment very few law firms in the country have achieved. We want our reputation to be synonymous with quality. We are keen to progressively create a brand that people associate with honesty, pro-fessionalism and service. It will take time and hard work, but we want to show that it can be done-failure is not an option.

What have been your biggest challenges?

What is true for one individual is not necessarily so for the next, no matter how similar their qualifications or circumstance. There are opportunities for lawyers in various sectors thanks to our expanding economy

As a business, teething challenges are not uncommon. For example, sometimes we have to deprioritize some projects by diverting funding to more pressing needs. At other times, we have found some of our structures to re-quire reorientation so as to be in tandem with our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan, which means that we lose both time and resources already utilised. In terms of practice, we are still building fluency around emerging and under ex-plored areas of law such as the extractives industry, avi-ation law, sports law, environmental law, and economic crimes and cyber law. As these gaps become apparent with time, so does our ever-expanding pratice portfolio.

How are you addressing these challenges?

At the start of the year, the Firm contracted a highly qualified Consultant to help it develop its Strategic Plan for the year 2020-2023 Strategic Plan.This was an elaborate process that took 4 months and closely involved its staff and all stakeholders including its clients and relevant professional bodies. The Strategic Plan was even-tuality put into motion on 1st July, 2020. The Plan will enable the Firm to take bold initiatives in redefining the business and practise of law, and propel it to greater heights through delivering a unique mix of values. We are constantly developing our human resource capacity, infrastruc-ture, leveraging our partnerships and linkages, and facilitating training to develop our firm professionally, and obtain the knowledge we need to build fluency in new or emerging areas. This way, we hope to be well equipped to deal with any challenges that come our way.

How many people do you employ?

There are 19 of us, including 10 legal practitioners and an adminis-tration docket with a complement of 9. That makes us a mediumsized firm.

What, in your view, is the best way to spur the growth of a law firm?

Growth is a deliberate strategy and planning in advance is para-mount. In our case, the blue print for our growth for the next four years is encompassed in our Strategic Plan, 2020-2023.

Conventionally, this requires a sound business strategy, which en-tails creating efficient systems, re-taining and attracting new clients through impeccable service and managing your finances well. It al-ways pays to be client-centred; let the experience for clients be like nothing they will get elsewhere.

Beyond that, in this age, it also helps to build your brand to make it visible in traditional channels and on professional social media platforms. Besides winning cases and offering first rate services that can be asso-ciated with excellence, build and develop the actors in your circles. Creating and maintaining a credible presence on professional network-ing sites such as LinkedIn and even YouTube one of the best investments you can make. As well, invest in your company website and populate it with compelling internal content; it is the first point of reference for potential clients and your most im-portant resume. Finally, invest in the community around you, wheth-er that is corporate social responsi-bility or doing some pro bono work. Whereas this might be looked at cyn-ically, service to the local community has got its own reward.

How is practice in Kenya as com-pared to other jurisdictions in Afri-ca?

I think what is true for one indi-vidual is not necessarily so for the next, no matter how similar their qualifications or circumstances. If you scrutinise the legal space in the country, there are opportunities to be found, particularly because our expanding economy provides oppor-tunities for lawyers in different sec-tors and industries. The changing na-ture of legal practice, for example the infusion of technology into law, pres-ents both opportunities and chal-lenges that are not unique to Kenya, but to which different jurisdictions are accommodating differently.

How do you deal with leadership and practice challenges?

As the Managing Partner at the Firm and previously during my lead-ership position at Robson Harris Ad-vocates, I have learned the value of maintaining my objectivity and look-ing for opportunities to collaborate. I am not confrontational, but I am also firm and fair.

What advice do you have for young lawyers who want to venture in law, and legal practice in particular?

One, believe in yourself and never allow doubt to seep in. Two, learning is lifelong; you won’t know everything once, but if you commit yourself fully to learning, listening and putting in the time and effort, you will become the best version of yourself. Three, patience is a virtue; be ambitious but temper that with objective fortitude. Four, learn to be a leader by owning up to mistakes and learning from them. Lastly, there is no monopoly of knowledge; learn from others and be generous enough to pass that on by mentoring as much as you can.

Is business ever slow? How do you cope?

It is easy to settle into the fam-ine-feast cycle - enjoying times of plenty and bearing out the so-called famine months. I have learnt to plan ahead. We work with quarterly work plans, which feed into annual plans and ultimately into the overall Stra-tegic Plan, 2020-2023. COVID has reinforced the idea of saving for rainy days, and this is the principle we live by. We invest in and work towards retaining both staff, who are our hu-man assets, and clients, who keep our bottom-line healthy.

Where do you see the company in the next five years?

We anchor this in the full im-plementation and realisation of our strategic priorities as encapsulated in our Strategic Plan, 2020-2023. We want to be the firm of choice for cor-porate and individual clients. More specifically, our strategic priorities are based on the following broad pil-lars: client management - through anticipating and catering to their legal needs intuitively and efficient-ly; business development - through evolving to adapt to emerging trends and setting our brand apart, includ-ing by leveraging new practice ar-eas, growing our client base and optimising revenue collection; and institutional capacity development - through strengthening our gover-nance mechanisms and entrenching a performance-based culture.

Social Channels

  • Firm Profile

law firm business plan kenya

Rankings.io Logo Manticore Blue

law firm business plan kenya

Requirements To Open A Law Firm In Kenya

This article focuses on the requirements to open a law firm in Kenya . Law is one of the best paying careers in Kenya , especially if you have established your own law firm. Many lawyers in the country who have established and built their brands are making millions from their law firms.

The legal profession is very wide. To effectively build and establish your brand, it is advisable to choose an area of practice. Some of the areas of practice include;

  • Family law .
  • Criminal law.
  • Labour law.
  • Intellectual property law.
  • Constitution law.
  • Business law.

Requirements to Open a Law Firm in Kenya

1. Letter of no objection/ approval letter from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). LSK is Kenya’s premier bar association with membership of all practising advocates.

You have to be a member of LSK for you to practice as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.

2. Have a Degree in law from a university recognised in Kenya.

3. Have a Diploma in Law from Kenya School of Law .

4. Have a law practising certificate.

How to Establish a Law Firm in Kenya

Before registering your law firm, you have to decide on your area of specialisation to easily build your brand.

Here is a guide on how to register a law firm in Kenya.

1. Register a business name . This can be done on the e-citizen portal.

You can register the law firm as a;

(i). Sole proprietorship. This costs Kshs 1,000.

(ii). Partnership. This costs Kshs 25,000.

(iii). Limited liability. This also costs Kshs 25,000.

2. Get an approval letter/ letter of no objection from the Law Society of Kenya.

3. Register your law firm with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for the purpose of taxation. As a law-abiding citizen, you have to pay taxes as required.

4. Choose a strategic location for setting up the law firm. It should be in a place where you can easily attract clients.

5. Launch your law firm once you have identified a strategic location.

Check Out: 

  • Top 10 Best Law Firms In Kenya

List Of Lawyers And Law Firms Offering Pro Bono Legal Services In Kenya

List Of Best Family Law Firms In Kenya

Difference Between an Advocate And a Lawyer In Kenya

law firm business plan kenya

Zack Abuyeka

I am the third eye.My duty is to keep you updated of the current trends and events happening round the globe.

Related Posts

List Of Best Paying Government Institutions In Kenya

List Of Best Paying Government Institutions In Kenya

How to Pay for Safaricom Home Fibre via Mpesa 2022

How to Pay for Safaricom Home Fibre via Mpesa 2022

List Of Best Property Valuers In Kenya

List Of Best Property Valuers In Kenya

List Of Best Road Signs Manufacturers In Kenya

List Of Best Road Signs Manufacturers In Kenya

List Of Sub Counties In Kericho County

List Of Sub Counties In Kericho County

List Of Best Sportswear Manufacturers In Kenya

List Of Best Sportswear Manufacturers In Kenya

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

  • We're Hiring!
  • Help Center

paper cover thumbnail

Business Proposal on how to start a firm

Profile image of Jo Mwine

Related Papers

The report of the World Bank enquiry into the state of discipline of the legal profession in Kenya

law firm business plan kenya

Hillary Sale

SSRN Electronic Journal

Philip Dlamini

IRJET Journal

In present scenario, air pollution has become a serious concern for the India. According to recent global report many cities in the India are most polluted cities. Major sector contributing to the air pollution are industrial sector and transport sector. Among this 51% of air pollution is caused by the industrial sector and 27% by electric the transport sector. Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year. In order to minimize the air pollution, vehicle (EV) can act as blessing in lowering the GHG (Green House Gases) emission. Electric as decreasing the pollution level and reduction in oil bills etc. Although there is considerable amount of threats in establishing the electric vehicles types of motor used for electric vehicles, batteries, and Architecture of Electrical vehicle in India

Jorge Villela

Este artigo pretende mostrar alguns aspectos da administração da justiça e da violência durante a Primeira República. Como método de exposição, optei pela apresentação das poucas informações existentes acerca de vida de Clementino (Quelé) José Furtado, ex-inspetor de quarteirão, ex-cangaceiros e sargento da Polícia do governador João Pessoa, na Paraíba, em luta contra os Sertões Rebelados, em 1929, às vésperas da Revolução de 1930. Sem a intenção de efetuar uma antropologia biográfica, a vida de Quelé mostra todas as possíveis relações entre diversos exercícios de poder e seus alvos, os habitantes do Vale do Pajeú das Flores, no sertão de Pernambuco. P a l a v R a-C h a v E Antropologia, Sertão, Violência, Política, Justiça. a B S T R a C T This article hopes to show some aspects of the administration of justice and violence during Brazil's First Republic (1889-1930). The exposition presents what little information exists about the life of Clementino (Quelé) José Furtado, the ex...

