Faith Okaalo, 39

Partner

Anjarwalla & Khanna

The more there is at stake and the more uncertain a situation appears, the bolder Faith, a partner at Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K), gets.

She loves to challenge herself, and her job as a litigator and member of the A&K dispute resolution team comes with a substantial level of tough assignments.

In nine years, she has struck every career milestone that any lawyer would dream of. Faith started off as an associate at the law firm in 2012 and later as a principal associate. Soon she was a senior principal before becoming a partner in 2020.

She was a member of the legal team that argued against and won in the minimum tax dispute. This was career highlight because “it was a win for all Kenyan businesses.’’ This and the first oil and gas exploration case ‘‘where her client won.’’

"“It’s difficult to be a woman in litigation because it’s a male-dominated space. I’ve mostly had to learn on the job. Thankfully, colleagues, both men and women, have held my hand.”"

Faith has litigated in complex commercial and economic disputes both as the lead and as part of a team at all levels of court in Kenya.

Notably, she has represented clients at the East Africa Court of Justice (EACJ) and at tribunals appointed by the London Court of International Arbitration.

Last year, Faith was nominated as the Pupil Master of the Year “for training and mentoring junior lawyers”’ and as the Best Lawyer of the Year by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).

Integrity, industry, and a strong Christian faith are at the core of her steep career rise. “As a professional, your word and actions must be aligned. I’ve proved over time that people can trust my word.”

To her, there are no shortcuts to a successful career. “I’d to put in the hours, sometimes by leaving the office at 1 am, to be where I am.”

Even so, she has felt out of her depth sometimes. “It’s difficult to be a woman in litigation because it’s a male-dominated space. I’ve mostly had to learn on the job. Thankfully, colleagues, both men and women, have held my hand.”

James Kahongeh