Ethiopia

BonelliErede has been present in Ethiopia since 2016 where currently cooperates with the Ethiopian law firm Lidet Abebe Tizazu Law Office which is part of the BonelliErede network.

Lidet Abebe Tizazu Law Office in cooperation with BonelliErede offers a complete range of legal services to international investors and major local corporations, including contracts law, investment, corporate, commercial, construction, energy, employment, intellectual property including patent, trademark and copyright law, and international arbitration and litigation.

The professionals of the Ethiopia team works in full synergy with our offices in Europe, especially for specialised advice and cross-national practices, and with the other offices in North Africa and the Middle East (Egypt, UAE).

Our team is composed of an integrated group of 8 lawyers led by Gianpiero Succi, Partner at BonelliErede, in charge of the development of our practice in East Africa and in the other Sub-Saharan African, together with Lidet Abebe Tizazu, Managing Partner of Lidet Abebe Tizazu Law Office in cooperation with BonelliErede and Mahlet Kassa, Partner of Lidet Abebe Tizazu Law Office in cooperation with BonelliErede. They are supported by other lawyers of different seniority, including Daniele Gambirasio, Partner, and the associates Michele Saponaro, Robel Mehari, Samrawit Behailu and Tsedey Girma.

Lidet Abebe Tizazu is an IP and competition law expert. Local and international companies entrust her to protect their IP rights in Ethiopia. She regularly represents clients in trademark, patent, copyright and design litigation. Mahlet Kassa has an international background and advises Ethiopian and international companies on M&A deals and complex corporate and commercial law matters. Robel Mehari, has experience in local and international taxation and was seconded to BonelliErede’s Milan office in 2020. Samrawit and Tsedey are Junior associates with experience in corporate law, employment law, litigation and local and international taxation.

Daniele Gambirasio and Michele Saponaro together with Gianpiero Succi are the Italian members of the team. Daniele Gambirasio, a corporate Partner, was seconded in 2016 and he has been in Addis Ababa since October 2019. He has a great experience in international corporate law with a particular expertise on extraordinary transaction, private and public M&A and joint ventures. Michele Saponaro is a litigation law associate who was seconded to Addis Ababa in 2018, greatly contributing to our development in the country, with expertise in civil law, business law and company law.

As part of the BonelliErede network the Addis Ababa office collaborate in total synergy with the other firm’s offices in Italy, Europe and the Middle East. Depending on the needs of a matter, we integrate the competences of the local professionals with all the BonelliErede experts from our teams based in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Insights

Enhanced regulation on transfer pricing - 5 March 2024

At the beginning of the year, Implementing Directive 981/2024 containing transfer pricing rules came into force. It will hopefully remedy the legal and practical gap in the enforcement of transfer pricing rules in Ethiopia. The directive reiterates all the provisions of the previous directiv …

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New directive set to start the licensing process for investment banks - 9 February 2024

The Ethiopian Capital Market Authority is set to start accepting applications for investment bank licences on 12 February. Its new licensing directive sets out 15 licences for capital market services. Which services are impacted? And what are the requirements to obtain a licence? Our

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Draft VAT proclamation on its way to Parliament - 13 April 2023

Ethiopia’s legislative landscape is evolving by the day, especially when it comes to doing business. And the draft VAT proclamation looks set to be one of the biggest steps taken since VAT was introduced back in 2002. So what are the proposed key changes to the VAT rules? Our

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The latest developments in the Ethiopian banking industry - 16 September 2022

The latest Council of Ministers meeting earlier this month approved the long-awaited policy that allows foreign investors to invest in the Ethiopian banking industry. Given that foreign banks stopped operating in Ethiopia when the Derg took power, the opening-up of the banking industry is ex …

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Spotlight on IP – Trademark protection in Ethiopia - 23 February 2022

Recent liberalisation initiatives by the Ethiopian government have attracted interest from local and foreign businesses: the consequent growth of Ethiopia’s market underlines how important it is to protect intangible assets as much as others. Since the introduction of the Commercial Code i …

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The new Ethiopian Arbitration and Conciliation Working Procedure under Proclamation No. 1237/2021 - 17 September 2021

Up until publication of the Proclamation to Provide For Arbitration and Conciliation Working Procedure, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – more specifically, arbitration – in Ethiopia lacked a detailed procedure and implementation mechanism. The newly introduced proclamation addresses/a …

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Ethiopian Parliament approves new Commercial Code - 29 March 2021

The FDRE House of People’s Representative’s session on March 25th, 2021 has approved a draft bill to amend the 1960 Commercial Code. The new Code, which replaces the old Commercial Code in force for over 62 years, has been anticipated by practitioners and the business community for a v …

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National Bank of Ethiopia introduces new rules on foreign exchange retention accounts - 18 March 2021

The National Bank of Ethiopia has recently introduced the new FXD/70/2021 Directive, which covers the retention and utilisation of export earnings and inward remittances. The new directive changes the foreign currency amounts that eligible exporters of goods and services and recipients of in …

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Investment opportunities for the Ethiopian diaspora community - 11 February 2021

Foreign nationals of Ethiopian origin can contribute to the development and prosperity of their country of origin. Consequently, restrictions on foreign nationals regarding the use of economic, social and administrative services do not apply to foreign nationals of Ethiopian origin who hold an …

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Salient features of Ethiopia’s logistics policy - 15 October 2020

Ethiopia has laid out its first ever policy on the logistics sector. The policy endorsed by the council of ministers and published by ministry of transport is expected to serve as a guidance for further legislative enactments and determine the set up and function of public enterprises that serv …

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News

BonelliErede expands its partnership: six new partners announced

On 17 December, BonelliErede’s partners’ meeting approved the promotion to partner of six of the firm’s managing associates: Livia Cocca, Francesco Casamassa, Gianpaolo Ciervo, Daniele Gambirasio, Giulio Mazzotti and Giovanni Minuto. Livia Cocca joined BonelliErede’s Milan office in 200 …

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The largest common market in the world is born in Africa

On 7 July in Niamey, the capital of Niger, the Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who is president of the African Union announced the establishment of the Afcfta (African Continental Free Trade Agreement). The African continental free trade agreement that will give a green light to the lar …

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Addis Ababa launches the "Ethiopia: Taste of Origins" brand

Agriculture is still the foundation of Ethiopia’s economy: it represents 41% of the gross domestic product, 83.9% of exports and 81% of jobs. The primary sector remains the main engine of rapid economic growth, this year expected to be around 8.2%, the highest rate in Africa thanks to the …

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