Public Administration and Policy

Lichia Saner-Yiu

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess how far Jamaica has come regarding women economic empowerment, female entrepreneurship and its development policies in favour of women entrepreneurship development.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study employs a mixed method approach to achieve its research objectives, consisting of literature review and corroboration with existing database and indices. Key insights of research on female entrepreneurship are used to reflect on published data to assess progress of female entrepreneurship development in Jamaica. The 2017 editions of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Gender Entrepreneurship and Development Index were examined to gain a better understanding of how the Jamaican business environment has progressed or regressed over time and how the economic development and business environment impact female participation in Jamaica’s labour force and entrepreneurial initiatives.FindingsThe economic conditions in Jamaica and t...

The Review of Economic Studies

Ted Bergstrom

claudio adrian bernal

El objetivo fue investigar el efecto de diferentes fuentes de grasas dietarias sobre las alteraciones hepáticas inducidas por los Conjugados del Ácido Linoleico (CLA) comerciales en animales de experimentación. Para tal fin, en ratones CF1 macho alimentados (30 días) con dietas conteniendo aceite de oliva, maíz y canola, suplementadas o no con CLA, investigamos en hígado las posibles alteraciones en tamaño, acumulación lipídica, aspectos morfológicos y estado lipoperoxidativo. A nivel hepático, los CLA suplementados al aceite de oliva generaron la mayor acumulación lipídica, al aceite de maíz un notable estado pro-inflamatorio, mientras que al aceite de canola efectos deletéreos más atenuados. En virtud del empleo de CLA comerciales como ayudas ergogénicas y antiobesogénicos en humanos, este trabajo podría contribuir al conocimiento de ciertos efectos que los mismos podrían tener en función de interacciones metabólicas con distintas grasas dietarias.The aim of this work was to inves...

Haft Hesar Journal of Environmental Studies

mohammad reza rezaei

Law Firm Business Plan Template

Download this free law firm business plan template, with pre-filled examples, to create your own plan..

Or plan with professional support in LivePlan. Save 50% today

Available formats:

Word Icon

What you get with this template

A complete business plan.

Text and financials are already filled out and ready for you to update.

  • SBA-lender approved format

Your plan is formatted the way lenders and investors expect.

Edit to your needs

Download as a Word document and edit your business plan right away.

  • Detailed instructions

Features clear and simple instructions from expert business plan writers.

Money-Back Guarantee

All 100% free. We're here to help you succeed in business, no strings attached.

Get the most out of your business plan example

Follow these tips to quickly develop a working business plan from this sample.

1. Don't worry about finding an exact match

We have over 550 sample business plan templates . So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details.

Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

2. Remember it's just an example

Our sample business plans are examples of what one business owner did. That doesn't make them perfect or require you to cram your business idea to fit the plan structure.

Use the information, financials, and formatting for inspiration. It will speed up and guide the plan writing process.

3. Know why you're writing a business plan

To create a plan that fits your needs , you need to know what you intend to do with it.

Are you planning to use your plan to apply for a loan or pitch to investors? Then it's worth following the format from your chosen sample plan to ensure you cover all necessary information.

But, if you don't plan to share your plan with anyone outside of your business—you likely don't need everything.

More business planning resources

Variety of books

How to Start a Business With No Money

Woman climbing mountain

How to Write a Business Plan

Man stacking bricks

How to Write a Law Firm Business Plan

Stacks of boxes

Simple Business Plan Outline

Business Plan Template example

Business Plan Template

Group of business people

How to Write a Business Plan for Investors

Industrial building

Industry Business Planning Guides

Variety of icons

10 Qualities of a Good Business Plan

Download your template now

Need to validate your idea, secure funding, or grow your business this template is for you..

  • Fill-in-the-blank simplicity
  • Expert tips & tricks

We care about your privacy. See our privacy policy .

Not ready to download right now? We'll email you the link so you can download it whenever you're ready.

Download as Docx

Download as PDF

LivePlan on a computer

Finish your business plan with confidence

Step-by-step guidance and world-class support from the #1 business planning software

LivePlan screen shots

From template to plan in 30 minutes

  • Step-by-step guidance
  • Crystal clear financials
  • Expert advice at your fingertips
  • Funding & lender ready formats
  • PLUS all the tools to manage & grow

Garrett's Bike Shop

The quickest way to turn a business idea into a business plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.

LivePlan pitch example

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

law firm business plan kenya

LEX Africa 30th anniversary logo

Law firm in Kenya | Kaplan & Stratton

Kaplan & Stratton is a premier law firm providing a comprehensive range of legal services and solutions for domestic and international clients.  The firm has a reputation as one of the leading law firms in the East African region.  International and cross-border work forms an important part of our business.

The firm was established in 1927.  The firm comprises twenty partners, all of whom are Kenyan citizens. Thirteen partners form the Commercial Department and seven partners practice in our dispute resolution department, supported by a team of  over forty associates.  A number of trainees and para-legal staff make up our full complement.  This makes us the largest legal practice in East Africa.

Our clients are private and public companies from Kenya and abroad, local and international banks, development finance agencies and non-government organisations in all sectors of the economy.  We advise on business law, corporate finance and capital markets, project finance, financial services, banking, power, telecommunications law, infrastructure, transport, manufacturing, tourism, agriculture and horticulture.  We represent clients in litigation and provide dispute resolution advice in all of these areas.  The firm also works as Kenyan counsel for many international law firms and their clients mainly from Europe, North America, Asia and South Africa.

To meet the expectations of our clients we have arranged our practice so as to provide teams of lawyers for large-scale transactions, when needed.  Our transaction teams are led by experienced partners who stay closely involved in all aspects of the matter. In addition to being Kenyan advocates, Kaplan & Stratton provides notary and commissioner services.  A number of our lawyers are English trained, having gained experience as barristers or solicitors before coming to Kenya.  With Kenya’s commercial laws drawing on laws from Commonwealth jurisdictions, and particularly the English system, there is a distinct advantage in having dual-qualified partners and associates in the practice.

Practice Area:

  • Aircraft Leasing & Financing
  • Arbitration & Mediation
  • Business Establishment
  • Banking Insurance & Telecommunications
  • Capital Markets
  • Competition and Antitrust
  • Computer, Electronic Payments & Communication Contracts
  • Employment & Retirement Benefits
  • Environmental & Conservation Law
  • Forensics and Due Diligence
  • Immigration & Private Client
  • Intellectual Property
  • International & Crossborder Transactions
  • Joint Ventures, Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Power and Energy
  • Private Equity
  • Privatisation, Project Finance & Infrastructure
  • Real Estate & Property Management
  • Structured Finance
  • Tax & Stamp Duty Planning

Highlights:

The firm celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 2018.

“Esteemed practice with strong capabilities across the M&A, project finance and energy market. Experienced in advising local and international clients and well regarded for its established IP department. Recognised for its breadth of experience in handling complex mandates relating to syndicated lending, structured finance and debt capital markets. Exceptionally strong bench of practitioners and vast experience in dispute resolution, with particular aptitude in tax and employment matters.” “The team is extremely thorough, are fast and make things happen.”

Downloads on Kenya:

Firm details.

Kaplan & Stratton

Nazima Malik

Rachel Mbai

Rachel Mbai

Related posts on kenya.

Tanzania 1

Get in touch

  • 011 5358000
  • The Central, 96 Rivonia Road, Sandton, Gauteng 2196

Privacy Overview

Explore our news articles, specialist publications and browse through our webinars and gallery

Member Countries

Explore our member firms by country

  • Account Settings
  • My Characteristics
  • Marketing Preferences
  • International

Doing legal business in Kenya

Kenya is home to over 46 million people. It benefits from a youthful population, a growing middle class and a diversified economy.

In 2019, its economic growth averaged 5.7% , making it one of the fastest growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The UK is a major investor, along with the Netherlands, Belgium, China and South Africa and increasingly India and the Middle East.

Along with Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, Kenya is a member of the East African Community (EAC), a common market of 180 million people.

The capital Nairobi is the main commercial hub for businesses investing and operating across the EAC and wider region. Major multinational companies such as General Electric, Google and IBM Research have their regional or African headquarters in the city. Nairobi is regarded as the continent’s tech hub.

Doing business is challenging in Kenya, but the new constitution in 2010 strengthened governance, curbing the power of the presidency and increasing devolution.

A series of regulatory and legislative reforms passed in 2015 focused on reforming the country’s notoriously difficult business landscape, moving it closer to international standards.

Further regulatory reform will be a priority for the Kenyan government, as well as tackling other challenges such as corruption, poverty and inequality.

The government set out its development plan in its Kenya Vision 2030 programme , which aims to deliver “a newly-industrialized, middle-income country providing a high-quality of life to all its citizens by 2030.”

Practising in Kenya

In general, foreign lawyers are not allowed to practise in Kenya unless they have been admitted as an advocate in the country.

Only citizens of Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda or Tanzania who have the required qualifications may be admitted as an advocate.

Foreign law firms cannot establish their own offices in Kenya. They can only operate in the country through an alliance with a Kenyan law firm. Several international law firms have taken this approach.

The legal profession

Regulation and representation.

Legal practice is regulated by the Advocates Act ( Cap 16, Laws of Kenya ).

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) is responsible for overseeing the profession and represents all advocates, who are required to become a member. The LSK keeps an online directory of advocates which is accessible by the public and shows the current practising status of each advocate.

In order to practise law, advocates must obtain a practising certificate from the registrar of the high court. Certificates must be renewed annually. There is a cost for this, and advocates must also have the necessary continuous professional development (CPD) points.

CPD is regulated by the LSK and advocates must attain five units each year, usually by attending approved events. A limited number of units may be given for:

  • publishing articles on law
  • consulting on matters of law reform
  • undertaking post-graduate legal studies
  • teaching on matters of law

The Advocates Act grants the chief justice the power to regulate the remuneration of advocates subject to the recommendations of the Council of the Law Society of Kenya.

