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Litigation & dispute resolution

Overview

At DABLO Law Firm, we resolve complex disputes with clarity, rigor, and strategic foresight. Our Dispute Resolution practice advises clients across industries on managing commercial, construction, employment, and cross-border disputes, whether through litigation, arbitration, or negotiated settlement.

Founded by former federal court assistant judges with over 15 years of combined judicial and advocacy experience, our team brings institutional insight to every matter. We act for local and international clients navigating Ethiopia’s evolving legal landscape, balancing courtroom precision with business pragmatism.

Our approach is preventative when possible and assertive when necessary. From early-stage risk assessment and contract enforcement to defending high-value claims in court or arbitration, we deliver legal strategies designed to protect commercial interests and minimize disruption.

We represent developers, contractors, financial institutions, NGOs, manufacturers, and foreign investors in contentious matters involving asset recovery, employment claims, construction disputes, and jurisdictional challenges. Our litigation practice spans all court levels in Ethiopia, while our arbitration experience includes both local and cross-border proceedings.

We understand that dispute resolution is not just about winning cases, it’s about enabling our clients to move forward with confidence.

Work Highlights

  • Represented a multinational beverage company in a complex arbitration regarding a failed vehicle delivery and land-use dispute. Secured a favorable award and successfully enforced the judgment before Ethiopian courts.
  • Acted for a European pharmaceutical group in a distribution-related dispute involving a foreign forum selection clause.
  • Advised a mining and resource company in a high-value breach of contract claim involving claims of force majeure due to regional instability. Negotiated a favorable settlement in a dispute worth over USD 1.5 million.
  • Representing a real estate developer in multiple arbitration proceedings against unit buyers for breach of payment obligations. One matter involves a coordinated claim against 28 individual respondents.
  • Assisting a construction company in a contract dispute following termination of a large-scale residential development project. Our strategy integrates expert claims analysis and legal remedies for lost profits and delays arising from design changes and site conditions.
  • Advising a real estate group and its affiliates on disputes relating to public-private partnerships, asset acquisition, and leasehold procurement, including litigation risk management and exit strategies.
  • Defending a prominent local developer in a USD 10 million dispute with a city agency over delayed performance and scope changes under a public infrastructure contract.
  • Senior members of our team, leveraging their former judicial roles, have represented a consortium of 17 contractors in arbitration against a global humanitarian agency, involving multimillion-dollar claims related to design and construction of social infrastructure.
  • Acted for a commercial property owner in defending payment claims brought by a contractor. Following extensive litigation, we negotiated and finalized a court-sanctioned settlement agreement that concluded the matter amicably.
  • Represented international NGOs in employment-related claims and internal disputes, including wrongful termination and compliance with Ethiopian labor law.
  • Successfully defended a global health organization in service-related litigation while coordinating parallel regulatory responses.

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