Nikhil Desai is a Managing Partner of Desai & Company Advocates. Nikhil completed his LLB in Manchester University (UK) and Nottingham. Following his studies, Nikhil returned to Kenya and worked as an associate at leading law firms Daly & Inamdar Advocates and Anjarwalla and Khanna, primarily advising on corporate commercial and real estate transactions and litigation before the Court in Kenya. Nikhil has also carried out secondments at Stephenson Harwood LLP (London, UK) and leading barrister chambers, Essex Court Chamber and Brick Court Chambers in London, United Kingdom.
Thereafter, Nikhil joined leading international dispute practice, JMiles & Co., where he still sits as Managing Director. Nikhil’s areas of focus are corporate, real-estate and alternative dispute resolution. Nikhil is currently Chair of the ICC-Kenya ADR Commission and has sat as Arbitrator on a number of international and domestic arbitrations. Nikhil was voted one of the top Arbitrators in Kenya by “the Lawyer Africa” publication.
Honorable Justice (Rtd.) Alnashir Visram is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration and a CEDR- accredited Mediator and Trainer, with over 50 years’ experience in dispute resolution.
Justice Visram has served in the Kenyan Judiciary for a period spanning over 20 years, where he was a designated Judge of the High Court of Kenya from 1999 and 2009, and was then elevated to the Court of Appeal of Kenya in 2009 during which time the Court of Appeal was the highest court in the land. Upon his retirement in 2019, he was appointed by the then President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, to chair various tribunals constituted to carry out investigations into the conduct of several judges following citations issued by the Judicial Service Commission.
Justice Visram has over 23 years’ experience in Mediation and has trained approximately 300 mediators in Kenya, India, UK, Uganda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. He was a member of the Judiciary Task Force for Implementation of Court-Annexed Mediation, and between 2015 and 2019, he was the Chairperson of the Mediation Accreditation Committee, a statutory body mandated to admit and provide certification to mediators applying to practice mediation in Kenyan Courts. He is currently the African representative at the International Conciliation and Arbitration Board. He was ranked top 40 arbitrators in Kenya by the Africa Lawyer Magazine.
Upon his retirement from the Judiciary, Justice Visram has been appointed to sit as arbitrator in a number of commercial disputes relating to contracts and insurance law.
Judge Visram has relevant experience in Anti – Money Laundering and Asset Chasing / Tracing, and he has heard and determined a number of landmark cases in this respect.
His experience spans across Kenya, Pakistan and Canada.
Laura is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, with 10 years’ experience in dispute resolution, with particular focus on international arbitration matters. She has represented clients and sat as Tribunal Secretary in international arbitrations under the auspices of LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, UNCITRAL ad-hoc arbitrations and FOSFA international rules. She also offers training on international arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. She was recently part of the JMiles Team that trained the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in Kenya, on different forms of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. She has also been called upon to speak on multiple aspects surrounding domestic and international arbitration at international arbitration conferences and forums.
She is involved in advisory work on a wide range of legal matters. Notably, she was part of the expert inter-governmental committee (in conjunction with the Business Registration Service of Kenya) that drafted the Companies (Beneficial Ownership Information) Regulations which were passed into law in 2020. She also conducted, on behalf of the London Stock Exchange and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum in Kenya, a gap analysis comparing Kenyan legislation against internationally set standards on matters ESG.
Laura is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration, representing the Law Society of Kenya. She has previously sat as committee member of the Law Society of Kenya’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (2022 – 2024), and the Law Society of Kenya’s taskforce for policy and legal reforms.
Laura is the immediate former Head Editor of the Africa Construction Law Blog.
Laura was recognized as one of the top 40 women featured by the British Chamber of Commerce in their Women in Leadership 2025 Chapter, for making significant impact in their respective fields.
Elizabeth is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with nine years of post-admission experience, a Commissioner for Oaths and a Notary Public. She specialises primarily in real estate and property law, with additional expertise in corporate and commercial matters and international arbitration.
She has acted in a wide range of real estate transactions, including property dispositions and acquisitions, conveyancing, banking and finance matters, joint ventures, construction projects and large-scale developments. Elizabeth has supported numerous developers in restructuring complex real estate portfolios, managing the registration and transfer of sectional units, perfecting securities and overseeing end-to-end sale and purchase processes. Her work also includes conducting comprehensive due diligence on property acquisitions and advising on regulatory compliance at every stage.
Alongside her property practice, Elizabeth has advised both local and international clients on sophisticated corporate and commercial transactions. Her involvement in international arbitration matters has further strengthened her experience in cross-border disputes and alternative dispute resolution.
Elizabeth is known for her practical, solutions-focused approach, her clear and precise communication and her ability to manage high-value transactions with professionalism and strategic insight.
Stephanie is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. She has a background in corporate and commercial law, real estate, family and civil litigation in Kenya. Prior to joining Desai & Co., Stephanie worked at E&M Technology where she honed her data protection skills.
Maurice is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya representing clients in corporate and commercial litigation. He specifically assists in litigation and ADR processes and advises clients on the legal options available for the resolution of their disputes. He has experience in various aspects of practice, including but not limited to provision of legal opinions, drafting pleadings, and attendance before courts, tribunals, and arbitrators. Maurice has also had significant experience in the running of complex and document intensive arbitrations for both local and cross-border clients.