TripleOKLaw firm was among the only four top Kenyan law firms at the ninth Annual African Legal Awards 2022 and emerged with a win for the Dispute Resolution Team of the Year. Hosted by Law.com International partnered with the Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa (CCASA) and Africa Legal, the awards took place on 2nd September at the Houghton Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. The judges make the decisions based on legal expertise and innovation, Project management skills, Teamwork, Client satisfaction, and value for money. The awards seek to celebrate incredible talents and exceptional achievements among Africa’s legal elite.
TripleOKLaw firm was ecstatic to be shortlisted under seven categories and managed to win one category in the Awards. The categories included: Capital Markets Team of the Year, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year, Property and Construction Team of the Year, Tax Team of the Year, and Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) Team of the Year. Two of our practitioners were also shortlisted based on their legal skills, client relationship skills, and contribution to the community: Partner of the Year – John Morris Ohaga, and Private Practice Rising Star Award – Noreen Kidunduhu. The firm managed to bag the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team of the year accolade which is a testament to the firm’s expertise and commitment to providing quality legal services to its clients. The firm is delighted to be mentioned with top practitioners on the continent.
The practice shortlisted categories recognised transactions that were of significant impact to the areas of law and made an improvement on the legal practice. In the Capital Markets Team of the Year shortlist, the team lead by Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial Brian Muindi, Senior Partner Jinaro Kibet and Partner Stephen Mallowah, were transaction advisors for the first development REIT globally, and the two first student accommodation REITs in Africa the Property and Construction Team of the Year with Senior Partner Tom Onyango, Senior Associate Renice Midar and Associates Winnie Ayimba and Boru Jattani advised on the first smart home luxury apartment project in Sub-Saharan Africa availing housing for both purchase and rental.
The Tax Team of the Year finalists Managing Partner John Ohaga, Dispute Resolution Team Co-Head Elias Masika and Senior Associate Isaac Kiche set a precedent in the interpretation of excise duty and value-added tax laws in a 13-year tax dispute. The Telecommunications, Media, and Technology (TMT) Team of the Year, Deputy Managing Partner Catherine Kariuki, Partner Janet Othero and Associates Sherry Bor and Joyanne Wanjiru are currently handling the setup of a fintech business in 8 countries spread across Eastern, Southern and Western Africa
John M. Ohaga, the nominee for the Partner of the Year Award, is a Senior Counsel and Managing Partner at TripleOKLaw LLP. He has been involved as lead counsel in numerous complex litigation matters and high-value domestic and international arbitration proceedings. He has also been an Arbitrator in numerous domestic and international arbitration matters. Mr. Ohaga sits on the board of the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration, where he chairs the Legislative Review and Accreditation Committee.
He is an Accredited Mediator and a member of the Mediation Accreditation Committee, where he chairs the Accreditation Sub-Committee. He is also the Chairman of the Sports Disputes Tribunal and chairs the Appeals Committee of the Advertising Standards Board. Mr. Ohaga has been recognized for his expertise in diverse areas of law and has been consistently acknowledged for his high-quality work by The Legal 500, Chambers Global, Best Lawyers, and the International Law Office (ILO) Client Choice Awards.
Noreen Kidunduhu, a nominee for the Private Practice Rising Star Award, is a Senior Associate at TripleOKLaw LLP with extensive experience in the Energy and Natural Resources practice. She extensively uses her knowledge of international best practices and local requirements to provide project, corporate, sustainability, and dispute advisory services as well as practical legal, technical, and commercial solutions to governments, energy companies, businesses, investors, and financial institutions around the world.
She is currently a Research Fellow with the Energy Charter Secretariat where she reviews the investment climate and market structures of the energy sectors of various countries. Ms. Kidunduhu is also a board member of the Kenya Green Building Society (KGB), sits on the Energy and Infrastructure Taskforce of the America Chamber of Commerce (Kenya), and contributes to various other organizations including being a chairperson of the steering committee for the Young Members Group (YMG) at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
TripleOKLaw has been consistently ranked in the Legal500 EMEA, Chambers, and Partners Global, and Fintech Rankings and Nairobi Legal Awards such as the Legal500 EMEA Rankings as a Leading Law Firm in 2021, the Leading Firm in Chambers and Partners Global, 2021 for our Dispute Resolution and Arbitration practice, has been listed as top experts in Chambers and Partners FinTech Guide in 2021 and 2022 with our Telecommunications, Media and Technology team making a third-time feature and in the Nairobi Legal Awards 2019 and 2020. We have also been shortlisted in four categories at the African Legal Awards 2021 by Law.com UK | Legal Week.
H. Jackson Brown Jr. said, ‘don’t work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition.’ Partners, associates, and all staff at TripleOKLaw have dedicated their time, skills, and experience in the distinct roles and responsibilities to ensuring they do work worthy of recognition. Being recognized among the top practitioners on the continent is a momentous achievement as it reaffirms the firm’s status as one of the leading law firms in Africa. The firm would like to thank all its clients and partners who have helped contribute to its success.