Professional Experience
Stephen Njoroge Gikera (SN behind his back) always dreamt of being an aviator. His publisher father, however, had other plans, exposing him to magazines such as the Economist and Harvard Business Review, and British Broadcasting Corporation programs. Consequently, Stephen’s fecund mind was exposed to a world unlimited by the skies and that has found appropriate expression in law.
Stephen is Co-founder and Managing Partner at GVA. He is recognized as a leading practitioner in Commercial litigation. He has a strong track record in winning complex cases in state courts and arbitrations throughout East Africa. His litigation practice is focused on domestic and international clients in a range of contentious commercial matters. His other practice areas in Civil and Commercial litigation include Banking, Land disputes, Commercial transactions, International trade, Construction and Environmental law, Judicial Review, Public International law claims, Arbitration and Mediation. He mainly handles matters before the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Industrial Court and other specialized tribunals.
Highlights
- Led a team that conducted a legal audit on one of Kenya’s reputable banks. The assignment included review of all securities, review of all contracts, examination of the process of perfection of securities, review of the legal risk register and other appropriate recommendations arising from the legal audit.
- Successfully litigated an arbitration matter where he represented a developer against a claim running into several Millions of Dollars.
- Currently, representing a state corporation on a constitutional petition where the value of the subject matter runs into Tens of Millions of Dollars.
- Judicial Review: Successfully defended client’s claim to have caveats entered by the Registrar of Lands removed.
- Successfully defended client’s rights in an appeal against the ruling of the Environment and Land Court.
- Represented a client in an arbitration claim worth over Two Million Dollars.
- Represented two telecommunication companies in various commercial matters before the High Courts of Kenya and the different quasi-judicial tribunals within the Republic of Kenya.
- Advised several local and international companies in various business law aspects including Intellectual Property, Commercial Agreements disputes and International Joint Venture Investment within Kenya.
- Represented a client in a dispute involving ownership of land worth over Eighty Million Dollars.
- Represented a client against a claim of obtaining vacant possession over a property worth Millions of Dollars and recovery of substantial amounts of outstanding rent.
Education & Memberships
Stephen holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Nairobi University and a diploma from the Kenya School of Law. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry where he sits in the Legal and Compliance Committee, and the Anti-Counterfeit Africa Committee of International Trademarks Association , a member of the I-Tech Law Association and a member of Law Society of Kenya. He also sits on the boards of several private limited companies which deal with goods and services that range from Fast Moving Consumer Goods distribution to the hospitality industry.
Hobbies
Stephen has continued the tradition of reading widely. He is a committed family man, taking time off to attend motor cross events with his children between the occasional round of golf. His avuncular disposition is evident in the way he mentors those under him. A word to describe him aptly would be “driven.” He desires to build a transformative business in two principle ways: offering clients service with a difference; infusing a feel-good factor in every aspect of service delivery through cutting edge practices, mirrored in his lifestyle. Secondly, improving people’s lives because he believes most humans share similar aspirations-education, work and standard of living. He strongly believes in growing with his partners and employees.
Stephen enjoys traveling, often implementing at the workplace, new ideas gleaned from his numerous journeys locally and internationally. Some of these are reflected in the quality customer care at GVA. He is a proponent of strategy especially the sort that leads to a win-win scenario for all or at least, a speedy amelioration of inevitable pain. He picks his battles with prescience and lays out long-term strategy through capacity building.