This regulation is enforced through the Advocates (Remuneration) (Amendment) Order 2014 . The order gives minimum fees which must be charged for certain types of work and is intended to prevent undercutting of prices in the market. For other areas of work, advocates may charge an hourly rate. Contingency fees are not permitted in Kenya.

The Council of the Law Society of Kenya and the Advocates’ Complaints Commission, which is part of the Attorney-General’s Office, are responsible for handling complaints and disciplinary procedures against advocates.

Complaints can be made to either body and more serious cases may be referred to the Advocates’ Disciplinary Tribunal , which can hold a hearing and has the power to suspend, fine or strike-off advocates and award compensation to complainants.

The legal system and courts

Kenya’s legal system combines:

  • statutory law
  • Kenyan and English common law
  • elements of customary and Islamic law

In 2010 Kenya passed a new constitution, which is the supreme law of the land.

Under the new constitution, the court structure was reformed which established a new supreme court as the country’s highest court. Below the supreme court sits:

  • the court of appeal
  • the high court
  • two specialist courts: an employment and labour relations court and an environment and land court

Subordinate courts include:

  • the magistrates’ courts
  • kadhis courts, which handle matters of personal law for people who practise Islam
  • the courts martial for cases involving military personnel

The legal services market

There are over 8,000 practising lawyers in Kenya. The largest Kenyan firms are small by global standards, with the biggest employing around 90 lawyers. Many advocates work in smaller firms or as sole practitioners.

The major firms are based in Nairobi, making it the country’s legal centre. Some firms also have a presence in Mombasa.

Infrastructure megaprojects, surging foreign investment and Nairobi’s position as a hub for cross-border regional transactions generate significant work for corporate and commercial focused firms as well as practitioners in sectors such as:

  • energy and mining
  • telecommunications
  • transportation
  • real estate

Several Kenyan firms have also established or joined pan-African networks to boost their cross-border capacity and expertise.

Foreign law firms

In 2014 the Attorney-General indicated a willingness to liberalise the Kenyan legal services market and established a taskforce which drafted a new Advocates Bill with a new practitioner category of “foreign advocate”. The bill retained the restriction on foreign lawyers establishing practices in Kenya and included the principle of reciprocity as a condition for permission to practise. The bill was shared with members of the legal profession and the public for comment in 2015 but no further developments have taken place since then.

Qualifying as a foreign lawyer

Under the Advocates Act only citizens of Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda or Tanzania who have completed the necessary training may be admitted as an advocate in Kenya. Legal education and training in Kenya is regulated and licensed by the Council for Legal Education, which is governed by the Legal Education Act, 2012.

In general, foreign lawyers are not allowed to practise in Kenya unless they’ve been admitted as an advocate in the country.

An exception may be made to allow a lawyer from another Commonwealth country to practise in a specific matter, but this requires the authority of the Attorney General and the instruction of a Kenyan advocate.

The Advocates Act sets out the basic requirements for qualification as an advocate. You must have a law degree from a recognised university and have completed the postgraduate Advocates’ Training Programme, which takes 18 months and consists of:

  • 12 months of vocational training through the Kenya School of Law
  • a bar examination consisting of written and oral examinations and project work
  • articles of pupillage lasting six months with a lawyer of at least five years’ standing

A person may also qualify as an advocate if they:

  • have any other qualifications which are acceptable to and recognised by the Council of Legal Education
  • are admitted as an advocate in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi or Tanzania (i.e. an EAC Member State) or
  • are admitted as an advocate of the superior court of a country within the Commonwealth and
  • have practised in that country for at least five years and
  • are a member in good standing of the relevant professional body of that country

The applicant may be required to take additional training for a maximum period of three months in order to adapt to the practise of law in Kenya.

South Sudan became a full member of the EAC in August 2016, although the Advocates Act has not yet been amended to enable its citizens to practise in Kenya.

Requalification in England and Wales

From September 2021, lawyers from abroad and overseas students who wish to qualify in England and Wales will sit the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) . The SQE provides a path to the solicitor title through the same exam taken by domestic candidates. Read our guidance on the SQE for foreign lawyers The SQE has replaced the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) and will enable lawyers from outside of England and Wales to requalify through the same exams taken by solicitors who qualify domestically. If you've already started the QLTS and passed the multiple-choice test, see the SRA’s guidance .

Kenyan advocates are also approved by the SRA for registered foreign lawyer (RFL) status, which is a requirement for entering into partnership with solicitors in England and Wales. It also allows for managerial responsibility of recognised bodies.

The Law Society and Kenya

We maintain strong links with key stakeholders in Kenya’s legal sector, including the LSK, Kenyan law firms and law-related non-profit organisations.

We also engage with relevant regional lawyers’ associations such as the East Africa Law Society and the Pan African Lawyers Union .

The Law Society of Kenya

Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice – Kenya

Directory of Kenyan Law

British High Commission Nairobi

British Chamber of Commerce Kenya

East Africa Law Society

Pan African Lawyers Union

Acknowledgements

This report was produced with the kind assistance of Oraro & Company Advocates .

Maximise your Law Society membership with My LS

Have you found this page helpful?

  • Africa and the Middle East
  • Large Firms Network
  • Practical Law

Doing Business in Kenya: Overview

Practical law country q&a w-007-2231  (approx. 33 pages), dominant industries.

  • Building and construction.
  • Infrastructure development.
  • Manufacturing.
  • Transport and services.
  • Tourism (particularly from emerging markets).
  • Agriculture.
  • Wholesale and retail.

Population and Language

Business culture.

  • New Year's Day (1 January).
  • Good Friday (March or April).
  • Easter Monday (March or April).
  • Labour Day (1 May).
  • Madaraka Day (1 June).
  • Idd-ul-Fitr (date depends on the appearance of the moon).
  • Utamaduni Day (10 October).
  • Mashujaa Day (20 October).
  • Jamhuri Day (12 December).
  • Christmas (25 December).
  • Boxing Day (26 December).
  • Idd-ul-Azha (date depends on the appearance of the moon (for all persons belonging to the Islamic faith)).
  • Diwali (date depends on the appearance of the moon (for all persons belonging to the Hindu faith)).

Key Business and Economic Events

Political events, new legislation.

  • Kenya Information and Communication Act, No. 2 of 1998 (KICA).
  • Law of Contracts Act, Chapter 23.
  • Laws of Kenya, the Survey Act, Chapter 299.
  • Laws of Kenya and the Land Registration Act, No. 3 of 2012.

Legal System

  • Written laws (statutes).
  • Common law.
  • Doctrines of equity.
  • Statutes of general application in force in England on or before 12 August 1897.
  • African customary law.

Foreign Investment

Government authorisations, restrictions on foreign shareholders, restrictions on acquisition of shares, specific industries.

  • Listed companies.
  • Companies holding title to agricultural land. Approvals/exemptions from the Land Control Board are required under the Land Control Act (Chapter 302, Laws of Kenya).
  • Class 1: includes heavy earth-moving equipment and self-propelling vehicles, for example, lorries above three tonnes, forklifts, trucks. The rate is 37.5% a year.
  • Class 2: computers, photocopiers, scanners. The rate is 30% a year.
  • Class 3: includes light self-propelling vehicles and other machines such as aircraft, motorbikes and lorries under three tonnes. The rate is 25% a year.
  • Class 4: telephone sets, switch boards, bicycles. The rate is 12.5% a year.
  • 10% for the first ten years.
  • 15% for the next ten years.
  • 20% if 40% of issued share capital is listed (for a five-year period).
  • 25% if 30% of issued share capital is listed (for a five-year period).
  • 27% if 20% of issued share capital is listed (for a three-year period).

Foreign Investors

  • Certain licences appropriate to the business of the investor.
  • A certain number of specific classes of entry permits for management and technical staff and for owners, shareholders or partners and their dependants.
  • The Second Schedule to the Income Tax Act, Chapter 470 of the Laws of Kenya (ITA) provides investment allowances that are deductible from the gains or profits for a year of income where a taxpayer has incurred capital expenditure in relation to various items listed in the schedule.
  • The ITA also provides for reduced tax rates and tax exemptions for foreign and local taxable persons operating under a preferential tax regime in the Export Processing Zones or Special Economic Zones.

Business Vehicles

Main business vehicles.

  • Companies limited by shares (private or public) established under the Companies Act 2015.
  • Limited liability partnerships (LLPs) established under the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2011.

Foreign Companies

Registration and formation.

  • The intended company name.
  • The corporate structure and details of the structure, including the primary and secondary objects of the company, the issued share capital, the number and class of shares and the business start date.
  • The address and contact details.
  • Proposed shareholders.
  • Beneficial owners.
  • Proposed directors and authorised signatories.
  • Proposed company secretaries.
  • Corporate history (for example, whether the company being incorporated is a subsidiary, whether the parent company is in Kenya, or the incorporation is a result of a merger or acquisition and so on).

Reporting Requirements

  • Articles of association.
  • Details of the registered office, directors and company secretary (if applicable).
  • Accounting reference date (the last day of the month in which the anniversary of the company's incorporation occurs).
  • Annual returns.
  • Any allotment, redemption or reduction of share capital.

Share Capital

Non-cash consideration, rights attaching to shares, management structure, management restrictions, directors' and officers' liability.

  • Act within their powers.
  • Promote the success of the company.
  • Exercise independent judgement.
  • Exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence.
  • Avoid conflicts of interest.
  • Not accept benefits from third parties.

Parent Company Liability

  • Fraudulent or wrongful trading.
  • Transfers of assets at an undervalue.
  • Unlawful distributions.

Environment

  • Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
  • Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (Cap 387, Laws of Kenya) (EMCA).
  • Forest Conservation and Management Act No. 34 of 2016.
  • Wildlife Conservation and Management Act No. 47 of 2013.
  • United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
  • United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification.
  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
  • Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) must be conducted with respect to activities or projects to determine whether or not they will have any adverse effect on the environment.

Laws, Contracts and Permits

Foreign employees, employees working abroad, mandatory rules of law.

