ABEM

& ASSOCIATES LAW OFFICE

DEPENDABILITY IS OUR HALLMARK

 ABEM & Associates Law office

I. Background and Overview

ABEM & Associates Law Office is a full-service law office, which is uniquely positioned and
having the skills and the experience to serve our clients interests by providing strategic legal
advice and representation. Today, our Office is particularly recognized for our excellent sup-
port to corporate clients in the areas of corporate and finance transactions, tax, privatization of
Government-owned entities, capital markets, labor relations, construction, anti-trust and
unfair competition, banking, shareholder and company matters, and international arbitration.
We also have a strong and growing practice in energy and project finance, intellectual proper-
ty, bankruptcy and more.

First founded by Mr. Aman Assefa Adhana in 2004, the Law Office has brought together two
additional corporate lawyers as partners to make up a stronger team with diversified expertise
in corporate law affairs. The partners have a keen understanding of the intricacies of local legal
frameworks, institutions and relationships while at the same time possessing an exceptional
understanding of transnational business and emerging market issues as well as corporate
business strategies.

Our partners have complimentary experiences that mix expertise in academia, judiciary,
private practice, multinational in-house experience, public policy and representation of
foreign and domestic Clients before local courts and international tribunals. Furthermore, our
Office boasts experience derived from legal education in different countries; we have a team
comprised of lawyers trained in Ethiopia, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, South Africa,
and USA.

Such a diverse mix of expertise and training allows each and every client to benefit from the
colletivemind power of our partners and lawyers. As we devote enough time and effort to first
understand our clients needs, perspectives and concerns we are able to put ourselves in our
clients shoes and offer a tailor-made legal support accordingly. We have worked with some of
the worlds most trusted and respected businesses. We also take pride in helping and sharing
the ambitions of start-ups; and we consider their success as ours too. We have successfully pur-
sued the interests of our clients before various business partners, government offices and
state-owned enterprises.

This is why the Office remains to be a service provider of choice in Ethiopia.

 ABEM & Associates Law office

II. Our Services

TAX BANKING &

IP
LEGAL DUE DILIGENCE

SECURITIES
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER INTERNATIONAL TRADE

REAL ESTATE
MINING & ENERGY
PRIVATE EQUITY
TEXTILE
ANTITRUST/COMPETITION

REGULATORY & PUBLIC POLICY

EMPLOYMENT & LABOR RELATIONS

PHARMACEUTICALS &
HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE
MANUFACTURING &

INVESTMENT
AGRICULTURE

STRUCTURING CONSTRUCTION

ARBITRATION
INDUSTRIAL
FMCG

COMPANY
REGISTRATION
PROJECT FINANCE
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING
 ABEM & Associates Law office
III. Our Team
Aman Assefa Adhana (Managing Partner)
With nearly 20 years of experience in the judiciary, academia and private
practice, Mr. Adhana specializes in corporate and commercial laws, intellec-
tual property, anti-trust and unfair competition, banking and insurance,
mergers & acquisitions, private equity investment and project finance laws
of Ethiopia.
Mr. Aman obtained his LL.B from the Faculty of Law of Addis Ababa Univer-
sity, and his Master of Laws (LL.M IP) from the MIPLC (Munich Intellectual
Property Law Centre) in Munich, Germany.

Bahakal Abate Yimer (Partner)

Formerly a Commercial Legal Counsel and Corporate Relations Director at
Diageo, Mr. Bahakal specializes in investment and regulatory affairs, share-
holder matters, due diligence, mergers & acquisitions, security laws, project
finance, energy & mining, public policy & international arbitration.
Mr. Bahakal has obtained his LL.B from the Faculty of Law of Haromaya
University (graduated first of his class), and his LL.M. (with distinction) in
International Economic & Business Laws (IEBL) from the University of Gron-
ingen (the Netherlands); and his second LL.M. in International Commercial
& Investment Arbitration (MIDS) from Geneva, Switzerland.

Ermias Ayalew Chernet (Partner)

With over 11 years of experience both as an academician and practitioner,
Mr. Ermias specializes in corporate and commercial laws, litigation and ADR,
construction and procurement laws, oil and gas and maritime laws. Mr.
Ermias has appeared before the Permanent Court of Arbitration under the
Arbitration Rules of the European Development Fund.
Mr. Ermias obtained his LL.B. from the Faculty of law of Addis Ababa Univer-
sity, and his Master of Laws (LLM) in International Trade and Investment
Laws from the University of Pretoria and the University of Amsterdam.
Mr. Ermias also holds the title of an Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar Universi-
ty.

Micael Sehul Micael (Partner)

Recipient of the Chancellors Gold Medal from Addis Ababa University in

2008 (LL.B), Mr. Micael continued his postgraduate studies in International
Commercial and Investment Arbitration (MIDS) in Geneva, Switzerland and
completed his second postgraduate studies in Master of Law and Business
(MLB) Hamburg, Germany.
Mr. Micael has served as legal and investment advisor for Ahadu Group. He
brings a wealth of legal and business background to the office. His areas of
expertise include deal structuring and negotiations, due diligence, Mergers
and Acquisitions, Arbitration, Investment Advisory services.
 ABEM & Associates Law office

Gelila Haile Diguma (Associate)

Ms. Gelila is an excellent young lawyer who graduated from Addis Ababa
University, Faculty of Law and Governance Studies. She specialized in Busi-
ness Law Stream and was a member of the Deans Honor List even before
she graduated with Distinction from Addis Ababa University.
Prior to joining our Partnership, Gelila practiced arbitration and litigation
which has helped her to gain tremendous experience before local and
international tribunals. Gelila has assisted Counsels in the preparation of
international arbitration proceedings, including those heard under the
Arbitration Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce and the Euro-
pean Development Fund. Gelila's main areas of practice include legal
research, corporate and investment law, arbitration, litigation, and energy
law.

Mintewab Afework Abebe (Associate)

Ms. Mintewab, an excellent young lawyer who graduated from Addis
Ababa University, Faculty of Law and Governance Studies (With Very Great
Distinction - Summa Cum Ladue) has been heavily involved in highly sensi-
tive corporate transactions including mergers & acquisitions, spin-offs, due
diligence, legal brief preparations, negotiations and executing high-profile
deals vis--vis several government offices.

Ms. Mintewab is currently on study leave doing her LLM in International

Business Regulation, Litigation and Arbitration at New York University

Seble Gebregiorgis Baraki (Associate)

Seble is an alumnus of the Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Law and grad-
uated from Stockholm University with LLM in Intellectual Property Law.

Seble is the head of the Intellectual Property section in our office and
hence, responsible for registration, assignments and renewal of trade-
marks, patents and industrial designs. She is also responsible for copyright
related matters. Seble has both the educational and practical knowledge
and experience which she was able to obtain through years of experience
working in private practice as well as research institutions.
Contact Us
Phone: +251-[0]11-645-1144 ( Office Landline)
+251-91-150-56-59 (Aman Assefa)
+251 911-874-741(Bahakal Abate )
+251-91-197-58-10 (Ermias Ayalew )
+251 911-433-355 (Micael Sehul )
Fax: +251-[0]11-646-7444
E-mail: info@aaclo.com;
P.O.Box; 13166
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia