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Associate II
Hilina Mesfin is an Associate at DABLO Law Firm, specialising in business advisory and regulatory law. She is currently in the final year of her MBA in Project Management at Addis Ababa University and graduated from Hawassa University as the top female graduate across the entire College of Law and Governance. She brings over four years of progressive legal experience, including foundational roles as a paralegal under the ILO Siraye programme and as a legal intern at the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO).
At DABLO, Hilina advises clients navigating Ethiopia’s evolving regulatory landscape. Her work spans civil society organisation (CSO) registration and operational compliance, export and import law, investment law, and employment and immigration regulation. She has capital markets experience, having supported securities registration processes for banking institutions under the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) and contributed to legal analyses on licensing frameworks for investment advisory and transaction-related services. She also provides counsel on commercial matters, including collateral registrations, trade regulations, and insolvency claims.
Hilina further specialises in employment and immigration law, regularly advising domestic and international clients on organisational restructuring, redundancy procedures, and employment benefits, and drafting comprehensive HR policies. By combining her legal training with the strategic project management insights gained from her MBA, she delivers practical, business-oriented compliance solutions tailored to her clients’ operational needs.
As drafter, prepared a section of a comprehensive legal memorandum analysing Ethiopia’s legal framework on special economic zones and employment laws for a major Russian investor exploring investment opportunities.
Awash Bank & Zemen Bank – As reviewer, contributed to the document review process for the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority’s registration of Zemen Bank S.C. and Awash Bank S.C. securities, ensuring accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements.
As a contributor, supported the preparation of a legal analysis on the scope, regulatory boundaries, and licensing implications of investment advisory and transaction-related services under the Ethiopian Capital Markets framework.
As a contributor, supported the preparation of comprehensive legal advisory services on the registration and structuring of an international NGO’s technical assistance programme in Ethiopia, focusing on compliance with the Civil Society Organizations Proclamation.
As advisor, prepared a legal advisory on collateral registration in Ethiopia, analysing the eligibility and process for registering crypto-mining machines as collateral for a foreign entity.
As researcher and advisor, conducted legal research on Ethiopia’s coffee export regulations and industry practices for a foreign importer, providing practical solutions to regulatory issues affecting delivery arrangements.
As advisor, advised on an insolvency claim, providing guidance on bankruptcy and insolvency matters under Ethiopian law.
As reviewer and drafter, reviewed and drafted HR documents across the hospitality and other industries and advised large enterprises on employment compliance.
As a contributor, supported the preparation of legal due diligence on a borrower’s guarantor, focusing on risk assessment and legal compliance under Ethiopian law for a foreign lending client.
LLB (Hawassa University)
