MOGADISHU · SOMALIA
Counselwhere thestakes are high.
Market Entry·Financial Services·Projects & Transport·Government Advisory·Disputes
Discuss a matter →
01
ABOUT US
Insaaf is an independent Somali law firm built for complex commercial matters.
We advise international businesses, financial institutions, investors, project sponsors and their counsel on Somali law, regulation and execution — matters requiring senior judgment and real local understanding.
02
EXPERTISE
Market Entry
Establishment, licensing, contracts and ongoing country counsel for companies entering Somalia.
+
Establishment, licensing, contracts and ongoing country counsel for companies entering Somalia.
+
INSIDE THIS PRACTICE
Company establishment & registration
Investment approvals & incentives
Sector licensing & regulatory mapping
Commercial contracts
Employment & work permits
Ongoing country counsel
PROOF
Handled the Somali entry of an international policy consultancy; governance and compliance for a European packaging multinational.
Partners: Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali · Abdirizak Mustaf Ahmed
Explore the practice →
Financial Services
Central-bank licensing, AML/CFT, payments and Islamic finance — built on central-bank reform experience.
+
Central-bank licensing, AML/CFT, payments and Islamic finance — built on central-bank reform experience.
+
INSIDE THIS PRACTICE
Bank & payments licensing
Mobile money & fintech
AML/CFT compliance
Payment systems
Islamic finance & takaful
Regulatory opinions & engagement
PROOF
Advised Visa on its entry into the Somali market; engaged by the Central Bank of Somalia to review its founding statute.
Partners: Abdirizak Mustaf Ahmed · Hamza I. Abdullahi
Explore the practice →
Projects & Transport
Ports, energy, aviation and concessions — from framework design to operator counsel.
+
Ports, energy, aviation and concessions — from framework design to operator counsel.
+
INSIDE THIS PRACTICE
Ports & concessions
Public-private partnerships
Energy & electricity licensing
Petroleum & gas
Mining
Aviation
Shipping & maritime
Construction & real estate
PROOF
Counsel to Turkish Airlines; disputes for Maersk; two decades inside the port framework.
Partners: Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali · Hamza I. Abdullahi
Explore the practice →
Government Advisory
Legislative drafting, regulatory reform and field research for public institutions and development actors.
+
Legislative drafting, regulatory reform and field research for public institutions and development actors.
+
INSIDE THIS PRACTICE
Legislative & regulatory drafting
Policy & institutional reform
Justice-sector research
INGO & institutional compliance
PROOF
Somali-law compliance for a global humanitarian organisation; a partner-led federal Legislative Drafting Manual.
Partners: Hamza I. Abdullahi · Abdirizak Mustaf Ahmed
Explore the practice →
Disputes & Cross-Border
Litigation, arbitration strategy and enforcement architecture when Somali matters turn contentious.
+
Litigation, arbitration strategy and enforcement architecture when Somali matters turn contentious.
+
INSIDE THIS PRACTICE
Commercial litigation
Arbitration strategy
Enforcement & award recognition
Maritime & shipping disputes
Employment & labour disputes
Settlement & negotiation
PROOF
Represented Maersk in arbitration and before the Somali courts; held a cross-border counterparty to its contract's mediation clause.
Partners: Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali · Hamza I. Abdullahi
Explore the practice →
03
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
Advised Visa on licensing, AML/CFT and payment-system compliance for its Somali market entry.
Financial Services / Regulatory
Engaged by the Central Bank of Somalia to review its founding statute and draft the amendments, article by article.
Financial Services / Legislation
Somali counsel to Turkish Airlines — regulatory, aviation and contracts, over a multi-year arrangement.
Projects / Aviation
Represented Maersk in Somalia — disputes in arbitration and the local courts.
Disputes / Maritime
SELECT CLIENTS
VISA
TURKISH AIRLINES
MAERSK
CapitalOne
Tetra Pak
04
Built here.
Advised globally.
Somalia demands a different kind of legal judgment: technical, commercial, and grounded in how institutions, markets and relationships actually work.
Our partners built their careers inside the ministries, regulators and courts that shaped Somalia's legal framework. That matters because the rule on paper is only the start of the analysis — authority, procedure and institutional practice decide whether a transaction works.
Local knowledge changes the answer: which authority has jurisdiction, which instrument applies, which approvals are required, and which forum can enforce the result.
05
PEOPLE
Partner-led.
Direct access.
Direct access.
Every matter is partner-led. Clients work directly with the lawyer responsible for the strategy, negotiation and outcome.
Our team combines Somalia-based judgment with experience across international transactions and disputes.
From Mogadishu, the firm works with correspondent lawyers across Somalia, including Puntland and Somaliland.
Meet the people →
06
GUIDE
Doing business in Somalia in 2026: the legal questions to answer before you enter
2026/27 edition / Guide→
ANALYSIS
A licensed Somali partner does not end your licensing analysis
Abdirizak Mustaf Ahmed / Analysis→
BRIEFING
Before you negotiate a Somalia concession, ask who can grant the right
Mohamed Abdulkadir Ali / Briefing→