About KO Associates LLP
Global Expertise. Local Insights
KO Associates LLP is a leading Corporate & Commercial Law Firm in East Africa that offers full service. The Law firm is distinctively international in its outlook and approach and advises the world’s leading companies, Innovators and entrepreneurs and financial institutions. We are well known and regarded for our specialist expertise in project development, finance, investments, technology, energy and infrastructure work in Africa. The Law firm is consistently ranked among the leading Law firms in East Africa by trade directories including the Africa Legal Awards (ALA), Legal 500, IFLR1000 and Chambers. The Law firm operates in five markets in East Africa being Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia through the Citadel Law Africa (CLA) network.
Our Culture
Our Culture is driven by our shared commitment to provide our clients with the highest quality legal services in their most critical matters. We always put the needs of our clients front and center of our work. this requires team work, a willingness to go over and beyond, constant learning and a collaborative approach
Our Core Values
At KO Associates, it our drive for excellence that sets us apart.
Community
We are actively engaged in the communities in which we operate. We provide free legal services in the public interest (pro bono) to a wide range of clients both local and international. We aim to help in addressing systematic issues in the justice sector and have positive public impact through collobarotive efforts with NGOs, change makers, academia and public institutions. We have been a collaborative partner of Advocates for International Development (A4ID) in Kenya since 2018
Our People
We are among the best in the market.
We have a team of lawyers who are among the best in the market. Our lawyers are the curious type, those who continuously push themselves to be better. Drawn from different backgrounds, whether they think differently, laterally, logically or practically, we look for talented people, driven by excellence. As a firm we believe collaboration makes us stronger, and so we put great premium on team players
Our Work
We specialize in serving clients in financial, technology, infrastructure and energy sectors. This focus on a few but critical sectors has enabled the firm to be a leader in advisory work in these sectors and ensure excellent outcomes for clients. The firm has invested a great deal over the years to be immersed in these sectors, to fully understand the commercial drivers of clients, the regulatory environment and the key stakeholders including regulators, financiers, industry groups and advisors. This very focused approach has paid up for us with increasing industry recognition.
Recognition
Specialist Leader in Africa
We have grown a reputation for being a specialist leader in Africa and offering exceptional legal services. Some of our recognition include
- Corporate M&A Highly Recommended Firm - IFLR1000 (2022-2023)
- Project Development (Infrastructure) Recommended Firm - IFLR1000 (2022 -2023)
- Project Development (Power) Recommended Firm - IFLR1000 (2022 -2023)
- Specialist Law Firm of the Year (Highly Recommended) – Africa Legal Awards (ALA) 2022
- Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Team of the Year (Finalist) - Africa Legal Awards (ALA) 2022
- TMT Team of the Year (Finalist)- Africa Legal Awards (ALA) 2022
- Transportation & Infrastructure Team of the year (Finalist) - Africa Legal Awards (ALA) 2022
- Leading Firm (Corporate & Commercial), Kenya – Legal500 (2022)
- Nairobi Legal Awards 2022 (Nominated) – Nairobi Branch Law Society of Kenya
- Transportation & Infrastructure Team of the Year 2020 (Finalist) – Africa Legal Awards (ALA)
- TMT Team of the Year 2020 (Finalist) - Africa Legal Awards (ALA)
- Specialist Law Firm of the Year 2020 (Winner) – Africa Legal Awards (ALA)
- Project Development (Infrastructure) Recommended Firm - IFLR1000 (2021 -2022)
- Corporate & Commercial Recommended Firm - IFLR1000 (2021 -2022)
- Project Development (Power) Recommended Firm - IFLR1000 (2021 -2022)
- Specialist Law Firm of the Year 2019 (Finalist) – Africa Legal Awards (ALA)
- Distinction in Project Development & Finance – Africa Business Excellence Awards 2019
- Best TMT Law Firm, Kenya - Africa Business Excellence Awards 2019
- Corporate M&A Firm of the Year, Kenya (2015) – Finance Monthly M&A Annual Awards
- TMT Law Firm of the Year, Kenya (2014) – Client Choice Awards