At a private event held at the Sheraton Addis Hotel on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, Mehrteab Leul & Associates Law Office (MLA) announced the firm’s conversion from a sole proprietorship to a De-Jure law firm. It introduced the newly established law firm, Mehrteab & Getu Advocates LLP (MLA). This makes the firm one of the first De-Jure laws and the first corporate law firm in the country. Mehrteab & Getu Advocates LLP will keep the “”MLA”” logo since it is well recognized internationally. The conversion comes after Ethiopia’s new sanction of the Federal Advocacy Service Licensing and Administration Proclamation No. 1249/2021 (Advocates Proclamation).
MLA is a leading full-service law firm with 25 years of experience that focuses on corporate legal services. The firm provides services for the business community, including international companies interested in working in Ethiopia. It offers specialized services such as corporate, employment & immigration, finance, intellectual property & technology, private equity, projects, energy & infrastructure, hospitality & leisure, real estate, regulatory and government affairs, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), aviation, tax, and litigation. MLA advises its clients and performs legal services like drafting legal documents, processing licenses, and other legal services the client requires.
MLA’s lawyers have a range of expertise, many having worked for the company for over five years. It also has four directors, each with a master’s degree or above and different specializations. The firm even sends its employees for training abroad, like in London and Johannesburg, to ensure clients get the best services and experience. In addition, the firm has over 300 corporate clients, such as Coca-Cola, Boeing, and Moenco. MLA has provided its services for Ethiopia’s major infrastructure projects, investments, and transactions, including GERD, Ethio-Djibouti Railway, Awash-Kombolcha Haragabaya Railway, Addis-Adama Express Road, and others.
The firm has received multiple international distinctions from Chambers & Partners Global (ranked as Ethiopia’s Band 1 General Business Law Office in 2021), IFRL 1000 (classified as Ethiopia’s TIER 1 Financial and Corporate Law Firm), and The Legal 500 EMEA (recognized as Ethiopia’s Tier One firm). In addition, the firm has an alliance with the world’s best law firms. MLA aims to be a center of excellence and the top law firm in Ethiopia, with international recognition and the ability to compete with significant law firms globally.
