Personal Profile
Cyrus Maina is the Managing Partner at CM Advocates LLP and a seasoned legal and business adviser with over 20 years of experience across diverse areas of law, with particular expertise in corporate and commercial law, tax, project finance, infrastructure development, land law and complex transactions. He combines deep legal expertise with strong business acumen, industry knowledge and a commitment to service excellence, advising clients across Kenya and the wider East African region.
Cyrus has extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams on complex, high-value and strategically significant assignments involving public institutions, financial institutions, corporates and investors. His work has included advising on public-private partnerships and concession arrangements, infrastructure and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects, regulatory and compliance audits, property and land transactions, financial security perfection, and complex commercial documentation and negotiations.
He has led significant engagements for institutions including the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya National Highways Authority, Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank of Kenya, Equity Bank and Business Partners International, among others. His experience also includes contributing to the development of the Tea (Trading Regulations) of 2008 and advising on the establishment and governance of charities, trusts, foundations, societies and NGOs.
Through his leadership of complex legal mandates and strategic transactions, Cyrus brings a practical, commercially grounded perspective to legal advisory, helping clients navigate regulatory complexity, structure transactions effectively, manage risk and advance their strategic objectives.
Cyrus holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from the University of Nairobi, which he completed between 2000 and 2004, and a Postgraduate Diploma from the Kenya School of Law, completed between 2004 and 2005. He further holds professional accounting qualifications, having completed the Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (CPA (K)) programme with KASNEB between 2001 and 2005, as well as the Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (CPS (K)) programme between 2006 and 2007. His multidisciplinary academic and professional training combines legal expertise with strong knowledge of accounting, corporate governance and professional practice.
Outside his professional practice, Cyrus enjoys reading, particularly on business, leadership, history, and current affairs, which complements his interest in understanding the broader legal, economic, and social forces shaping the business environment. He also enjoys engaging in thought-provoking conversations and spending quality time with family and friends.
Contact Information
Practice Areas
-
Anti-bribery & Anti-Corruption
-
Aviation, Transport & Logistics
-
Technology, Media, Telecommunications & Data Protection (TMT-DPC) Practice
-
Blue Economy & Maritime Law Unit
-
Digital Assets, Crypto-Currency & Blockchain
-
Corporate & Commercial Advisory Practice
-
Gambling, Betting & Gaming (GBG) Practice Group
-
Business Establishment & Compliance Advisory (BECA)
-
Regulated Industries & Professionals Practice (RIPP)
-
Corporate Restructuring & Special Situations (CRSS) Practice
-
Healthcare, Life Sciences & Pharmaceuticals Practice
-
Projects, Construction & Infrastructure (PCI) Practice
-
Financial Services, Innovation & Regulation (Fin-SIR) Practice
-
Fintech & Digital Innovation
-
Public Procurement & Strategic Partnerships (P2P) Practice
-
Artificial Intelligence Practice
-
Capital Markets, Private Equity & Investment Funds (CPEIF) Practice
-
Energy & Transition Law (ETL) Practice
-
Charities & Social Impact Practice
-
Mining & Extractive Industries (MEI)
-
Intellectual Property, Brands & Commercialisation (IPBC) Practice
-
Sustainability, Climate Change & ESG (SCC & ESG) Practice
-
Dispute Resolution & Appellate (DRA) Practice
-
Government Advisory, Public Law & Regulatory Litigation (GAVEL)
-
Investigations, Compliance & Regulatory Defence (ICRD) Practice
-
Civil Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery (CFAR)
-
Pensions, Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (PEBEC) Practice
-
Debt Recovery, Restructuring & Insolvency
-
Entity Set-Up And Establishment
-
Immigration & Global Mobility
-
Corporate Restructuring & Special Situations
-
ESG & Business Ethics
-
Wealth, Estate, Legacy & Lifestyle (WELL) Practice
-
International Families Advisory (IFA) Practice
-
Family, Probate & Estates Administration (FPEA) Practice
-
Family Business Advisory Services (FBS) Unit
-
Charities & Social Impact Organisations (CSIO) Practice
-
Local and International Private Clients
-
Tax & International Business Advisory (TIBA) Practice
-
International Trade & Investment
-
Private Equity & Venture Capital
-
Multilateral Organizations, Foreign Embassies & Consulates
-
Real Estate Finance
-
Shipping Logistics & Admiralty Law
-
M&A’s, Share Deals and Restructuring
-
Competition, Anti-trust Law and Consumer Protection Practice
-
Notarization, Authentication and Consular Legalization
-
Licensing & Regulatory Compliance
-
Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
-
Bankruptcy
-
Workplace Investigations & Compliance
-
Oil, Gas, Coal and Petrochemicals
-
Power and Renewable Energy
-
Mining and Mineral Resources
-
Environmental & Community Relations
-
Hydrogen, Bioenergy and Emerging Technologies
-
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
-
Infrastructure & Transport Projects
-
Urban Development & Smart Cities
-
Corporate Governance & Regulatory Defence
-
Real Estate, Development & Built Environment (REDBE) Practice
-
Real Estate Leasing and Licensing
-
Banking Security & Perfection (BSP) Practice
-
Agriculture, Food and Estates (AFE) Practice
-
Social and Affordable Housing
-
Hybrid Capital & Structured Finance (HCSF) Practice
-
Natural Resources & Biodiversity
-
Transfer Pricing & Cross-Border Structuring
-
Customs & Trade Compliance
-
Sports Law & Business Practice
-
Fashion, Apparel & Luxury Practice
-
Beauty and Wellness Practice
-
Hospitality, Travel & Leisure (HTL)