Profile Summary
Elias Odhiambo Ouma is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and an LL.M. Candidate at Georgetown University Law Center, specialising in international arbitration, public international law and cross-border dispute resolution.
- Practice areas
- Dispute Resolution · Policy & Legislative Drafting
- Office
- Nairobi Office
His practice spans international commercial and investment arbitration, regulatory and administrative law, commercial disputes, environmental and climate law, human rights, biotechnology and biosafety, public procurement, and policy and legislative development.
At G&A Africa, Elias works in the Office of the Managing Partner, contributing to complex litigation, arbitration and regulatory advisory matters before Kenya’s Superior Courts, specialised tribunals and regional courts. He has acted in disputes involving energy and petroleum regulation, public procurement, constitutional and administrative law, environmental regulation, election disputes, human rights and biosafety, including proceedings before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ).
He has also contributed to regional policy development through his secondment to technical teams working on the East African Community Bioeconomy Strategic Plan, and leads climate justice, biosafety and legal education initiatives as Executive Director of CMR Africa.
Expertise
- International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution
- Commercial & Investment Disputes
- Public International Law
- Biotechnology, Biosafety & Health Law
- Regulatory Compliance & Advisory
- Policy & Legislative Drafting
- Constitutional & Administrative Law
- Energy & Natural Resources Law
- Public Procurement Law
- Corporate & Commercial Law
Industries
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Infrastructure & Projects
- Environment & Climate
- Government & Public Sector Regulation
- Public Procurement
- Technology & Innovation
Experience
International arbitration & commercial disputes
- Advised and represented clients in complex commercial, regulatory and investment disputes involving public entities, regulated industries, contractual obligations, regulatory decisions and administrative action, including matters under UNCITRAL, LCIA and ICSID frameworks.
Energy & petroleum disputes
- Acted in proceedings before the Energy and Petroleum Tribunal involving regulatory decisions, commercial interests and claims arising from disruption of business operations, including related appellate proceedings.
Public procurement
- Advised and represented clients in high-value procurement disputes before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board and the High Court.
Biotechnology & biosafety
- Advised the National Biosafety Authority of Kenya on the legal and regulatory framework governing genetically modified organisms and biosafety, including domestic and international regulatory standards, and participated in litigation concerning the legality, regulatory basis and implementation of Kenya's framework governing the importation and cultivation of genetically modified products.
Policy & legislative development
- Provided legal research, policy analysis and legislative support on emerging regulatory issues at the intersection of technology, public health, environmental protection and economic development.
Regional & cross-border experience
Developed regional litigation and advocacy experience through proceedings before the East African Court of Justice, engaging with regional integration, public international law, treaty interpretation, constitutionalism, human rights and the rule of law. He has also contributed to biosafety policy development through specialised training and professional engagement, including at Michigan State University, USA, with continued involvement in policy and regulatory discussions on biotechnology, biosafety and emerging technologies.
Publications & Thought Leadership
- Panelist, CGS Biotechnology Round Forum, contributing to discussions on CRISPR, genome editing and emerging biotechnology regulation in Africa.
- Through CMR-Africa, facilitated and supported continuing professional development programmes on biosafety law and regulation, reaching more than 2,000 legal practitioners in Kenya.
- Participated in climate justice, environmental law and public-interest litigation capacity-building programmes.
Qualifications
Admissions
- Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
Academic
- LL.M., International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Georgetown University Law Center, 2026–present.
- Certificate in Agricultural Biotechnology, Biosafety & Technology Transfer, Michigan State University, USA, 2025.
- Biosafety Training of Trainers Programme, ICGEB & AUDA-NEPAD, 2023.
- Professional Training in Arbitration & Dispute Resolution, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, 2022.
- Postgraduate Diploma in Law / Advocates Training Programme, Kenya School of Law, 2021–2022.
- LL.B., Second Class Honours (Upper Division), Moi University School of Law, 2016–2020.
Professional Memberships
- Law Society of Kenya
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)
- Young ICCA
- ICC YAAF
