The Team

Awoke Mitku

Associate

Awoke Mitku is an Associate in MLA’s Corporate and Finance Practice Group. Awoke has assisted several Multinational corporations and international financial institutions on corporate and debt restructuring, debt and equity financing, mergers & acquisitions, sovereign debt and sovereign debt guarantees, security transactions, and corporate governance. Before joining MLA, he was a Board Member and Editor- in-Chief of the Addis Ababa University Student Law Review. As part of his community activity, Awoke guided and trained Ethiopian Team to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot which is held annually in Vienna, Austria. He also teaches part time at Addis Ababa University Law School.

LLB, Addis Ababa University Law School, Ethiopia, with Very Great Distinction (2022)
Master in Economic Law, Sciences Po Law School, Paris, France (2025 -2027)

Advised Canadian mining and investment companies, financial institutions, and Ethiopian subsidiaries on cross-border financing transactions, including financing agreements, security arrangements, and share pledge agreements in the mining sectors
Advised Chinese banks and financial institutions on sovereign and state-owned enterprise financing transactions, including the negotiation and amendment of cross-border facility agreements for major infrastructure and industrial projects in Ethiopia.
Advised and processed cross-border merger and acquisition transactions for multinational companies, including offshore acquisitions and the merger of two multinational companies owned by French investors.
Advised a Japanese and Dutch multinational tobacco company on corporate transactions, including debt-to-equity conversions, share transfers, corporate governance, and related-party transactions, and assisted with merger and capital gains tax clearances.
Advised a French brewery company in Ethiopia on a property sale transaction valued at ETB 5 billion
Advised multinational companies and foreign investors on Ethiopian foreign exchange regulations, including profit repatriation and reinvestment of registered investments.
Advised foreign payment system providers and financial institutions on Ethiopian telecommunications, payment systems, data protection, and foreign exchange regulations.
Assisted a local data center company on its brownfield investment by admitting a foreign shareholder and restructuring its corporate governance framework
Represented the Indian subsidiary of a major US pharmaceutical company in a USD 19 million dispute against a government agency and secured a favorable outcome for the client.
Assisted a local company in negotiating and documenting a brand licensing agreement with a multinational company.
Advised a leading multinational automobile company on the establishment of a branch office in Ethiopia for importation and distribution of cars in the Ethiopian market.
Advised a multinational textile company on the legal and regulatory framework governing contract manufacturing arrangements in Ethiopia.
Incorporated Ethiopian subsidiaries for multinational companies, advising on investment structuring, licensing, and post-incorporation corporate compliance.
Acted as liquidator and advised foreign investors on the voluntary liquidation and winding up of Ethiopian investment companies, including regulatory approvals and asset distribution.
Assisted an international foundation in negotiating a Host Country Agreement with the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.