The second largest bank in Kenya measured by customer base, the Co-operative Bank of Kenya consists of a number of member companies and has traded publicly on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) since 2008. Its team of 11 lawyers has made a number of internal improvements over the last year and has had an appreciable impact on the strategic direction of the company.

For example, an ‘excellent litigation management’ system has been developed, allowing the company to ‘focus on asset growth through drawdowns’ and make more economical use of their time. The legal team has successfully utilised these improved internal systems to tackle the significant challenge of managing an ever-expanding branch network as the company grows. Beyond these process improvements, the team has won a number of important disputes and litigation matters that had been ongoing for some time, demonstrating its skill in more traditional legal matters.

In common with many other legal teams working in the financial sector, regulatory matters have taken up a significant proportion of the team’s time, and they cooperate closely with senior management on this issue. Indeed, the relationship between the legal team and management at the Co-operative Bank of Kenya is particularly strong, and these elements ‘interact on a regular basis’.