Adil Khawaja began shaping his impeccable career in law in 1990 when he enrolled for his LLB Hons which he attained in 1993. He was also enrolled at the Hamilton Harrisons and Mathews’ law firm as a trainee till 1994 when he did his diploma in law at the Kenya School of Law. In 1995, Khawaja was promoted to associate at the Hamilton Harrisons and Mathews, a position he held for five years before rising to the position of a managing partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews.
The 48-year-old now boasts of experience spanning 23 years with deep knowledge in real estate, environmental & planning law, commercial litigation, and arbitration. Khawaja remains one of Kenya’s top legal heads in respect to real estate, project planning, and environmental law.
In 2018, chambers global describe Khawaja as practical, efficient, and one who caters to every legal need because of his ability to deliver tailor-made solutions within a short period of time. In 2001, the chief executive officer at the Hamilton Harrisons & Mathews named him as the partner and served in that position till 2013 and prior to that, Khawaja was also the designated scrutineer of elections at the Law Society of Kenya.
It is during his stint at the LSK that the body seconded Khawaja to the Judiciary Committee tasked with the renovations that gave commercial courts at Milimani a facelift. The learned friend holds a Masters Degree in Law from The University of Nairobi, a prestigious university in Kenya that ranks 7 among the top ten universities in Africa (according to the African Exponent).
IFLR 1000, Legal 500, and Chambers global recognized Khawaja as a leading lawyer, after 2013 when he was named a managing partner at Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews, a position he holds to date. HH&M has 12 partners and it ranks as one of the top legal firms in Kenya by clients and international directories.
Dentons describe Khawaja as a renowned lawyer in Kenya having dealt with difficult land cases and for regularly advising on eco-conveyancing for the state and clients in the tourism industry. Dentons which is the world’s largest law firm announced a merger with Hamilton, Harrison and Mathews in 2018. HH&M was formed in 1902 and is among the oldest legal firms in Africa and part of Dentons Africa.
“Clients in East Africa, and clients wanting to do business there, will benefit from high-quality legal service on a truly global scale that only Dentons can offer. Our clients have access to the deep local knowledge that is provided by lawyers who are both in and of the communities they serve,” said Joe Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons.
HH&M and Dentons have enjoyed a close association stretching over a decade is the third-largest firm in Kenya in terms of partner headcount. Khawaja remains a highly recognized legal brain in Kenya’s business circles for his expertise. He also holds board positions in many companies. He is the current chairman of KCB bank and he sits on the board of Al Futtaim Automotive-CMC Motors and Kenya Power.
Adil Rhino Charge
In 2018 Adil Khawaja was also named the director RhinoArk where the third-highest sponsorship was going to Car 44 (Adil Khawaja, Mario Brigetti, Abid Khawaja, Jameel Sheikh, Massimiliano Brigette, Nelson Lekamisi) having raised KES 16,217,000.)
Adil loves Safaris, I have no idea why he does not already have Adil Khawaja safaris! Last year, the Victor Ludorum award that considered both the charge distance and fundraiser was won by his team, AK-44 of car 44 and the team raised up to Ksh 17,000,003 and his team was the second in fundraising.
Adil Khawaja Foundation
Even though Adil Arshed Khawaja has not made public most of his sources of income, we can rank him based on visual approximation. Adil Khawaja Net worth is estimated in billions if not hundreds of millions. In giving back to society, Khawaja runs a duly registered foundation (Adil Khawaja Foundation) that is involved in community works and offering pro bono services.
Adil has been working in cooperation with the UNEP finance and administration manager Shakira Adil in making sure that the foundation visions are fulfilled.
- Appointed Board of Trustees Kenya Wildlife Service. Chairman of the Human Capital and Finance Committee, 2011 – 2014
- Honorary Warden Kenya Wildlife Service, 2004 – 2013
- Board of Trustees Friends of Conservation. A non-profit wildlife conservation organisation, 2006 – 2011
- Law Society of Kenya Committee seconded to the Judiciary, Committee responsible for the renovation of the new Commercial Courts at Milimani, 2007 – 2011
- Law Society of Kenya Elections Scrutineer, 2007 – 2010
- Member of the National Environment Council under the National Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act, 2005 – 2009
