Mahelet Shewangzaw
Local Partner*
A member of SCHLÜTER GRAF’s Dubai team since 2020, Mahelet specializes in arbitration & litigation, commercial & trade, corporate / mergers & acquisition, employment, and real estate law. She is admitted to the Bar Association as an Attorney-at-Law in Ethiopia and is also a registered Legal Consultant with the Ruler’s Court of Dubai. She is fluent in English and Amharic.
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mahelet moved to Dubai in 2013 after graduating with a Bachelors (LL.B) in General Law from Mekelle University, Ethiopia in 2007, which was followed by her Masters (LL.M) in Comparative Law from the University of Alabama, USA in 2011. Before moving to the UAE, Mahelet taught law at universities in Ethiopia, focusing on international law, environmental law, and gender law. She was also part of the national justice reform and worked as a senior researcher with the Justice and Legal System Research Institute. Since her move to the UAE, she’s been working as a Legal Consultant focusing on litigation (mainly commercial, real estate, and employment areas) and corporate matters, as well as providing pro bono legal support through the DIFC Pro Bono Program.
* Mahelet Shewangzaw is a partner in the following entities: Attorney Mahelet Shewangzaw & Associates (Addis Ababa / Ethiopia)
- Representing a leading Ethiopian producer of ceramics in a commercial dispute
- Providing consultancy to companies undertaking varied commercial activities (including a general construction company, a pharmaceutical products trading company, a security fit out company and a travel agency)
- Undertaking research and providing consultancy for major government institutions such as the FDRE Justice and Legal System Research Institute
- Participated in the formulation and implementation of the national justice system reform program