Practice Overview
Our Firm advises clients on the full spectrum of financing and project development matters, including the structuring, negotiation, and execution of complex transactions. We support investors and lenders across key sectors, ensuring regulatory compliance and delivering commercially sound solutions.
Our Finance and Projects Practice Group provides comprehensive legal support across project development, financing, and implementation in Ethiopia’s rapidly evolving market. We advise lenders, investors, and sponsors on structuring transactions, securing regulatory approvals, and managing risk throughout the project lifecycle. As large-scale infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects increasingly shape Ethiopia’s economic growth, our team bridges legal, regulatory, and market expertise to help clients navigate complexities and achieve successful, sustainable outcomes.
Our Services
- Advising on regulatory compliance across financial and project sectors.
- Conducting legal due diligence for lenders, investors, and sponsors.
- Drafting and negotiating project, financing, and security agreements.
- Assisting with regulatory approvals and licensing for major projects.
- Structuring and documenting project financing and investment transactions.
Brief Overview of Ethiopian Legal Framework
The Ethiopian legal framework governing finance and projects is shaped by commercial, investment, financial, and sector‑specific regulations designed to support capital inflows and large‑scale development initiatives. Key laws—including the Commercial Code, Investment Proclamation, Movable Property Security Rights Proclamation, Public‑Private Partnership (PPP) Proclamation, and various National Bank of Ethiopia directives—form the foundation for structuring bankable transactions.
These frameworks define requirements for foreign investment, security creation and perfection, project financing, corporate vehicles, and regulatory approvals across sectors such as energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and mining. Ethiopia’s ongoing shift toward liberalization, PPP expansion, and digitalized regulatory processes continues to modernize the environment for lenders, investors, and sponsors. Our practice plays a critical role in navigating these evolving rules, ensuring compliance, mitigating risks, and delivering practical solutions for successful project financing and implementation.
Selected Experience
- Advising foreign lenders on the extension of sovereign debt, loan credit facilities, and sovereign debt guarantees in connection with the construction of railways in Ethiopia.
- Reviewing loan repayment agreements and escrow account agreements for the financing of public and private projects in Ethiopia.
- Providing legal opinions on the validity, perfection, and enforceability of sovereign debt guarantees and loan credit facilities under Ethiopian law.
- Advising on facility agreements, hedging, and financial derivatives.
Our Sub Practices
Key Contacts
Mehrteab Leul
Managing Partner
mehrteab@mehrteableul.com
+251-911-209-155