Peter Mwaura is a versatile commercial lawyer with extensive experience across various sectors.
He has worked in-house at leading telecommunications and financial services companies, as well as at top-tier law firms in Kenya. Notably, a banking and finance practice that Peter established in 2019 in a Nairobi-based law firm was consistently recognized as top-tier in Kenya by IFLR 1000 from 2019 to 2022.
Peter primarily handles a range of banking and finance transactions, including private credit, project financing, aviation finance, climate finance, structured finance, trade and export finance as well as debt restructuring and distressed debt trading. His forte extends to financial technology (FinTech) and blockchain, including virtual assets services. Moreover, he is well-versed in general corporate commercial matters, private equity, impact investing, technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) law, international trade and investment, insolvency, data protection and compliance.
Peter also advises on all aspects of international commodity trading value chain, from production (upstream), storage and transportation (midstream), to processing and distribution (downstream). The advice spans physical and financial trading matters such as, trade compliance, business ethics, risk management, insurance, financing, international sale of goods, customs, export control, and sanctions.
Peter leverages his extensive global network of capital advisory professionals and investors to facilitate premium deal flow across Africa. His cross-cultural communication skills, developed through training in both common and civil law systems (including OHADA), enable him to offer practical legal solutions that transcend borders.
Deal Highlights:
- Facilitated investment opportunities across Africa for diverse investors, connecting local enterprises with quality debt and equity investors globally.
- Provided legal counsel to a Luxembourg-based climate fund in the provision of a green climate finance facility to a Kenyan licenced bank for onward lending to eligible eco-friendly projects.
- Advised international impact investors from Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the US on debt and equity investments in Kenyan enterprises, particularly in soft commodities and socially impactful sectors utilizing various financing techniques including trade finance, pre-export finance, pre-payment and borrowing base facilities.
- Acted as lead borrower counsel for a Pan-African telecommunications company to secure financing from a syndicate of lenders for dark fibre infrastructure projects in Southern and Central Africa.
- Advised a capital advisory firm in its fundraising, debt restructuring, distressed debt trading and sovereign debt services to local banks, corporates, funds, and state-owned enterprises.
- Acted for various alternative lenders, offering Kenya law advice on esoteric instruments such as transit letters of credit structures, which allow the deployment of less costly foreign currency-denominated funds to Africa-based traders and banks seeking to fund their trade finance portfolio. Additionally, provided legal guidance on monetization of bank instruments to fund big-ticket projects, and similar exotic structures to achieve innovative finance techniques.
- Advised the arranger and issuer on a bond issuance targeting sophisticated investors to develop student housing in Kenya.
- Advised a multi-lateral lender on Kenya law issues relating to the proposed roll-out of a distressed debt trading program in Kenya.
- Assisted various lending companies in obtaining Digital Credit Provider licences from the Central Bank of Kenya.
- Provided legal guidance to blockchain and virtual asset services providers on regulatory compliance and operational setup in Kenya.
- Represented applicants in obtaining payment service provider and money remittance operator licenses from the Central Bank of Kenya and operational setup in Kenya.
- Advised a Spanish fintech company on acquiring, servicing, and managing non-performing debt portfolios in Kenya.
- Supported start-ups, angel investors, and venture capital firms in debt and private equity investment transactions within Kenya.