A savvy, business focused and transactional advocate, Stephen applies a bottom-line approach to meet his clients’ needs and business objectives. He applies cutting edge solutions to challenging issues while staying in sync with regulatory changes and technological advancements. He is best known for collaborating with leading organizations and individuals to craft impeccable strategies to address their most challenging business and legal issues through all kinds of market cycles and regulatory climates. He takes the time to listen, understand, and internalize his clients’ matters with an aim of assisting clients achieve their short and long term goals efficiently and effectively.
An excellent problem-solver, Stephen casts an experienced eye on the countless issues that can impact his clients’ interests and proposes fresh solutions. He constantly strives to help clients minimize unnecessary expense and delay, avoid tripwires and navigate complex negotiations & agreements. He applies a thoughtful, client-specific approach to each transaction. He is particularly valued by his clients for his creativity and effectiveness in complex and challenging transactions.
He has extensive experience in real estate, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, competition law, venture capital, corporate reorganizations & governance and intellectual property law.
Stephen is very conscious of the privilege associated with the trust that clients place in their advocates. His practice is grounded in a client-centred approach, in which he prioritizes client communication above all else.
Some of the matters Stephen has handled include:
- Advising various companies on issues to do with re-capitalization of their businesses in order to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, as well as providing general advice on the new minimum capital requirements.
- Structuring and implementing real estate purchase and sale transactions for commercial, industrial and residential real property
- Structuring and implementing commercial loan origination and restructuring transactions for both borrowers and lenders
- Advising a financial institution with regard to the acquisition of the business and assets of one of its debtors by an international conglomerate
- Acting for various development companies, in connection with high end residential developments for provision of various legal services including advising on the development structure drafting and negotiating the agreements for sale and the leases with various purchasers’ and their advocates.
- Regularly advising new entrants into the Kenyan market on the registration options under Kenyan law, undertaking the actual registrations, advising on statutory and tax compliance requirements, etc.
- Advising various clients on acquisition of properties owned by companies through acquisition of shares of the property holding companies by devising appropriate acquisition and financing structures, obtaining Competition Authority’s approvals and preparation and negotiation of the share purchase agreements
- Acting for various Financial Institutions in advising, preparing, reviewing and perfection of various Transactional & Banking Securities and advising them on related legal and regulatory issues.
- Carrying out due diligence and legal/forensic and compliance audits of various corporate institutions as well as asset/loan books of financial institutions.
- Acting for and advising various lenders on the obtaining, perfection and enforcement of securities.
Away from the office, Stephen is a sports enthusiast who enjoys spending his time outdoors.