Paras Shah

Paras Shah is the Managing Partner of Bowmans' Kenyan practice, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, capital markets, and infrastructure and project finance. He advises local and multinational companies, family businesses, financial institutions, state‑owned entities, and institutional investors, using his 25 years of experience to deliver commercially sound and practical legal solutions.

Paras has advised on numerous landmark transactions, including the shareholders of Wananchi Group Holdings Limited on the sale of 100% of the company to Axian Telecom Limited; Holcim Group on the sale of shares in Bamburi Cement PLC through a mandatory takeover offer; Amethis and Naivas on the sale of a 40% stake in Naivas to IBL; Safaricom PLC on its market entry into Ethiopia; the Government of Kenya on sovereign bonds and privatisations; Allianz on its acquisition of a controlling stake in Jubilee Insurance's general insurance business across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Mauritius; Rubis Energie on its USD 420 million takeover of KenolKobil PLC; and Tullow PLC on its upstream oil exploration and midstream crude oil pipeline projects in Kenya.

Paras holds an LL.B (Hons) from King's College London, a Diploma in Legal Practice (with distinction) from the College of Law, UK, a Diploma in Management from Henley School of Management, and a Postgraduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law. He is qualified as a Solicitor in England, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, and a Certified Public Secretary in Kenya.

He is consistently ranked as an Eminent Practitioner in Banking and Finance and Band 1 for Corporate/M&A by Chambers Global, a Market Leader by IFLR1000, and a Leading Partner by The Legal 500. He was awarded Partner of the Year for East Africa at the African Legal Awards (2023) and the ILO Client Choice Award for corporate counsel in Kenya.