  • Employment Act 2007. This provides the basic conditions of employment. However, employers may provide better terms in the employment contract, collective bargaining agreement, employment manual, policy or practice.
  • Labour Institutions Act 2007. This establishes wage councils, provides for their functions, powers and duties and for other relevant matters.
  • Labour Relations Act 2007. This regulates unions and trade disputes.
  • Occupational Safety and Health Act 2007. This regulates workplace health and safety.
  • Work Injury Benefits Act 2007. This provides compensation for work-related injuries.
  • Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act 2011. This regulates the issue of work permits to foreign employees.
  • Employment and Labour Relations Court Act 2011. This sets up an industrial court to hear employment disputes.
  • The National Social Security Fund Act 2013 . This requires every employer to register with the state pension fund known as the National Social Security Fund and to register its employees as members of the pension fund.
  • The National Hospital Insurance Fund Act 1998. This establishes the state hospital insurance fund known as the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), and provides for rules relating to payments to the NHIF by employers and employees and benefits to contributors. The funds are used to assist employees settle in-patient medical bills.
  • The Industrial Training Act 1960. This regulates the training of apprentices and indentured learners. It requires an employer to pay a training levy of KES50 to the Industrial Training Levy Fund for each of its employees every month.
  • The Constitution of Kenya. Fair labour practices are recognised as a constitutional right.
  • Name, age, permanent address and gender of the employee.
  • Details of the employer.
  • Job description.
  • Date of commencement.
  • Form and duration of employment.
  • Place and hours of work.
  • Remuneration and the method of remuneration.
  • Entitlement to annual leave, public holidays, sick leave and a pension scheme.
  • The length of notice for termination.

Implied Terms

Collective agreements, work permits, residency permits, termination.

  • On summary dismissal.
  • Redundancy.

Fair Dismissal

  • Summary dismissal takes place when an employer terminates the employment of an employee without notice or with less notice than the employee is entitled to under statute or contract. Employers can dismiss employees summarily where they have fundamentally breached their obligations by their conduct. Gross misconduct will arise in matters including:
  • Wilful neglect to perform any work within a person's duty.
  • Careless and improper performance of duties.
  • Committing or suspected of committing a criminal offence against or to the substantial detriment of their employer.

Unfair Dismissal

  • Damages not exceeding 12 months of the gross wage.
  • Reinstatement.

Class of Individuals

  • Daily, the notice period is the close of any day without notice.
  • At intervals of less than a month, the notice period is the end of the next period following the written notice.
  • At intervals of or exceeding one month, the notice period is 28 days.

Redundancies and Mass Termination

Procedural requirements.

  • Notifies the union to which the employee is a member and the labour officer in charge of the area where the employee is employed of the reasons for, and the extent of, the intended redundancy at least a month before the intended date of termination.
  • Notifies the employee of the intended redundancy personally in writing (if the employee is not a union member) and the labour officer at least a month before the intended date of termination.
  • Pays in cash any leave due to the employee who is made redundant.
  • Pays at least one month's notice or one month's wages in lieu of notice (if the employer does not require the employee to serve the notice period).
  • Pays an employee severance pay at the rate of at least 15 days' pay for each completed year of service.
  • The employer must have due regard to seniority in time and to the skill, ability and reliability of each employee of the particular class of employees affected by the redundancy.
  • If there is a collective agreement between an employer and a trade union setting out terminal benefits payable on redundancy, the employer must not place the employee at a disadvantage for being or not being a member of the trade union.

Taxes on Employment

Tax residence.

  • Have a permanent home in Kenya and were present in Kenya for any period in a particular income year.
  • were present in Kenya for a period or periods of 183 days (in aggregate) or more in that year of income; or
  • were present in Kenya in that year of income and in each of the two preceding years of income for periods averaging more than 122 days in each income year.

Other Methods to Determine Residency

Tax resident employees, non-tax resident employees, tax resident business.

  • It is incorporated (or registered) under Kenyan law.
  • The management and control of its affairs are exercised in Kenya.
  • The cabinet secretary in charge of the National Treasury declares the company to be tax resident in Kenya.

Non-Tax Resident Business

  • At a rate of 1% of the certified market value on the transfer of shares.
  • At a rate of 4% of the transfer of land in towns and 2% on land in rural areas.

Dividends, Interest and IP Royalties

  • Dividends paid to foreign corporate shareholders?
  • Dividends received from foreign companies?
  • Interest paid to foreign corporate shareholders?
  • Intellectual property (IP) royalties paid to foreign corporate shareholders?

Dividends Paid

Dividends received, interest paid, ip royalties paid, groups, affiliates and related parties, customs duties.

  • 0% on raw materials, certain capital goods, some agricultural inputs, certain medicines and certain medical equipment.
  • 10% on intermediate goods and other essential industrial inputs such as animal fats and oils that have not been chemically modified and sugars.
  • 25% on finished goods.
  • Import Declaration Fee on all goods imported into Kenya for home use at 3.5% of the customs value of the goods.
  • Railway Development Levy on all goods imported into Kenya for home use at the rate of 2% of the customs value of the goods.
  • Import VAT at 16%.

Double Tax Treaties

Competition, competition authority.

  • Its domestic regime (the Competition Act 2010 enforced by the Competition Authority).
  • The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Competition Regulations.
  • The East African Community Competition Act 2006 (not yet operational).

Restrictive Agreements and Practices

  • Directly or indirectly fixes purchase or selling prices or any other trading conditions.
  • Limits or controls production, market outlets or access, technical development or investment.
  • Otherwise prevents, distorts or restricts competition.
  • When determining whether an agreement or arrangement constitutes a restrictive trade practice, no single methodology will be applied in all cases. The CA will undertake a fact-finding process in each case and apply a range of tools to evaluate the conduct and/or agreement in question.
  • Agreements between competitors at the same level of production and agreements among market players at different levels of production (horizontal and vertical agreements) are prohibited to the extent that they distort or restrict competition.
  • Market division might involve competitors agreeing to allocate customers between them or agreeing to stay out of each other's geographic territory or customer base.
  • total or partial exclusion of rivals from markets;
  • complete lack of competition in the market; or
  • supra-normal profits owing to no competition and no price competition.
  • A citizen of Kenya or a person ordinarily resident in Kenya.
  • A body corporate incorporated in Kenya or carrying on business within Kenya.
  • Any person in relation to the supply or acquisition of goods or services by that person into or within Kenya.
  • Any person in relation to the acquisition of shares or other assets outside Kenya resulting in the change of control of a business, part of a business or an asset of a business, in Kenya.

Unilateral Conduct

Transactions subject to merger control.

  • Beneficially own more than one half of the issued share capital of the undertaking.
  • Are entitled to vote a majority of the votes that may be cast at a general meeting of the undertaking, or have the ability to control the voting of a majority of those votes, either directly or through a controlled entity of that undertaking.
  • Can appoint, or veto the appointment of, a majority of the directors of the undertaking.
  • Are a holding company, and the undertaking is a subsidiary of that company.
  • (Where the undertaking is a trust) can control the majority of the votes of the trustees or appoint the majority of the trustees or appoint or change the majority of the beneficiaries of the trust.
  • (Where the undertaking is a nominee undertaking) own the majority of the members' interest or control directly or has the right to control the majority of members' votes in the nominee undertaking.
  • Can materially influence the policy of the undertaking in a manner comparable to a person who, in ordinary commercial practice, can exercise an element of control referred to in the points above.
  • Combined KES0 to KES500 million: A merger notification is not required (that is, there is a block exemption) if the higher of the combined annual turnover or value of assets of the acquirer and the target is less than KES500 million.
  • Combined KES500 million to KES1 billion (where target is above KES500 million): An exclusion application is required where the higher of the combined annual turnover or value of assets of the acquirer and target is more than KES500 million but less than KES1 billion.
  • Combined over KES1 billion to KES10 billion (where target is above KES500 million): There is a mandatory requirement to make a notification where the higher of the combined annual turnover or value of assets of the acquirer and the target is above KES1 billion and the higher of the target's annual turnover or value of assets is above KES500 million.
  • Combined over KES10 billion to KES50 billion (where target is above KES500 million): There is a mandatory requirement to make a notification where the higher of the combined annual turnover or value of assets of the acquirer and the target is above KES1 billion and the higher of the target's annual turnover or value of assets is above KES500 million.
  • Combined over KES50 billion (where target is above KES500 million). There is a mandatory requirement to make a notification where the higher of the combined annual turnover or value of assets of the acquirer and the target is above KES1 billion and the higher of the target's annual turnover or value of assets is above KES500 million.

Foreign-to-Foreign Acquisitions

Anti-bribery and corruption, intellectual property.

  • National filings at the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI).
  • Regional filings at the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO).
  • International filings under the Patent Co-operation Treaty.

Trade Marks

  • A company/individual/firm name represented in a special manner.
  • An applicant's/business predecessor's signature.
  • An invented word or words.
  • Words with no reference to the character/quality of the goods and that do not contain a geographical name/surname.
  • Any distinctive mark.
  • Opposition.
  • Cancellation.
  • Infringement.
  • Passing-off.
  • Injunctions.
  • An account of profits.
  • Orders for delivery up and/or destruction of the offending goods.

Registered Designs

Unregistered designs.

  • Literary works.
  • Musical works.
  • Artistic works.
  • Audio-visual works.
  • Sound recordings.
  • Literary, musical or artistic work other than photographs are protected for 50 years after the end of the year of the author's death.
  • Audio-visual works and photographs are protected for 50 years from the end of the year in which the work was made, first made available to the public or first published (whichever is the latest).
  • Sound recordings are protected for 50 years after the end of the year of the recording.
  • Broadcasts are protected for 50 years after the end of the year of first broadcast.

Marketing Agreements

Distribution, franchising, advertising, digital advertising.

