Gaining ground in East Africa

Formed by the merger of ABC Attorneys and Stallion Attorneys earlier this year, Rive & Co is forging forward!

“The partnership with Sepia Attorney and Associates was influenced by the need for us to identify a strong partner in Zanzibar so that we can build capacity to take on larger projects,” explained Managing Partner Shehzada Walli. “The process involved us hiring a business coach from Uganda who did an in depth analysis and worked on this for three months before closing the deal.”

Rive & Co. believe that the merger will enable them to better service local and foreign investors together with government clients.

“It will give us better local content because Slim Abdallah, the managing partner of Sepia, was born in Zanzibar and has served in both the public and private sectors, so his knowledge base and experience is deep due to his Zanzibari roots,” said Walli.

With the merging of Rive & Co. and Sepia Attorney and Associates, the firm plans to turn its focus to local and international investors, high-net-worth dispute resolution matters such as international arbitration, and upcoming projects in energy, oil & gas, construction, real estate & hospitality.

Walli believes existing clients of both firms will benefit from the merger thanks to having access to more experienced lawyers with specific Zanzibar knowledge.

“The bigger team will offer more timely responses and better availability, and there will be an expansion of our services,” he explained. “We have always been client centric and focussed on excellence, and this partnership offers us an added advantage, giving us an opportunity to excel further in the delivery of service and improving our offerings.”

Mergers can be tricky because they often involve blending different company cultures, but Walli believes they are well prepared to overcome any challenges.

“We started the process in January 2024, and hired a business coach who will help us navigate through the merger. People’s Experience personnel in the office will also help integrate the core purpose and our core values in the team,” he said.

“Looking ahead, we are planning to strengthen the marketing, systems, processes and culture of our firm,” Walli said. “The next step is training our department heads and bringing more specialists into the firm. Our focus has been to establish ourselves as a corporate, commercial and investment firm. With offices in Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar, Dodoma and Arusha, we are happy with the expansion, but still aspire to cover other regions such as Mwanza, Iringa and Mtwara.”

As a member of Alliott Global Alliance, Rive & Co. has global reach and the ability to serve the firm’s clients inside and outside Tanzania, but the alliance offers other benefits too.

“We are planning to use the alliance’s platform to train our people through an international internship process,” Walli shared.

“We are also focused on catering to the interests of our employees in other ways. We believe happy employees lead to a successful business, which will also give us a competitive advantage. We strive to offer better packages and benefits to motivate our employees, and also train them to be more goal oriented rather than task oriented.”

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Further reading:

Stallion Attorneys relaunches as Rive & Co in Tanzania

About Rive & Co.:

As AGA’s representative law firm in Tanzania and Zanzibar, the team of seasoned lawyers have years of experience in advising local and international clients on a wide range of investment matters, from mergers and acquisitions to corporate finance and taxation. Well-versed in the complexities of Tanzanian law, all at the firm are committed to providing the highest level of client service and support. Read more.