With a career about to click three decades, Adil Arshed Khawaja began his legal career as a young intern at Hamilton, Harrison & Mathews in 1993. He had just graduated from Sheffield University and was at the Kenya School of Law where he graduated with a diploma in 1994. He rose through the ranks to the position he currently holds one of the largest legal firms in the world. Lawyer Adil Arshed Khawaja is the managing partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews, a headlining name in the real estate, environmental and planning industry, and commercial litigation and dispute resolution circles.
Because he does advise investors, clients with high net worth cooperate, and the government of Kenya. To play in such a top league in legal circles, Mr. Khawaja is experienced in advising on a multitude of complex commercial and residential transactions. Some of them include the development of the country’s first grade “A” distribution & logistics warehouse park. He handles complicated land control issues, does eco-conveyancing for his clients in the tourism industry and company restructuring, and advises on environmental policy issues for the government of Kenya.
Khawaja also remains instrumental in milestones achieved towards conserving our forest cover because that is part of his environmental practice. He has largely contributed to turning around the management of forest resources and dealing with logging. Mr. Khawaja is a member of the task force that government-appointed to probe forest resource management and logging activities in Kenya.
It is for his vast experience that he has repeatedly been the Band 1, ranking from chambers and partners one of the world’s leading directory of lawyers. He clients also gave him a sterling review in this year’s rankings and describe him as the lawyer to go-to for any matter.
He has a proper understanding of the market and he does provide practical advice. Adil Khawaja is remarked in this year’s Legal 500 and that is attributed to his deep knowledge of Kenyan and the global environment. That adds to recognition as a top lawyer by IFLR 1000. His clientele is majorly investors or global companies seeking to business beyond Kenya and Africa to the world. This has blessed him with high recognition in business circles in Kenya where he holds board positions in many organizations.
He is also still active in wildlife and environmental conservation initiatives as an executive member of the Nairobi Arboretum Conservancy Community Forest Association (NACCFA). He has also served as the director of the National Environment Council, a trustee to the Friends of Conservation & Care for Wild Kenya and Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).
More areas that shaped Khawaja’s vast experience
- Acting for a multinational and international company engineering and construction company to purchase a residential property worth US$8.9 million.
- Advised an international construction company in the purchase of land in a mixed-use development known as Tatu City through a consideration swap.
- He is a lead counsel of an investment company registered in the United Arab Emirates in its acquisition of a minority stake in an insurance company in Kenya.
- Advising a client on an ongoing land swap transaction between the company and the Government of Kenya. The land swap, which is now at an advanced stage, will enable the company to expand its operations in the Western regions of Kenya. The deal will create jobs and help in reducing poverty.
- Advising a client on an ongoing acquisition of assets and immovable property from companies that are currently under receivership.
- Advising on an ongoing acquisition of immoveable property along the Nairobi Southern By-Pass Highway which involves legally relinquishing encumbrances on the property and supervising the subdivision and change of user processes.
- Advising a client in the acquisition of farmland measuring 3,620 acres in Nanyuki, a well-known area in Kenya’s conservancy area.
- Khawaja is also advising a client seeking to expand his business in medicine by acquiring a property worth USD 25 million in Eldoret town.