  • Consumer Protection Act 2012.
  • Competition Act 2010.
  • Kenya Information and Communications (Consumer Protection) Regulations 2010.
  • Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances Act 1965.
  • Alcoholic Drinks Control Act 2010.
  • Tobacco Control Regulations 2014.

Direct Marketing

Data protection, data protection laws.

  • Data Protection (General) Regulations 2021.
  • Data Protection (Registration of Data Controllers and Data Processors) Regulations 2021.
  • Data Protection (Complaints Handling Procedure and Enforcement) Regulations 2021.
  • The transfer of personal data.
  • How data subjects' rights should be provided for.
  • What the thresholds and requirements are for the registration of data controllers and data processors.
  • How complaints relating to infringements and contraventions of the DPA will be handled.
  • How enforcement procedures will be undertaken.
  • Kenya Information and Communications Act 1998.
  • Access to Information Act 2016.
  • Health Act 2017.
  • Health Records and Information Managers Act 2016.
  • Banking (Credit Reference Bureau) Regulations 2020.

Consumer Privacy Laws

Product liability.

  • The Constitution of Kenya.
  • Sale of Goods Act 1931.
  • Standards Act 1974.
  • Pharmacy and Poisons Act 1957.
  • Fertilisers and Animal Foodstuffs Act 1967.

Regulatory Authorities

Financial services, other considerations, contributor profiles, wangui kaniaru, partner, anjarwalla & khanna.

  • Shanta Gold, a gold mining company listed on the London Stock Exchange and an East Africa-focused gold producer, developer and explorer, in connection with acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Acacia Kenya Exploration (Kenya), a company with mining operations in the western region of Kenya and the Kenyan subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, one of the world's leading gold mining businesses with mining operations and projects in 15 countries.
  • Huaxin Cement Company, one of the world's leading companies in the building materials industry, in connection with its acquisition of 100% of the issued shares in Maweni Limestone, a Tanzanian company involved in the business of making clinker and manufacturing and distributing cement.
  • CDC Group, a development finance institution owned by the UK government, on its USD 140 million equity investment for 40.65% of the issued share capital in ARM Cement, East Africa's second biggest cement producer with operations in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa and listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, including assisting with all legal matters in connection with the deal.
  • Schneider Electric Industries, a leading publicly listed French multinational, on its proposed acquisition of a majority stake in a Kenyan company and two affiliates as well as subsidiaries in Uganda and Tanzania, and proposed joint venture between the acquirer and the vendors. The scope of worked included conducting due diligence, drafting and negotiating all transaction documentation, fulfilling COMESA competition filing.

Edwina Warambo, Senior Associate

  • CDC Group in connection with its USD 140 million equity investment for 40.65% of the issued share capital in ARM Cement.
  • Post Holdings in connection with the purchase of 100% of the shares in Latimer Newco 2, the holding company of the Weetabix Group, which includes Weetabix, a food company incorporated in the UK, and Weetabix East Africa.
  • Garda World in connection with their acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Ursa Group.
  • iColo.io in connection with the proposed investment by Interxion Participation 1 B.V (Interxion) of USD 2 million for the establishment of a data center in Mombasa.
  • Blockbonds AS in connection with regulatory requirements and establishment of a subsidiary in Kenya.
  • Languages. English, Swahili and Basic French

George Gitau, Principal Associate

  • A company undertaking a road construction project under the Kenya Road Annuity Programme Public Private Partnership in connection with the provision of tax advisory services.
  • One of the Africa focused private equity firms in connection with the disposal of its interests in a leading chain of restaurants with operations in Kenya and Uganda.
  • One of the leading global private equity firms in connection with its investment in a regional dairy processing company with operations in Uganda and Kenya.
  • An American investment bank in connection with its investment in a Kenyan agribusiness company.

Doreen M. Kiogora, Associate

  • Vivo Energy Investments, a subsidiary of Vivo Energy Holdings in connection with the proposed acquisition of shares in Kuku Foods Kenya Limited, Kuku Foods Rwanda Limited, and Kuku Foods Uganda, including assisting in competition notifications to the Competition Authority of Kenya and the COMESA Competition Commission.
  • Telkom Kenya, a mobile telephony company in Kenya partly owned by the Government of Kenya and Helios Investment Partners, a private equity firm operating in Africa and based in London, in connection with its proposed merger with Airtel Kenya.
  • Go Communications, an information communications sector company which owns eight radio broadcasting frequencies and transmission equipment in Kenya, in connection with the proposed acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of Go Communications Limited by Energy Media Holdings.
  • i-Hub, an innovation hub located in Nairobi, in connection with the competition notification to the Competition Authority of Kenya in relation to the proposed acquisition of the entire issued share capital of i-Hub by Co-Creation Hub.
  • International Finance Corporation, an international financial institution offering investment, advisory and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries, in connection with providing competition advice with respect to the Fair Competition Commission of Tanzania.

Sarah W. Njuguna, Associate

  • Catalyst Principal Partners, a leading private equity firm incorporated in Mauritius, in relation to their investments in companies across Africa, including conducting due diligences and preparing various transaction documents.
  • One of the world's largest internet service providers on the available structuring options for purposes of meeting the local shareholding requirements in relation to setting up operations in Kenya.
  • An American non-profit global health organization in relation to setting up in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, including advising on tax structuring and tax implications.
  • Hogan Lovells Johannesburg, in connection with providing advice to a Japanese client on the regulatory framework on synthetic fibres and antibacterial agents in Kenya.
  • An English entity that operates a global payment services business on the regulatory overview of proposed gateway services in Kenya.
  • Baker & Mckenzie, in relation to advising one of their clients on the regulatory requirements in relation to product recalls in Kenya.
  • Languages. English, Swahili

Jade Makory, Associate

  • A company on increase in share capital, allotment and conversion documentation. This also entailed reviewing Competition Authority of Kenya exemption application documents and preparing the stamp duty exemption documents.
  • A private client on the negotiation of a share purchase agreement for the disposal of their interests in a company and additionally assisting them with varying existing agreements.
  • Advising an International Law Firm on the tax implications of setting up an employee share incentive scheme situated in South Africa for employees based in Kenya.
  • A bank planning to enter into a third-party service provider agreement which would result in the sharing of personal data on the data protection considerations of sharing customer data under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as Kenyan data protection law.
  • A multinational player in the agri-business industry on the data protection implications under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as Kenyan and Tanzanian data protection law in relation to the collection of personal data for its COVID 19 related aid program for farmers in Africa.
  • Immigration
  • Cross-border - IP&IT
  • Cross-border - Company Law and Corporate Governance

This resource is periodically updated for necessary changes due to legal, market, or practice developments. Significant developments affecting this resource will be described below.

  • Islamic Finance Law
  • Conveyancing, Real Estate and Construction Law
  • Immigration Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Commercial and Corporate Law
  • Media, Arts and Entertainment Law
  • Banking and Securities Law
  • Family and Succession Law
  • Aviation Law
  • Corporate Governance Audits and Company Secretarial Services
  • Employment and Labour Relations Law
  • Mining and Extractive Industries Law
  • Not-for-Profit Organisations
  • Public Private Partnerships

law firm business plan kenya

Are you looking for an

Advocate or a legal consultant.

Get a trusted partner for your legal challenges.

Call Us Now 020 202 0210

Email Us Now [email protected]

We are a Kenyan law firm based in Nairobi providing legal services to Kenyan and international clientele including start-ups and established businesses, for profit and not-for-profit organizations and government institutions. We combine the knowledge, experience and energy of our practitioners to solve our clients’ most complex legal challenges, wherever and whenever they arise. We leverage our agility, innovation and efficiency to ensure that we offer our clients the best legal services possible.

  • We abide by the spirit of teamwork.
  • Our people make our firm.
  • We work locally but think globally.
  • We have a ‘one-firm’ mindset
  • We desire for our clients to succeed.

law firm business plan kenya

- Practice Areas

law firm business plan kenya

Conveyancing & Real Estate Law

law firm business plan kenya

Commercial & Corporate Law

law firm business plan kenya

Media, Arts & Entertainment Law

law firm business plan kenya

Banking & Securities Law

- our strategy, the first meeting, defining the problem.

The first interview between ourselves and the client is a crucial period of mutual assessment, where mutual confidence is built up, where we are given basic information, background and context on the client’s need or matter and the client is given some understanding of the way the law operates in relation to their problem plus possible solutions. Issues of legal fees and envisaged costs is also discussed.

The second meeting

Firming up instructions and engagement.

We prepare and send either a Letter of Engagement or a Proposal laying down: for the former, our terms of engagement, what is to be expected of us, what we propose to charge as fees and envisaged costs, timelines; and for the latter, the brief background, our assumptions (if any), the scope of work, a brief outline of our experience handling similar matters (for some cases), a technical proposal outlining the proposed work plan and methodology of undertaking the tasks, the expected deliverables and a financial proposal setting out the proposed fees chargeable and costs (to be paid per specified milestones achieved or at engagement and completion, depending on the specific circumstances). If the client accepts and signs the Letter of Engagement or issues us with a written acceptance and instructions to proceed, we commence work (subject to receipt of a deposit if the assignment requires settlement of disbursements).

The final meeting

The second and the final meetings.

Depending on the complexity of the matter and the deliverables expected from us, we may have a second or more meetings with the client where the client is updated on the progress made, achievements, challenges met, solutions crafted, and the in turn be advised by the client on whether the solutions or deliverables meet the client’s expectations and needs. Further discussions may be commenced on new unforeseen challenges that have arisen and possible ways of resolving them. Client feedback is very critical since we regard the client as a very important partner and stakeholder in finding the right, timely and effective solution to the problem.

- Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! You should never take legal action without the assistance of an experienced professional. If you need any legal advice, work with OT Advocates right away!

OT Advocates accepts cheques, direct bank transfer (SWIFT, RTGS, EFT), cash, mobile money (this includes MPESA, Airtel Money). A Deposit Request Note (invoice) is issued immediately instructions have been firmed up by the client; and at completion, a Fee Note (final invoice) is issued for the balance of the agreed fee and disbursements with credit being afforded to the earlier payment (deposit). All payments are due within fourteen (14) days from receipt of invoice.

