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Willy Rubeya

Willy Rubeya

Chairperson, Rubeya & Co-Advocates
[email protected] | vCard
Bujumbura
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Willy Rubeya heads three sectors within Rubeya & Co-Advocates including employment, finance and projects, and real estate. He advises clients across the full spectrum of the employment relationship, from attracting and retaining talent to effectively managing the termination of the employment relationship. He develops and assists in the implementation of internal policies and procedures.

In addition, he provides strategic advice that maximizes project value and mitigates risk exposure in structuring, negotiating and documenting projects being developed or financed by local commercial banks and financial institutions. He also advises local banks and some major international banks represented in Burundi. He works with national and local government departments, in particular on public procurement and public finance project matters.

Willy provides advice on banks' lending arrangements and compliance with the country's banking and financial services regulatory framework. His mandate for foreign banks at times extends to advice on establishing representative offices in Burundi, investment in local banks and related aspects of the regulatory framework.

His clients range from local and off-shore financial corporations that enter into local and off-shore finance transactions. He advises borrowers from the public and private sector as well as financial services providers and other organizations that have direct and indirect interests in lending arrangements.

He works across the full extent of real estate projects including, but not limited to, negotiation, drafting, execution of lease, leasing, processing and / or release of business premises, leave, turnover, compensation occupation and eviction indemnity. Willy also advises corporate and residential property owners, managers and occupiers, and developers of commercial, retail, industrial and residential properties.

Experience has included advising:

  • A telecommunication company in a number of staff recruitment processes including analysis and vetting of employees’ backgrounds
  • A large number of clients including a Swiss non-governmental organization, an international cooperation Japanese agency, an international company of inspection, a microfinance institution, and a brewery company in drafting contracts, regulations and other human resources management tools
  • An international finance corporation in drafting a policy note on a real estate transfer tax case
  • A public institution in disseminating a workshop on the decision registered under RTC 421 relating to the damages interest in a case of unfair dismissal in which labor court judges and assessors participated
  • A public institution in drafting the second edition (Tome II) of codes and laws of Burundi on the organization, competence and functioning, of civil and criminal procedures
  • A German cooperation agency in drafting the new mining code. He participated in the meeting of experts for an amendment to the draft law of the Mining Code and the meeting of experts for the implementation of legal and regulatory framework of the new technologies of information and communication
  • An international finance corporation in drafting a law amending law N° 1/014 of 11 August 2000 on liberalization and regulation of the public service of drinking water and electricity and its implementing texts
  • An energy company covering the Great Lakes countries in respect of a grant dedicated to a project for the development of the Ruzizi III regional hydro project (Burundi, Rwanda and DRC)
  • A private company in a drafting a public-private partnership (PPP) and a concession agreement affecting a fiber optic cable scheme worth in excess of USD20 million
  • An eastern and southern African trade and development bank and PTA Bank in a project finance facility worth USD13 million on implementation of the first optic fiber in Burundi

Professional Qualifications

  • Advocate admitted with the Court of Appeal of Bujumbura (2000)

Education

  • Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, LL.M. (Philosophy, Peace building and Development), (2010)
  • National University of Burundi, LL.B. (2000)

Recognition

  • Ranked Band 1 by Chambers & Partners Global (2019)
  • Ranked as a Highly Regarded lawyer by the IFLR1000, (2019, 2021, and 2022)
  • Ranked as Eminent Practitioner by Chambers & Partners Global, (2022, and 2023)
  • Ranked as Leading Individual by The Legal 500 EMEA, (2023)

Memberships

  • Former President of the East Africa Law Society (2018-2020)
  • Burundi Bar Association
  • International Bar Association
  • Member of the East Africa Law Society

  • Member of the Executive Board of the Burundi Association of Manufacturers (AIB)