Practice Area
Corporate & Commercial Law
From incorporation to shareholder exits, we structure Ethiopian businesses so that ownership, control and obligations are clear on paper — before they are ever tested in a dispute.
The revised Commercial Code (Proclamation No. 1243/2021) reshaped how Ethiopian companies are formed, governed and wound down — introducing one-member companies, tightening director duties and modernising insolvency. Many businesses in Addis Ababa still operate on documents drafted for the old regime. We bring corporate paperwork up to the current law and keep it there.
How we help
- Incorporation of PLCs, share companies and one-member companies, including trade name registration and commercial licensing
- Shareholder and joint-venture agreements with workable deadlock, transfer and exit clauses
- Drafting and review of supply, distribution, agency and service contracts under Ethiopian contract law
- Board governance, director duties and minutes that satisfy the Commercial Code
- Share transfers, capital increases and corporate restructuring
- Annual compliance with the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration
Why the details matter in Ethiopia
Ethiopian courts read commercial contracts closely against the Civil Code and the Commercial Code, and registration formalities are strictly applied — an unregistered amendment or a missing general-assembly resolution can undo a transaction years later. We draft with enforcement in mind: every document we prepare is written to be registered, performed and, if necessary, defended.
Who we act for
Family businesses formalising their structure, Ethiopian entrepreneurs raising capital, diaspora investors returning home, and foreign companies contracting with Ethiopian counterparties.