DABLO Law Firm has been recognized in The Legal 500 rankings as a leading law firm in Ethiopia. Africa Legal found out how the firm achieved this and what their plans are for the future.
DABLO Law Firm LLP is a leading law firm in Ethiopia with a strong focus on dispute resolution and corporate & commercial law, and for the firm’s three founders and managing partners – Dawit Kidane, Addisu Hailegebriel and Bruk Geremew – collaboration is key. The three initially started by working together under their individual advocate licences in 2013, and later established a full-service law firm. For more than a decade now, they’ve honed their partnership by working across various industries, solidifying their trust in and respect for each other’s expertise. The trio was thrilled to hear of their ranking.
“Being recognised by The Legal 500 as a leading law firm in Ethiopia is a significant accomplishment for our firm,” said Dawit.“This marks our first international recognition, and it is a tremendous honour to achieve it on our initial submission. The partners at DABLO have extensive experience, and this recognition validates our efforts and serves as a stepping stone towards our future goals, assuring us that we’re on the right track. We are committed to continuous improvement and will leverage this recognition to further strengthen our international collaborations and cross-border legal work.”
While law firms employ various strategies to achieve their goals, as a matter of principle, DABLO focuses on delivering quality services and building their market reputation, says Dawit.
“Our goal is to build trust with our clients by delivering high quality legal services that meet their business needs. In addition, we value having a good market reputation and being recognised by our peers and other legal professionals for our strong track record with work that demonstrates our lawyers’ expertise.”
DABLO’s lawyers have extensive expertise in dispute resolution, corporate and commercial law, trade and investment, civil societies law, employment law, tax and M&A, working across a number of sectors. “Our team possesses exceptional litigation skills, adeptly representing clients in both court proceedings and arbitration matters,” Addisu said. The firm is also one of the few firms in Ethiopia that has expertise in both disputes and advisory services; it successfully represents and advises local and international clients on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters.
In a cluttered legal market, it’s essential for firms to try to stay ahead of the curve. Addisu says they achieve this through a multi-pronged approach involving continuous learning, strategic research and analysis of emerging legal trends, and collaboration and knowledge sharing within the firm. “By remaining at the forefront of legal developments and fostering a collaborative learning environment, DABLO Law Firm is well positioned to provide our clients with the most up-to-date and effective legal counsel possible,” Addisu emphasised.
He says being accessible to their clients is also crucial. “We prioritise clear and timely communication with our clients about case progress, potential issues, and next steps in their matters. Our partners and lawyers take the time to get to know our clients and understand their goals and concerns. Moreover, we go beyond just legal expertise and provide additional resources or insights that can benefit our clients. We proactively update them on developments and anticipate their needs. We build trust by being reliable and following through our commitments,” he added.
Bruk believes the firm’s work culture also adds greatly to their professional development and overall success. However, with a goal of becoming the top law firm in Ethiopia, the partners know they have to up their game even more.
“We are committed to ongoing professional development for our team, ensuring they are equipped with the latest knowledge and best practices in legal operations, aligning our firm with global standards. Joining the largest professional service alliance network, Alliott Global Alliance, as the sole Ethiopian legal representative also empowers us to extend our service offerings beyond Ethiopia’s jurisdiction to both existing and new clients,” Bruk explained. “We are also implementing quality control measures to guarantee exceptional service delivery. This involves establishing peer review processes, investing in legal technology that streamlines workflows and improves efficiency, and soliciting client feedback to identify areas for improvement.”
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