Mesfin Tafesse & Associates Law Office (MTA) > Addis Ababa, Ethiopia > Firm Profile

Mesfin Tafesse & Associates Law Office (MTA)
A TENSAE BUILDING, 2ND FLOOR
OFFICE NO. 002, BOLE ROAD, GENERAL SEARE MEKONNEN AVENUE, P P.O. Box 8867
ADDIS ABABA
Ethiopia

Mesfin Tafesse and Associates is a leading law office in Ethiopia providing high quality legal advisory services. MTA’s legal practice spans corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, manufacturing and industries, banking and finance, power and energy, mining, taxation, construction and real estate, IT and Telecom, employment and immigration, and dispute resolution.

MTA is a dynamic and rapidly expanding law office dedicated to and with the aspiration to providing its clients with world class services. MTA offers a one-stop shop service to its domestic and global clients by providing a package of services from initial legal advisory on Ethiopian law considerations, facilitating the incorporation of companies including corporate and tax registration, business licensing, to employment and immigration services. MTA has gained substantial experience handling domestic and cross-border transactions including, preparation of legal due diligence opinion relating to complex transactions, conducting business negotiations on behalf of clients, drafting legal agreements and representation of clients in judicial and non-judicial forums.

MTA’s team of attorneys operate with the objective of assisting clients in making legally sound decisions by providing services that exceed client’s expectations in terms of high quality, timely delivery, and utility.

MTA’s client base includes small businesses, national and global multinational corporations, private equity and strategic investors, banking and development institutions, professional firms, as well as public organizations.

MTA has assisted a number of clients with corporate and investment advisory services. MTA’s services typically begin with assisting clients in understanding the Ethiopian legal and investment regime by providing general Ethiopian law related legal memos, opinions, and completing jurisdictional questionnaires relevant to the client’s investment sector. MTA brings its many years of experience and deep knowledge of local law to provide clients with realistic and feasible approaches to doing their business in Ethiopia.

 

MTA assists clients entering the Ethiopian market by:

  • Providing general advice on foreign investment laws and applicable legal framework for doing business, optimal corporate structuring modalities, key Ethiopian law considerations in relation to tax, customs, minimum capital requirements, foreign exchange rules with regards to repatriation of profits and dividends, land ownership and property rights, and rules on access to and use of industrial
  • Drafting and reviewing company documents such as term sheets, shareholder agreements, investment agreements, share subscription agreements, memorandum and articles of association, shareholder resolutions, office lease agreements and power of
  • Facilitating the incorporation of companies by interfacing with relevant regulatory bodies, including authentication and notarization of offshore documents, commercial registration, tax registration, bank accounts (both local and foreign currency accounts), competence certification, and business licensing, work and residence
  • Facilitating trademark and patent registrations with the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office.
  • Providing on-going legal and operational advice such as: drafting and reviewing employment contracts, sale-purchase agreements, distribution agreements, loan, guarantee and security agreements, and land lease.

MTA’s values are integrity, teamwork and excellence. It strictly adheres to what is permissible under the law as well as the accepted rules of the legal profession. It is committed to pool together and make available the best expertise from each of the professionals in MTA to provide a high quality of work that is aimed at exceeding clients’ expectations.

Areas of practice: Mesfin Tafesse & Associates is a corporate law office that provides a one-stop shop legal service including legal advisory services, representation, drafting legal documents, assisting in business negotiations, facilitation of local presence, facilitation of liquidation and legal research.

In particular, the office has a well-advanced expertise in the areas of Mergers and Acquisitions, Mining, Power and Energy, ICT and Telecom, Banking and Finance, Taxation, Manufacturing and Industries, Construction and Real Estate, Employment and Immigration and Dispute Resolution. 

Department Name Email Telephone
Mining Mesfin Tafesse mtafesse@mtalawoffice.com
Investment/commercial law Mesfin Tafesse mtafesse@mtalawoffice.com
Mergers and acquisitions Abraham Degefa adegefa@mtalawoffice.com
Investment/commercial law Haymanot Belay hbelay@mtalawoffice.com
Tax Haymanot Belay hbelay@mtalawoffice.com
Banking and finance Haymanot Belay hbelay@mtalawoffice.com
ICT and Telecoms Wossenyeleh Tigu wtigu@mtalawoffice.com
Power and Energy Haymanot Belay hbelay@mtalawoffice.com
Intellectual property Abdurozack Seid aseid@mtalawoffice.com
Labour Wossenyeleh Tigu wtigu@mtalawoffice.com
Construction and real estate Wossenyeleh Tigu wtigu@mtalawoffice.com
Arbitration Wossenyeleh Tigu wtigu@mtalawoffice.com
Photo Name Position Profile
Haymanot Belay photo Haymanot Belay Principle Associate
Mesfin Tafesse photo Mesfin Tafesse Principal Attorney
Wossenyeleh Tigu photo Wossenyeleh Tigu Consultant and Attorney at Law
Number of lawyers : 8
Amharic
English
African Legal Network
Employment Law Alliance
Ethiopian Lawyers Association

Mesfin Tafesse and Associates (MTA) is a leading corporate law office in Ethiopia.  

The Clients  

MTA has assisted various clients from different countries, including; 

  • The world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners based in USA 
  • One of the biggest banks in India 
  • The biggest global brewery based in Netherlands  
  • Various international non-profit organizations and charities  
  • Asia’s leading agribusiness group  
  • International financial institutions 
  • One of the world’s leading logistics company 

 

The Network 

MTA is a member of African Legal Network, a premier alliance of top-tier independent law firms in Africa. This network has a presence in Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria, UAE, Kenya, Morocco, Algeria, Tanzania,  Guinea, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia. 

MTA is also a member of Employment Law Alliance, an international network of law firms operating in the sector of employment and immigration laws. 

 


Diversity

Mesfin Tafesse and Associates (MTA) is an inclusive workplace, welcoming to people of all backgrounds. MTA believes diversity drives innovation. Hence, it is building a culture where difference is valued. MTA’s 40% of staff member are women and MTA’s attorney composition ranges from recent graduate junior associates to 20-30 years experienced attorneys.

MTA staff consists of persons having different cultural, religious, social and political outlook. All staff members of MTA are valued and treated equally regardless of their age, sex, religion, ethnicity, and outlook. No discrimination is acceptable at MTA based on such grounds.

MTA is determined and strives to further ensure inclusion and diversification of its staff members. MTA values the contribution of each and every staff member.

Pro Bono and Corporate Social Responsibility

MTA believes pro bono service is a way of giving back to the community. MTA emphasizes that pro bono service is not a favor to the community rather an opportunity and ethical responsibility of attorneys to serve the community. While this is the primary motivation for MTA to provide pro bono service, MTA also identifies pro bono service as a way of recognition and building its brand as well as image which thereby leads to more business opportunities.

MTA has been providing pro bono services to date. MTA has assisted various clients on pro bono basis on different sectors including education, child right and environmental protection.

MTA is determined to discharge its corporate social responsibilities and so far has been contributing financially to health institutions in Ethiopia in relation to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, MTA has also been engaged in providing trainings and donation of books to a law school at one of the universities in Ethiopia.