Usually, clients meet with our attorneys at our offices but not always. If this is not convenient or you are prevented from physically meeting us at our office, we are amenable to having a Skype, Imo or WhatsApp call or video call, tele-conference call, normal telephone calls or email correspondence. We are always happy to work with our clients to ensure that their legal matters are solved in the most efficient and expeditious manner. If this means meeting with you at a place other than our office, we would be happy to do so, under reasonable circumstances.

Yes. If you choose to engage OT Advocates, do not hesitate to ask us any relevant questions concerning your matter. You can inquire about fees and payment terms; our strategy for handling your matter; what to expect during the process; the documentation and information needed by us; possible outcomes; how to prepare for negotiations and legal proceedings; and how to communicate with your attorney (especially in the event that an urgent issue arises).

law firm business plan kenya

Rutto Tarus

Rutto holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Moi University, Kenya. He is a...

law firm business plan kenya

Victor Onyango

Victor holds an LLB degree from the University of Nairobi and a Post Graduate...

law firm business plan kenya

Mercy Wangila

law firm business plan kenya

Broline Ogombe

– are you looking for an.

Get a trusted partner for your legal challenges

Close Family Members of Embassy Employees Free to Work in the US and Kenya

On 2 August 2021, Kenya and the US signed an Agreement to allow for the dependents of official diplomatic... read more

law firm business plan kenya

12 Legal Documents that Founders and Start-Ups Need

Are you a Start-up Founder or thinking of starting a business with friends or others? Here is a Checklist... read more

law firm business plan kenya

How to Conduct a Lawful Redundancy Process – Useful Tips

It is lawful in Kenya for an employer to terminate an employee’s employment on account of redundancy. Redundancy is... read more

- Stay in touch

Have a legal issue you would like us to consider or just want to say hello? We would love to hear from you and promise to get in touch as soon as possible.

Our Location

Suite 4.1, 4th Floor, Block E KMA Centre, Junction of Mara and Chyulu Roads, Nairobi

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

[email protected]

Connect With Us

OT Advocates

Koya & Company

ENTIRELY CLIENT ORIENTATED.

Koya & company advocates is a law firm in nairobi, kenya dedicated to providing solid legal expertise to local and international clients..

Our Advocates have significant experience in Commercial Law and Civil Law practice backed by both top-tier law firm experience and inhouse experience in a leading international investment fund manager (AUM exceeding USD 60M) as well as a long-term consultative undertaking providing legal advice and transactional support in commercial law to a global foundation with operations in Kenya in the clean energy and sustainable agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.

VIEW TEAM BIO

Practice services, read our commercial law blog, read our family law blog.

law firm business plan kenya

Joan Mukoya, Managing Partner

Take credible legal steps., clients first.

You will not feel lost at our firm. We are dedicated to listening to and understanding your needs as an individual client to achieve a good legal outcome for you. You will deal directly with the advocate without bureaucracy.

We pride ourselves on keeping you promptly updated and swiftly responding to client inquiries.

Top Tier Value for Competitive Legal Fees

Koya & Company Advocates are high quality lawyers with the expertise and long-term experience to provide creative, credible and pragmatic legal advice while charging competitive legal fees.

PRACTICE AREAS

Company & incorporation law, intellectual property protection.

  • COMMERCIAL LAW
  • Debt Finance & Insolvency
  • Private Equity & Venture Debt
  • Employment Law

CONVEYANCING

  • Child Custody & Guardianship

SUCCESSION & ESTATE PLANNING

Immigration law, featured articles.

law firm business plan kenya

The Main Requirements for Company Registration/Incorporation in Kenya

Faqs on company registration in kenya, the debt recovery process in kenya, practice areas.

  • Company & Corporation Law
  • Intellectual Property Protection
  • Commercial Law
  • Conveyancing
  • Succession & Estate Planning
  • Immigration Law

Operation of a Limited Liability Partnership (‘LLP’) in Kenya

An LLP combines the advantage of a simple partnership (one of which is flow-through of taxes...

About FAQs Privacy Policy

Contact [email protected] +254731712579 Kose Heights, 5th Floor, Argwings Kodhek Road, Nairobi, Kenya

Opening Hours Monday - Friday 8.30 a.m - 5.30 p.m

© 2024 Koya & Company.

  • Debt Finance & Insolvency
  • Private Equity & Debt Financing
  • Child Custody & Guardianship
  • FAQ Consultation & Costs
  • FAQ Contracts
  • FAQ Divorce and Children’s Law
  • FAQ Employment Law
  • FAQ Intellectual Property Protection
  • FAQ Litigation
  • FAQ Real Estate Conveyancing
  • FAQ – Succession & Estate Planning

Privacy Overview

Home - KN Law LLP Corporate and Commercial Law

Capital Markets

Corporate & commercial law, corporate finance, dispute resolution, employment & immigration law, real estate & conveyancing, effective and pragmatic legal solutions, about kn law llp.

KN Law LLP is a boutique corporate and commercial law firm operating from Nairobi, Kenya, with a regional reach across multiple jurisdictions and with a Liaison office in London. We have selected the very top lawyers in their respective fields, each with unique experience and demonstrated expertise, to make up a well-rounded team that works well together and with our clients. Our proven experience and proficiency in providing legal advisory to local and multi-national corporations and high-net-worth individuals is the core of our practice. We offer innovative, efficient and practical legal solutions through our team of highly trained, skilled and expert lawyers. Our brief is simple: to ensure that our service offering not only meets clients’ expectations, but continually surpasses them.

HOW WE WORK

We immerse ourselves in both our clients’ businesses and their specific needs. Our approach ultimately compels insights that inform novel and pragmatic legal solutions. By understanding our client’s business, we are able to dispense quality bespoke legal advice in a most practical and cost-efficient manner.

WHAT WE OFFER

  • A team of experienced lawyers and support staff with big-firm and corporate experience
  • The flexibility and attention to detail of a medium-sized firm
  • An enthusiastic, energetic and professional approach

Celebrating 10 years

We are celebrating ' 10 years of legal excellence.

We are celebrating 10 years of legal excellence. Our sincere gratitude to our valued clients for entrusting us with their legal needs and being part of this wonderful journey. We also appreciate our brilliant and dedicated Team who make this possible. Here’s to a decade of unwavering commitment to providing pragmatic solutions and countless more ahead!

law firm business plan kenya

Company Updates

Chambers 'investing in... 2023 global practice guide.

We are proud to have contributed to the Chambers ‘Investing In… 2023’ Global Practice Guide. We have been involved in contributing to this guide for the last two years and are honoured to share our unique perspectives of the Kenyan investment landscape under several sub-topics.

The Investing In… 2023 guide features 32 jurisdictions. The guide provides the latest information on foreign direct investment, market trends, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and disclosure/reporting, capital markets, antitrust/competition, tax, employment and labour, and IP and data protection. The Kenya Chapter of the Guide can be accessed here. Download guide

law firm business plan kenya

Insights and Publications

Supreme court gives guidance on disciplining employees, what the supreme court decision on the 2013 nssf act means for employers, the 2023 privatization act – towards streamlining privatization, subscribe to our newsletter.

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

Our Listing

https://kn.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Legal500-160x160.jpg

GET IN TOUCH

law firm business plan kenya

KN Law LLP is a boutique corporate and commercial law firm operating in Nairobi and London.

Copyright © 2021 KN Law LLP | Privacy Policy | Data Protection

Jurisdictions

A list of all countries, regions and trading blocs covered by Legal 500 rankings and research list of all countries and trading blocs covered by Legal 500

Green Guide

Exploring the legal sector’s engagement with a green transition

Future Lawyers

The student’s guide to the UK legal profession

Deutschland DE

Auflistung und Ranking von ca. 400 Anwaltskanzleien verschiedener Praxisbereiche in Deutschland

Plus de 300 cabinets d’avocats opérant en France

Global directory of profiled law firms

Barristers’ Sets

Directory of profiled sets

Law Firm Networks

International law firm network index

Service Providers

Suppliers offering support services to legal professionals

Firms in the Spotlight

Featured law firms in specific practice areas and jurisdictions

Firms to Watch

Firms To Watch recognises emerging practices, specialist boutiques and ground-breaking firms that may not otherwise be ranked in Legal 500.

Meet the Team

Meet the team provides extra insight into a specific team’s capabilities and expertise above and beyond what is included within Legal 500 rankings.

Hall of Fame

Law firm partners with long-term experience at the top of the profession

Interview with…

Explore firms’ practices, capabilities, values and cultures through expert interviews with partners

Enterprise GC

An elite, exclusive residential conference bringing together market-leading general counsels

GC Magazine

Leading content for general counsel

GC Powerlist

Recognising VIP general counsel for their innovation, impact and market-leading standing within major global economies

In-House Lawyer

The magazine of choice of the in-house counsel of the UK and EMEA

Comparative Guides

Knowledge centre.

Examining legal perspectives on specific topics across different countries

News & Developments

Latest news and thought leadership from law firms around the world

Special Reports

In-depth reports on legal trends and insights from global law experts.

Legal Business

The market-leading monthly magazine for legal professionals at elite law firms globally

Upcoming Events

Legal 500’s extensive, market-leading programme of summits, awards, powerlist receptions, roundtables delivering cutting-edge discussion and debate globally

Previous Events

Highlights, thought leadership and insights from past legal events and webinars

Corporate Conversations

Insightful discussions with industry leaders on pivotal legal topics

Legal 500 TV

Find out more about the team behind the world’s most successful and highly respected legal market research organisation

Answers to Legal 500’s most frequently asked questions

Submissions

Comprehensive guidance on how to showcase your firm’s capabilities to the world’s most highly respected legal market research team

Bespoke practice area or jurisdictional reporting

Marketing Resources

Display your Legal 500 Ranking on your website

Contact Legal 500 for more information on submissions, commercial and marketing opportunities or more details of our portfolio of research products

Newsletters

Sign up for more information on our portfolio of research products

Rankings open close

Firms open close, lawyers open close, in-house open close, knowledge centre open close, events open close, about us open close, coverage by practice area kenya.

