Professional Biography
Alexandra Kontos cofounded Walker Kontos with Peter Walker in 1988. She has qualified as an Advocate in three jurisdictions (Ethiopia, Greece, and Kenya) and started practising in Kenya in 1979, at a time when women lawyers were few and far apart and when very few had reached partner level. She is currently Senior Partner of Walker Kontos.
Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Addis Ababa University (a country that follows the civil law system) and a Master of Laws Degree from University College London, at which time she had to move from the civil law to the common law system—a difficult transition for those who know both systems. Alexandra is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, as well as a seasoned Company Secretary. Over the years, she has been involved in various capacities in legal drafting and law reform and is a very keen legal instructor, losing no opportunity to impart her knowledge to younger members of the profession.
She specialises in corporate and commercial work, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, including transnational acquisitions, banking, and corporate finance. She has led the legal teams involved in the establishment of joint ventures, as well as in mergers, acquisitions and disposals, corporate restructuring, and management buy-outs. She has also variously advised on all kinds of banking and financial transactions such as project finance, loan syndication, securitisation, and structured and trade finance. She has represented most of the Kenyan banks and their overseas branches, as well as many international finance organisations, including IFC, FMO, Proparco, EIB, and various other international lenders in loan transactions—some amounting to millions of dollars or euros. She is very well known and highly respected in the legal profession.
Equally importantly, Alexandra is a very experienced property lawyer, her forte being due diligence on titles—an area of law that requires high acumen due to the recent changes in land registration in Kenya. She has consequently acted in various high-end property deals involving hundreds of units in several areas in Nairobi and its environs.
On a different note, and on something non-legal, Alexandra speaks (and reads and writes) six languages and is a Senior Judge of the Kenya Orchid Society, which she has led with fervour for the past thirty years.
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About Walker Kontos
Established in 1988 with a profound commitment to excellence, Walker Kontos stands as a testament to the fusion of legal expertise and unwavering dedication to our clients.
We understand that the contemporary landscape of legal services demands more than just proficiency—it requires a delicate balance of care, efficiency, integrity, and a keen sensitivity to costs. We pride ourselves on meeting and exceeding these expectations, recognising that the ability to provide exceptional legal counsel lies in the seamless integration of these core values. Walker Kontos is more than a law firm: it is a partner dedicated to navigating the intricate challenges of today’s business environment with precision, foresight, and a dedication to our clients’ success.
Nurturing homegrown talent allows us to offer a necessary blend of global standards and local insight. The diverse and skilled professionals at Walker Kontos Advocates bring a wealth of experience, ensuring that our clients receive not only expert legal advice but also practical solutions tailored to their specific needs.
The firm is in a strategic alliance with global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright.
M&A, Private Equity, Joint Ventures:
The firm has been involved in some of the largest M&A transactions in the region. We have acted in M&A transactions across a number of sectors as diverse as advertising, aviation, banking, horticulture, hospitality, mortgage finance, pharmaceuticals, insurance, insurance brokering, and edible oils manufacturing.
We have also acted in most of the recent transactions involving banks and financial institutions in Kenya. Our M&A work extends to advising on joint ventures, partnerships, management buy-outs, and equity participations. The growth and importance of Kenya as a regional hub has seen the firm extend its wings by undertaking large acquisitions in East, Central, and West Africa.
An expanding portfolio of PE-type investments over the last few years has evolved into more strategic acquisitions, particularly in sectors that serve retail demand. The firm’s role in such transactions is frequently independent, although we have also worked with most well-known international firms as local counsel.
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