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Joyce Mbui

Partner | Nairobi

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Contact

T: +254 20 503 1600

E: joyce.mbui@bowmanslaw.com

Overview

Joyce Mbui is a partner at in our Nairobi office and a member of the Corporate Commercial department.

She specialises in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets (debt and equity), aviation law, insolvency, restructuring, financing and corporate and commercial law.

Joyce is qualified as an English solicitor of England & Wales as well as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.  She has an LLB Hons from the University of Leicester, UK, an LPC (cum laude) from Nottingham Trent University, UK, and an MSc (cum laude) from the University of Reading, UK.

She is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the Law Society of England and Wales.

She sits of the technical working group for insolvency legislation set up by the Official Receiver’s Office.

Experience

Jurisdictions worked include Kenya, South Africa and Britain.

  • Acted as local counsel in advising James Finlay Limited on the sale of 85% of the shareholding of James Finlay (Kenya) Limited to B Commodities ME (FZE), a subsidiary of Browns Investments Plc, together with the carve-out of a certain business and assets of James Finlay (Kenya) Limited, and the sale of 15% of James Finlay (Kenya) Limited to Kipsigis Highlands Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
  • Advising Hollard International (PT) LTD on the acquisition of a minority stake in the APA Group, which is one of the largest insurers in East Africa. The Hollard group is one of the largest private insurers in Africa.
  • Advised Diageo plc on the public tender offer made through its wholly owned subsidiary Diageo Kenya Ltd on the offer to shareholders of East African Breweries PLC (EABL) for the acquisition of up to 14.97% of the shares of EABL on the Nairobi Securities Exchange which was done through the first ever block trade on the Exchange.
  • Advising EABX Plc – an over-the-counter securities exchange- on its capital raise and licencing.
  • KQ on its USD 2 billion balance sheet restructuring which included USD 750 million of sovereign guarantees from the Government of Kenya to KQ’s creditors, US Exim Bank and 11 Kenyan commercial banks, debt for equity conversions and realignment of shareholding arrangements with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The restructuring was linked to a USD 175 million term facility for KQ from 8 of the Kenyan Banks. Kenya Airways PLC as borrower on its USD 175 million multipurpose credit facility with a syndicate of nine Kenyan banks through an LMA standard Kenyan law facility agreement, backed by a guarantee from the Government of Kenya.
  • Advising East African Breweries Plc, UAP Holdings Limited (now UAP Old Mutual Group) and Real People Investment Holdings in connection with the issue and listing of medium-term notes on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Awards

IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide 2024 has ranked Joyce as a Highly Regarded lawyer for her work in Corporate and M&A, Capital Markets: Debt, Capital Markets: Equity.

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Qualifications

Education

  • MSc (cum laude), University of Reading, UK
  • LLB Hons, University of Leicester, UK
  • LPC (cum laude), Nottingham Trent University, UK

Professional Memberships

  • Joyce is qualified as an English solicitor of England & Wales as well as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya;
  • a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the Law Society of England and Wales; and
  • sits of the technical working group for insolvency legislation set up by the Official Receiver’s Office.

INSIGHTS

Kenya: Amendments to the Special Economic Zones Act under the Business Laws (Amendment) Act, 2024 East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin – December 2024 Kenya: Land sales in insolvency – Court ruling empowers administrators with flexibility Kenya: Why more distressed Kenyan companies should consider going into administration East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin – April 2024 East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin – August 2023 East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin March 2023 Kenya: Official Receiver launches pilot e-filing site for applications under the Insolvency Act, 2015 East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin December 2022 Kenya: High Court Clarifies the Legal Position on Foreign Insolvency Proceedings in Kenya Africa: Guide to Restructuring and Insolvency published Kenya: More companies are going insolvent in Kenya, putting the spotlight on severance pay for employees Kenya: The Need for Change: The Transfer of Businesses Act and its Application in the Sale of Distressed Assets East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin June 2022 Hospitality Series: Acquisition of Hotel Assets East Africa: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin November 2021 Kenya: Restructuring distressed private equity portfolio companies – an overview Kenya: Key changes introduced by The Employment (Amendment) Act, 2021 and Business Laws (Amendment) (No.2) Act, 2021 (Signed Into Law on 30 March 2021) Kenya: The end of non-classification of restructured loans: What next for lenders and borrowers? Kenya: Restructuring Quarterly Bulletin More options open for Kenyan companies in financial distress The Kenyan real estate market and the introduction of Real Estate Investment Trusts The financial services sector experiences significant growth in Kenya

Overview

Joyce Mbui is a partner at in our Nairobi office and a member of the Corporate Commercial department.

She specialises in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets (debt and equity), aviation law, insolvency, restructuring, financing and corporate and commercial law.

Joyce is qualified as an English solicitor of England & Wales as well as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.  She has an LLB Hons from the University of Leicester, UK, an LPC (cum laude) from Nottingham Trent University, UK, and an MSc (cum laude) from the University of Reading, UK.

She is a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the Law Society of England and Wales.

She sits of the technical working group for insolvency legislation set up by the Official Receiver’s Office.

Experience

Jurisdictions worked include Kenya, South Africa and Britain.

  • Acted as local counsel in advising James Finlay Limited on the sale of 85% of the shareholding of James Finlay (Kenya) Limited to B Commodities ME (FZE), a subsidiary of Browns Investments Plc, together with the carve-out of a certain business and assets of James Finlay (Kenya) Limited, and the sale of 15% of James Finlay (Kenya) Limited to Kipsigis Highlands Multipurpose Cooperative Society.
  • Advising Hollard International (PT) LTD on the acquisition of a minority stake in the APA Group, which is one of the largest insurers in East Africa. The Hollard group is one of the largest private insurers in Africa.
  • Advised Diageo plc on the public tender offer made through its wholly owned subsidiary Diageo Kenya Ltd on the offer to shareholders of East African Breweries PLC (EABL) for the acquisition of up to 14.97% of the shares of EABL on the Nairobi Securities Exchange which was done through the first ever block trade on the Exchange.
  • Advising EABX Plc – an over-the-counter securities exchange- on its capital raise and licencing.
  • KQ on its USD 2 billion balance sheet restructuring which included USD 750 million of sovereign guarantees from the Government of Kenya to KQ’s creditors, US Exim Bank and 11 Kenyan commercial banks, debt for equity conversions and realignment of shareholding arrangements with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The restructuring was linked to a USD 175 million term facility for KQ from 8 of the Kenyan Banks. Kenya Airways PLC as borrower on its USD 175 million multipurpose credit facility with a syndicate of nine Kenyan banks through an LMA standard Kenyan law facility agreement, backed by a guarantee from the Government of Kenya.
  • Advising East African Breweries Plc, UAP Holdings Limited (now UAP Old Mutual Group) and Real People Investment Holdings in connection with the issue and listing of medium-term notes on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Awards

IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide 2024 has ranked Joyce as a Highly Regarded lawyer for her work in Corporate and M&A, Capital Markets: Debt, Capital Markets: Equity.

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Flight and Transfer Information

Departing flight to Cape Town
SAA SA343 9 April 2025 14:30-16:45 Johannesburg to Cape Town
Transfer details: A shuttle has been arranged to transport you to the hotel, look out for the Bowmans welcome upon arrival.

Return flight
KQ793 14 April 2025 14:30-22:20 Cape Town to Nairobi
Transfer details: A shuttle has been arranged to transport you to the airport from the hotel reception.