  • Legal market overview
  • Banking, finance and capital markets
  • Commercial, corporate and M&A
  • Dispute resolution
  • Privatisation and projects
  • Real estate and construction

Law Firm directory by Jurisdiction

  • Afghanistan
  • Asia Pacific: Regional International Arbitration
  • Asia Pacific: The English Bar
  • Australia Bar
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cayman Islands
  • Central America
  • Cross-Caribbean expertise
  • Czech Republic
  • Democratic Republic Of The Congo
  • Deutschland
  • Dominican Republic
  • Dutch Caribbean
  • East Anglia
  • East Midlands
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Foreign-based expertise
  • Foreign firms
  • Hong Kong Bar
  • India - Senior Advocates
  • Isle Of Man
  • Ivory Coast
  • Latin America: International firms
  • Liechtenstein
  • Middle East: The English Bar
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • New Zealand Bar
  • Northern Ireland
  • North Macedonia
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Puerto Rico
  • Regional Bar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Scottish Bar
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • St Vincent & the Grenadines
  • Switzerland
  • The English Bar Offshore
  • Trinidad And Tobago
  • Turks And Caicos Islands
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • West Midlands
  • Yorkshire And The Humber

Kenya > Law firm directory

The profile section contains a list of firms that have taken out commercial profiles in The Legal 500.

While the editorial is independent from the commercial profiles, the profiles allow in-house counsel to see an overview of the firm's strengths, locations, key contacts, individual lawyer biographies (all provided by the firm) alongside the firm's current rankings.

This provides an easy one-stop-shop for corporate counsel and legal procurement departments to gather information on firms they are looking to instruct.

  • ADRA Advocates LLP Nairobi
  • Ashitiva Advocates LLP Nairobi
  • Bowmans Nairobi
  • Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr incorporating Kieti Law LLP Nairobi
  • CMS Daly Inamdar Advocates Nairobi
  • Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews Nairobi
  • ENSafrica Nairobi
  • Iseme, Kamau & Maema Advocates Nairobi
  • Kaplan & Stratton Advocates Nairobi
  • KN Law LLP Nairobi
  • KO Associates Nairobi
  • MMC ASAFO Nairobi
  • OLM Law Advocates LLP Nairobi
  • Oraro & Company Advocates Nairobi
  • TripleOKlaw Advocates Nairobi
  • Wamae Allen Advocates Nairobi

Our Locations → Kenya

360 Business Law is the trusted advisor for your legal needs in Kenya

Since 2015, 360 Business Law has been providing expert legal advice to clients operating in Kenya, emerging as a leading provider of legal services in the fast-paced Kenyan market.

Our legal specialists have a deep understanding of the Kenyan legal framework, built through years of experience advising both domestic and international organizations. They have refined their expertise by working with prominent global and regional firms, as well as corporations in various roles, both within Kenya and abroad. This exceptional blend of experience enables our team to offer comprehensive advice and tailored solutions that align with each client’s unique needs and objectives.

At 360 Business Law, we are committed to providing exceptional legal services to our clients in Kenya. Our Kenya desk is currently managed from our offices in the United Kingdom, ensuring seamless coordination and communication among our global team members. We take pride in being a dependable partner for businesses seeking to successfully navigate the complex legal landscape in Kenya.

To inquire about our services in Kenya or discuss any legal concerns related to your operations in the country, please contact us via the contact form to the right. Our team of skilled and attentive lawyers is prepared to support you with your legal requirements and help you achieve your strategic goals in the ever-changing Kenyan market.

Contact Form

Select your Location    Australia    China    Hong Kong    India    Indonesia    Japan    Malaysia    New Zealand    Pakistan    Philippines    Singapore    South Korea    Thailand    Vietnam    Austria    Bahrain    Belgium    Bulgaria    Cameroon    Croatia    Cyprus    Czech Republic    Denmark    Egypt    Finland    France    Germany    Greece    Hungary    Iceland    Iran    Iraq    Ireland    Israel    Italy    Jersey    Jordan    Kenya    Latvia    Lebanon    Lithuania    Luxembourg    Mozambique    Netherlands    Nigeria    Norway    Oman    Poland    Portugal    Romania    Saudi Arabia    Serbia    Slovakia    Slovenia    South Africa    Spain    Sweden    Switzerland    Tunisia    Türkiye    UAE    Uganda    United Kingdom    Argentina    Brazil    Chile    Colombia    Costa Rica    Mexico    Peru    Canada    USA

Sign up to our newsletter

https://www.360businesslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/assured-quality.png

15+ Average Years PQE

https://www.360businesslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/6_small.png

3,000+ Clients Served

https://www.360businesslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Transparent-Pricing.png

100,000+ Transactions Handled

https://www.360businesslaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/global-practice.png

75+ Countries Covered

Kenya practice areas.

  • Commercial Contracts
  • Company Secretarial
  • Data Protection
  • Debt Recovery
  • IT & Telecommunications

Pioneering the Future: The Intersection of Legal Contracts and TMT Industry Innovations

01 Aug 2023 , 02:52 PM

Pioneering the future: the intersection of legal contracts and tmt industry innovations, client success stories.

Client Case Studies

360 Business Law delivers high quality and localised legal support that has enabled us to introduce many new European partners onto our platform.

Client Case Studies

"Working with 360’s specialist property lawyers has been extremely effective in helping us get to the end of leases and negotiate clean breaks."

Client Case Studies

'By negotiating a fixed fee that matches their predicted volume of work for the year, PeoplePlus knew that their legal needs were covered without a disproportionate fee attached.'

newsletter-icon

Join our Newsletter

360wordcloud_gray

  • Book Consultation

Newsletter Sign-Up

Please enter your name and email to receive our latest newsletter.

Please fill in the fields below to receive your free download.

English Portuguese Spanish French German Italian Polish Dutch Chinese

Connect with us on LinkedIn

Global LinkedIn Page

Error: Contact form not found.

Arrange a Meeting

Schedule a 30 minute introductory consultation to discuss your legal requirements:

en_GB

KPMG Personalization

Register an account

Kenya Finance Bill, 2024 Analysis

Sustaining Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda for Economic Recovery and Improved Livelihoods.

  • Home ›
  • Insights ›

The theme of the 2024 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) is "Sustaining Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda for Economic Recovery and Improved Livelihoods." The BPS, which is the second under the Kenya Kwanza Administration, focuses on supporting the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030's Fourth Medium-Term Plan.

At a macro-economic level, Kenya’s economy has demonstrated resilience, growing by 5.6% in the first three quarters of 2023, exceeding global and regional averages. The projected growth for 2023 and 2024 is 5.5%, driven by private sector growth, service sectors, agriculture, and policy measures supporting BETA.

Following the review of the 2024/25 BPS, the Budget and Appropriations Committee approved expenditure of KES 3.914 trillion. The estimated revenues from taxes is expected to be KES 3.354 trillion, made up of ordinary revenues of KES 2.913 trillion and appropriations-in-aid of KES 441 billion.

Further, the projected fiscal deficit will be KES 703.9 billion which is the difference between total revenues and grants and total expenditure and net lending. This fiscal deficit represents 3.9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

A key facet in mobilizing revenue was the formulation and publication of the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS). The primary aim of the MTRS was to provide a framework for tax systems reforms aimed at boosting domestic revenue, which had been declining over time.

The current MTRS, which runs for a period of three fiscal years i.e., FY 2024/25 to FY 2026/27 aims to grow the tax to GDP ratio from 14.1% to 20% within this time frame.

The MTRS provides a raft of proposed tax changes that are aimed at achieving the target set in the MTRS. Given this context, the government introduced the Finance Bill, 2024 (the Bill), which proposes significant changes to the tax framework. Some of these changes are in line with the tax reforms proposed in the MTRS.

Notable among these proposals is the introduction of a contentious motor vehicle tax set at a rate of 2.5% of the value of the vehicle, with a floor of KES 5,000and ceiling of KES 100,000.

Another key change entails extending the time frame for the Kenya Revenue Authority to issue decisions from 60 to 90 days.

Further, there is a proposal to increase the VAT registration threshold for taxpayers making taxable supplies from KES 5 millionto KES 8 million.

On the international tax front, the Bill suggests implementing a minimum top-up tax of 15%, mirroring the Inclusive Framework Pillar Two proposal. This provision applies to resident persons or entities with a permanent establishment in Kenya that are part of a multinational group with a consolidated annual turnover of EUR 750 million (approximately KES 108 billion) in at least two of the previous four years preceding the first year of income.

Please see below the link to our detailed analysis of the proposed changes contained in the Finance Bill, 2024.

law firm business plan kenya

Click here to download

Tax and Regulatory Services

The KPMG tax practice in East Africa continues to provide high-quality, unparalleled and sound professional services in our evolving markets.

Insights

Welcome to the KPMG East Africa knowledge base of research that demonstrates our understanding of complex business challenges faced by companies.

Contact our Tax and Regulatory team

Click the link below to reach out

Find out how KPMG's expertise can help you and your company.

law firm business plan kenya

Three Firms Steer AIG-Nippon Life $3.8 Billion Corebridge Deal

By Mahira Dayal

Mahira Dayal

Lawyers from three top deals firms advised on American International Group Inc.'s plan to sell a 20% stake in Corebridge Financial Inc. to Japan’s Nippon Life Insurance for $3.8 billion.

Wall Street’s Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz guided AIG on the deal, the insurance company said Thursday. Latham & Watkins represented Nippon Life, while Debevoise & Plimpton advised Corebridge.

