Martha Mbugua

Martha is a seasoned advocate in corporate and commercial law with a wide range of experience in advising on mergers and acquisitions, private equity (fund formation and portfolio investments), corporate restructurings, business set up, commercial contracts and construction law and construction contracts. In 2017, she was ranked by Business Daily Kenya as one of the Top 40 under 40 Women and noted as one of the youngest female partners specialising in private equity/mergers and acquisitions.

She is a Partner at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (incorporating Kieti Law LLP), has worked in three globally ranked law firms in Kenya and briefly in South Africa. She also worked in the legal departments of Barclays Bank of Kenya and East Africa Breweries Limited before running a private practice from 2018–2022.

Martha has been noted to show great attention to detail. She has been described as great in identifying potential risks in transactions while keeping in mind that the deal had to be closed. She is considered as "always being pragmatic in dealing with risks and finding solutions for them." She is acknowledged as "very thorough in her work, very knowledgeable and very responsive throughout the process"
Further, she is regarded as having "very thorough review of documentation and assessment of risks and possibilities, combined with a pragmatic view on what is required and what is nice to have. Always working towards getting the deal done. Good understanding of investor's wish to work with the company it invests in and that therefore not each legal issue is a problem."

She is also commended for being "1. understanding of the legal issues, 2. highly available. 3. flexible with fees, 4. open about areas and issues that are not clear to her, following which she works to generate clarity and 5. accurate!"

• Advised:
  Creadev International S.A.S, a French private equity firm based in France and Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund LP (ARAF), a VC fund based in Kenya who led a US$ 35 million series B raise in Victory Farms.
• AgDevCo on their investment into Victory Farms, conducted the legal and environmental due diligence on the target and provided advice on conditions to investment.
• Basigo, Kenya’s first electric bus company on restructuring the shareholding of the Kenyan entity so as to make it majority owned by the parent company in Delaware. She has also provided extensive legal structuring advice on the company's leasing model.
• DOB Equity on its convertible debt investment in Victory Farms by conducting an extensive legal and environmental due diligence on the target and advising on conditions to investment.
• Proparco on their pre-series A investment into Moringa Schools that was done by way of a convertible note and advised on due diligence issues, drafted and negotiated the convertible note.
• TBL Mirror Fund B.V. on their exit from Meridian Health Group by reviewing and negotiating the share purchase agreement and advising the client on acceptable conditions precedent and warranties to issue as part of their exit.
• Advised TBL Mirror Fund B.V on a minority shareholder exit from Highlands Drinks Limited.
• Mawingu Networks on both their Series A and Series B equity raise from FMO Entrepreneurial Development Bank and former Energy Access Ventures (EAV)funds.

• Corporate and M & A
• Financial and Corporate
• Competition
• Restructuring and Insolvency
• Private Equity

• Law
• Banking
• Investment Management
• Financial services
• Automotive

• Law Society of Kenya and the Board Room Africa
  
  

• LLM – International Commercial Law (Financing International Trade, International Oil & Gas Law and International Commercial Arbitration), University of Birmingham
• Advocates Training Program Diploma in Law, Kenya School of Law
• LLB – Second Class Honours (Upper Division), University of Nairobi, Kenya