Mekdes Mezgebu

Partner

Head of Energy, Power & Infrastructure

Addis Ababa

Phone: +251 911 431 387

Email: mekdes@tazalegal.com

Areas of Expertise

Projects & Infrastructure

Energy & Power

Project Finance & Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Corporate & Commercial Law

Capital Markets

Mekdes leads Taza Legal’s Energy, Power and Infrastructure Practice and is widely recognised as one of Ethiopia’s leading projects and infrastructure lawyers. She advises governments, public authorities, state-owned utilities, development finance institutions, commercial lenders, sponsors and strategic investors on the structuring, procurement and financing of large-scale infrastructure projects. Her practice focuses on energy and power, project finance, public-private partnerships, infrastructure development and capital markets solutions for major investment projects.

Highlights include:

Advising AMEA POWER LLC, in connection with the first wind PPP project in Ethiopia, to develop a 300MW power plant in Aysha, Somali Regional State.

Advising the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and St. Peter’s Comprehensive General Hospital on the design, structuring, procurement and implementation of Ethiopia’s first health-sector Public-Private Partnership project.

Advising the public sector in connection with the design, structuring, procurement and implementation of a defense hospital PPP project in Ethiopia.

Advising a multilateral development bank, in connection with the financing of a $12.5 billion international airport project in Ethiopia.

Advising syndicated commercial banks and export credit agencies, in connection with the financing of a €750 million power project in Ethiopia.

Advising a Singaporean oil trading company, in connection with the sale and supply of petroleum to a state-owned petroleum supply enterprise.

Advising a British International Investment subsidiary, in connection with the potential development of an electricity transmission PPP project in Ethiopia.

Advising a US publicly traded company, in connection with the acquisition of a data mining facility and a power purchase agreement in Ethiopia.

Advising a publicly listed UK mining company, in connection with the development and financing of a gold mining project in Ethiopia.

Advising a leading African industrial conglomerate, in connection with the acquisition of a cement manufacturing enterprise in Ethiopia.

Mekdes is recognised by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR1000 as a leading projects and infrastructure practitioner in Ethiopia. She has advised governments, development finance institutions, international lenders, energy developers and strategic investors on many of the country’s most significant infrastructure and energy projects.

In addition to her legal practice, Mekdes serves on the Board of Directors of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange and is a regular speaker at leading international energy, infrastructure and investment forums across Africa and beyond.

Mekdes Mezgebu

Areas of Expertise

Highlights include:

Protective. Enduring. Trusted. Strategic.