Sylvia Matasi

Sylvia Matasi is a Partner in the Firm and heads the Dispute Resolution Department. She is an accomplished litigator with extensive experience in commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, arbitration, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution. Over the years, Sylvia has built a reputation for providing strategic, practical, and results-oriented legal solutions in complex and high-value disputes.

Her practice spans a broad spectrum of contentious matters before various courts, tribunals, and quasi-judicial bodies. She has successfully represented clients before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board, Competition Tribunal, Tax Appeals Tribunal, Industrial Property Tribunal, Registrar of Trademarks, domestic courts, and both domestic and international arbitral tribunals.

Sylvia has acted in numerous high-profile and precedent-setting matters. Notably, she was part of the legal team that successfully represented the pension industry before the Supreme Court of Kenya in a landmark decision affirming that pension funds established by public entities are not public entities within the meaning of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act. The decision is regarded as one of the most significant judgments in Kenya's pension sector, safeguarding the autonomy of retirement benefits schemes and clarifying the legal status of pension funds.

Her notable engagements include advising on and facilitating the liquidation of a Retirement Benefits Scheme indebted to its members in excess of KES 1 billion; successfully negotiating and settling a dispute between a corporate entity and a hospital valued at KES 184 million; representing a regulator in a coal mining project involving investments valued in the trillions of Kenya Shillings; acting for a fintech company in a shareholder dispute valued at KES 4 billion; representing a client in procurement proceedings involving a tender worth KES 6 billion; and handling a complex land dispute in Karen involving property valued at approximately KES 1 billion.

Sylvia is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Moi University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. She is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya Branch), a Certified Professional Mediator (CPM), and holds a Certificate in Trial Advocacy from the Trial Advocacy Training Institute.

In recognition of her excellence in litigation and dispute resolution, Sylvia was inducted into The Lawyer Africa Litigation Hall of Fame in 2026. She continues to be recognized for her strategic advocacy, exceptional client service, and ability to navigate complex disputes across multiple sectors.