The deal is the largest-ever for Nippon Life, Japan’s biggest insurer. AIG, which sold roughly 20% of Houston-based Corebridge in an initial public offering in 2022, holds a majority stake in the firm.

The Latham cross-border corporate deal team advising Nippon Life was led by Chicago partners Bradley Faris and Jason Morelli, along with Tokyo partner Hiroaki Takagi. The Debevoise team advising Corebridge was led by capital markets partners Eric Juergens and Paul Rodel guided Corebridge.

The deal is expected to close by the first quarter of next year, according to AIG.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mahira Dayal in New York at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chris Opfer at [email protected]

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

Learn about bloomberg law.

AI-powered legal analytics, workflow tools and premium legal & business news.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools.

IMAGES

  1. Law Firm Business Plan: A Guide to Success

    law firm business plan kenya

  2. Law Firm Business Plan

    law firm business plan kenya

  3. How to Write Your Law Firm Business Plan

    law firm business plan kenya

  4. 5 Important Steps for creating a Law Firm Business Plan

    law firm business plan kenya

  5. Sample Of A Business Plan In Kenya

    law firm business plan kenya

  6. Law Firm Business Plan Template

    law firm business plan kenya

VIDEO

  1. "My law degree should not be questioned" BRIAN MWENDA on MorningVybez

  2. How to Start a Law Firm Business

  3. Bank Manager for Citizens Bank, Orin James Educates

  4. Kenya Gets New Chief of Defence Forces

  5. How to Start a Law Firm Business

  6. Private Equity Firm Business Plan and Financial Model

COMMENTS

  1. How To Start A Law Firm In Kenya Easily & Legally Now

    Step 2: Draft an effective solo law firm business plan that will act aa your direction in the beginning and management of your law firm business. Step 3: Register your law firm business name in the eCitizen portal so as to make it a legal entity in the country. Step 4: Get an approval letter from the law society of Kenya that has no any objections.

  2. How to Start Your Own Law Firm Business in Kenya

    Starting and growing a successful law firm business in Kenya takes immense dedication, skill, and effort. Here's how to succeed! Last updated: September 27, 2023 12:00 am. Carson O. Business. ... Plan for Future Firm Growth. Once your law firm matures, proactively planning for growth is crucial. Strategies can include increasing lawyer and ...

  3. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING A LAW FIRM IN KENYA

    3. You must Procure a Letter of No Objection from the Law Society of Kenya. This is a new requirement whereby you will be required to have a letter of no objection from the Law Society of Kenya. It is one of the documents that you will need to attach to be able to register your law firm. This is a very simple process, when I went for my letter ...

  4. G.M Gamma Advocates LLP

    Business Monthly September Issue. Running a law firm. The subject is law. After eight years of legal practice, one of those as Managing Partner at G.M. Gamma Advocates LLP, Gad Ouma's litigation presence is lithe and assured. He represents a diverse portfolio of cor-porate clients, personalities and state corporations, includ-ing Kenya Power ...

  5. How to Write a Business Plan for a Law Firm (with Sample

    The lawyer or lawyers who will make up the firm at the time of launch. The location of the firm and the areas it serves. The general approach the firm takes when representing clients. 3. Market Analysis. A competitive analysis is one of the most compelling components of well-written business plans.

  6. Requirements To Open A Law Firm In Kenya

    Business law. Requirements to Open a Law Firm in Kenya. 1. Letter of no objection/ approval letter from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). LSK is Kenya's premier bar association with membership of all practising advocates. You have to be a member of LSK for you to practice as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. 2.

  7. (DOC) Business Proposal on how to start a firm

    The Kenya School of Law Advocates Training Programme 2016 Student Course Work Legal Practice Management Project Class B Firm Thirteen 13B Business Plan For WARUKINGA CHEROTICH ADVOCATES Presented To: Ms. Mary Kimari Submitted on: 28th of July, 2016 Declaration We do hereby declare that this project is our original work, except where due acknowledgement is made, and that it has not been ...

  8. Law Firm Business Plan Template + Example

    1. Don't worry about finding an exact match. We have over 550 sample business plan templates. So, make sure the plan is a close match, but don't get hung up on the details. Your business is unique and will differ from any example or template you come across. So, use this example as a starting point and customize it to your needs.

  9. How to Create a Law Firm Business Plan

    While your law firm business plan should be tailored to your unique situation, the following list will walk you step-by-step through all key sections you need to have a comprehensive business plan: 1. Executive summary. An executive summary is a one-page, high-level overview of all the key information in your business plan. ...

  10. PDF A BRIEF GUIDE TO DOING BUSINESS IN KENYA, 2021

    business sector largely follows the European/ American model of free market economics and capitalism. The legal system in Kenya is based on: • Statutes, including statutes of general application that were in force in England on 12 August 1897; • English common law and doctrines of equity; • African customary law - this only applies in

  11. PDF A BRIEF GUIDE TO DOING BUSINESS IN KENYA, 2020

    The legal system in Kenya is based on: • Statutes, including statutes of general application that were in force in England on 12 August 1897; • English common law and doctrines of equity; • African customary law - this only applies in civil cases where one or more parties are subject to it; • Kenyan case law; and

  12. PDF LAW FIRM PROFILE

    LAW FIRM PROFILE - Simba and Simba Advocates

  13. LEX Africa

    Kaplan & Stratton is a premier law firm providing a comprehensive range of legal services and solutions for domestic and international clients. The firm has a reputation as one of the leading law firms in the East African region. International and cross-border work forms an important part of our business. The firm was established in 1927.

  14. Doing legal business in Kenya

    Everything you need to know about partnering with a law firm in Kenya, or requalifying as an Kenyan advocate. Sign up to continue reading My LS gives you exclusive access to the latest news, events, books and resources to help you excel within your practice.

  15. PDF Strategic Planning and Management in Law Firms in Kenya by Michael

    The third objective ought to explore strategic planning best practices as applied to law firms. Law firms had it easy when it came to carrying out various types of analysis such as SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, risk analysis and financial analysis. This may be attributed to the analytical prowess of lawyers. Law firms had a harder time ...

  16. Doing Business in Kenya: Overview

    Where a business is carried on or exercised partly within and partly outside Kenya by a resident person, all the gains or profits from that business are deemed to have accrued in or to have been derived from Kenya. This income will be taxed similarly to income derived in Kenya, at a resident corporate tax rate of 30%.

  17. Home

    We are a Kenyan law firm based in Nairobi providing legal services to Kenyan and international clientele including start-ups and established businesses, for profit and not-for-profit organizations and government institutions. We combine the knowledge, experience and energy of our practitioners to solve our clients' most complex legal ...

  18. Home

    ENTIRELY CLIENT ORIENTATED. Koya & Company Advocates is a law firm in Nairobi, Kenya dedicated to providing solid legal expertise to local and international clients. Our Advocates have significant experience in Commercial Law and Civil Law practice backed by both top-tier law firm experience and inhouse experience in a leading international ...

  19. Leading Corporate and Commercial Law Firm

    Nairobi: 5th Floor, The Pavilion, Westlands, Lower Kabete Road, Nairobi. (+254) 20 386 1305/ 1306/ 1307. London: Berkeley Suite, 35 Berkeley Square, Mayfair London, W1J 5BF. (+44) 20 7692 1873. We are a trusted corporate commercial law firm providing expert legal advice and solutions. Expert in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance.

  20. LPM business plan

    KENYA SCHOOL OF LAW ADVOCATES TRAINING PROGRAMME 2019/ CLASS E FIRM 24 LEGAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT PROJECT: ATP 106. 2.1. Form of Ownership 11 2.1. Justification of Opportunity 12 2.1. Business Location and Infrastructural Layout 13 2.1.6. Business Location 13 2.1.6. Infrastructural Layout 14 2.1.

  21. Kenya

    ADRA Advocates LLP Nairobi. Ashitiva Advocates LLP Nairobi. Bowmans Nairobi. Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr incorporating Kieti Law LLP Nairobi. CMS Daly Inamdar Advocates Nairobi. Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews Nairobi. ENSafrica Nairobi. Iseme, Kamau & Maema Advocates Nairobi. Kaplan & Stratton Advocates Nairobi.

  22. Legal Expertise in Kenya

    360 Business Law is the trusted advisor for your legal needs in Kenya. Since 2015, 360 Business Law has been providing expert legal advice to clients operating in Kenya, emerging as a leading provider of legal services in the fast-paced Kenyan market. Our legal specialists have a deep understanding of the Kenyan legal framework, built through ...

  23. PDF COMPANY PROFILE

    COMPANY PROFILE - OOR Law

  24. Kenya Finance Bill, 2024 Analysis

    Following the review of the 2024/25 BPS, the Budget and Appropriations Committee approved expenditure of KES 3.914 trillion. The estimated revenues from taxes is expected to be KES 3.354 trillion, made up of ordinary revenues of KES 2.913 trillion and appropriations-in-aid of KES 441 billion. Further, the projected fiscal deficit will be KES ...

  25. Lateral Partner Integration Requires Business Development Plan

    Legal experts explain the keys to lateral partner integration. Firms need to develop a business development plan, liaison. When a lateral is hired into a new firm, following the tone set during the recruiting process is essential. The firm needs to ensure the lateral is set up for success on day one. Openness, honesty, and transparency are key.

  26. U.S. Attorney for Colorado stepping down to rejoin private sector

    The chief federal law enforcement officer for Colorado said Wednesday he will step down from his post at the end of May and rejoin the private sector. Cole Finegan has served as U.S. attorney for ...

  27. Three Firms Steer AIG-Nippon Life $3.8 Billion Corebridge Deal

    Lawyers from three top deals firms advised on American International Group Inc.'s plan to sell a 20% stake in Corebridge Financial Inc. to Japan's Nippon Life Insurance for $3.8 billion. Wall Street's Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz guided AIG on the deal, the insurance company said Thursday. Latham & Watkins represented Nippon Life, while ...