History

In 2013, another milestone was reached when Punit Vadgama joined the firm. The firm then became Gikera & Vadgama Advocates (GVA) to reflect these changes. Punit became Senior Partner and Stephen, Chairman of the partnership board. Punit had been a Partner at Sharpley Barrett for three years and brought to GVA his Commercial Law experience. But the relationship between the partners predated their admission to the bar. They had been friends from Law School and had even attempted business ventures in other sectors of the economy

In 2015, an opportunity arose in the Mt. Kenya region necessitated by clients who had presence in the area. A branch was started in Nyeri and eventually moved to Nanyuki in 2016 because of its more cosmopolitan outlook.
GVA has grown in leaps and bounds. From the original three staffers, the firm now has more than 40 people with fully fledged departments like Accounting, Marketing & PR and Human Resources. Having run out of space in the Ngong Road premises, even after adding a floor, the firm moved to its present Westlands location in 2015. The Mombasa branch also outgrew its premises and moved to bigger spacious offices that it occupies to-date.

GVA is an exemplar of commitment to clients. It has continued to offer personalized legal services where it is not just the merits of a case that are evaluated but also an understanding of each client from a deeper perspective. As such, legal arguments are discussed but more importantly, their commercial implications or nuanced ramifications on the bottom line. From the original four files, GVA now represents many clients including government agencies. It has over 100 corporate clients, no mean feat for a firm that has been in existence for just 10 years. Instructively, the original four clients still maintain GVA services, their loyalty being the outcome of successful resolution of the four files.

At GVA, we believe in giving back to the community. This is in a number of ways; Our advocates routinely take on pro bono cases, most of which have successful outcomes. We sponsor a number of homes for orphaned children. Scholarships are also provided for bright but needy students. So far 20 students have been beneficiaries. We offer business support to fledgling entrepreneurs, walking them through the vagaries of operations in constantly shifting economic times. We also sponsor sports events, having held a GVA golf tournament in Nairobi and Nanyuki Motor Sport where the Nanyuki Rally Team donned GVA colours. We involve ourselves in environmental conservation efforts. We have contributed towards the fencing and reforestation of Mt. Kenya. Perhaps closest to the hearts of many is our involvement with the Nairobi Hospice who offer palliative care to cancer patients.

At GVA, we facilitate a conducive working environment where staffs are allowed to exercise their individual creativity. There are clearly defined career paths that many have taken advantage of, rising through the ranks from junior associates to partners. Training and exposure of our people to best practices is facilitated by GVA both locally and internationally. In addition, many have been mentored by the firm, who have since set up their own firms but continue to collaborate with GVA on various assignments.

GVA’s growth has been phenomenal. A reflection of the last ten years reveals the firm’s core values to be Team-Oriented, Excellence, Diligent and Dependable (TEDD). At GVA, we do not stick to the beaten path but go out of the way to tailor solutions suitable for clients and circumstances. Having built a firm foundation over the past 10 years, we intend to capitalize on it over the next 10. In a world that is run by global brands, GVA’s brand equity will place it at the top among the best.