Position:- Legal Director

Contact:- This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bibliography:- Yohannes Hailu is a legal director at Mehrteab and Getu Advocates LLP (MLA). He leads the Litigation, Arbitration and Regulatory Practice area. Prior to his role at MLA, Yohannes spent nearly five years as a practicing attorney, serving a broad spectrum of clients. He has a proven track record of achieving positive results for clients in corporate, commercial, customs, real estate, contract, inheritance and employment matters. Yohannes has also served as a Research and Community Service Coordinator at the Arba Minch University, School of Law, where he taught Commercial and Private Law courses.

Education:- Yohannes graduated with a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B) from Bahir Dar University, earning the highest honors as a gold medalist. He has also received a Master’s of Law Degree (LLM) in Business Law from Addis Ababa University, graduating as the top student in his class.

Selected Experiences:-

• Represented BGI Ethiopia in a complex legal case with a total value of five billion birr.
• Successfully defended an importer against additional tariff, interest and penalty claims.
• Represented clients in a variety of commercial disputes, including contract, land, unlawful competition and intellectual Property disputes.
• Defended a construction company against claims for severance pay, notice period, and payment for delay by its employees, successfully obtaining dismissal of all claims.
• Represented a real estate company in disputes with residential real estate purchasers, obtaining favorable court decisions.
• Defended the interests of a shareholder in a private limited company dissolution dispute.
• Assisted foreign construction and ICT companies in settling disputes with sub-contractors through negotiation, avoiding costly litigation.
• Handled the bankruptcy proceedings of a foreign company.
• Prepared countless pleadings, such as statement of claims, statement of defenses, applications, petitions and affidavits
• Provided comprehensive advice to a foreign company on the Ethiopian legal framework governing the production, transmission, distribution, and retail of energy, with a particular focus on geothermal energy.
• Advised on and handled the conversion process of an agro-industry private limited company into a share company.
• Provided legal counsel to a foreign company on the regulations governing the production, distribution, and retail of tobacco products in Ethiopia.
• Assisted numerous companies in navigating employment law compliance, including developing human resource manuals for easier reference.
• Drafted various construction contracts.
• Monitored changes to Ethiopian labor law and provided updates to industry executives on the salient features of the current employment proclamation.
• Served as a retainer for a company with over 500 employees, providing legal advice and support.