Harshil Shah

About the Lawyer

Harshil Shah is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with over seven years of legal practice, currently serving as the Managing Partner at Madhani Advocates LLP. Prior to admission, he earned his LLB (Hons.) from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and completed a postgraduate diploma at the College of Law, London, Bloomsbury. During his studies in the UK, Harshil specialized in Dispute Resolution, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Public Companies & Equity Finance.

At Madhani Advocates LLP, Harshil has focused primarily on litigation and dispute resolution and also oversees the firm’s Probate and Administration department. He has handled a broad range of complex and high-value matters across various tribunals, courts including the Supreme Court of Kenya, as well as arbitration and mediation forums.

Experience

Harshil Shah joined Madhani Advocates LLP in March 2011 as a trainee lawyer in the Litigation & Debt Recovery Department, rising to Associate after his admission to the Roll of Advocates in January 2014. Over his career, he has gained extensive experience in litigation involving contractual disputes, fraudulent land transactions, judicial reviews, constitutional petitions, defamation, intellectual property disputes, labor and employment claims, insurance and banking litigation, company insolvency, and individual bankruptcy matters.

He has been involved in notable cases such as opposing a Supreme Court appeal concerning the retrospective application of the 2010 Constitution on land disputes, successfully defending constitutional provisions restricting a murderer’s inheritance rights, expunging a restrictive registered trademark, and complex estate fraud disputes. His work also covers enforcement of bank securities and debt recovery involving non-performing loans.

Specialty

Harshil Shah's legal expertise centers on Dispute Resolution, with a specialization in litigation across diverse areas including:

• Contractual disputes
• Fraudulent land transactions
• Judicial Review and Constitutional Petitions
• Intellectual property disputes
• Labor and employment claims
• Insurance and banking litigation
• Company insolvency and bankruptcy
• Arbitration and mediation

He also manages probate and administration disputes within the firm.

Education

• LLB (Hons.), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
• Postgraduate Diploma, College of Law, London, Bloomsbury
• Legal Practice Course (LPC), College of Law, London

• Leadership Role: Harshil Shah is the Managing Partner at Madhani Advocates LLP, overseeing the firm’s litigation, dispute resolution, and Probate and Administration departments2.
• Major Case Successes:
  • Played a key role in the successful defense of a liquidated damages claim of Kshs 25,425,000 plus interest at 31% per month in the High Court of Kenya at Nairobi1.
  • Drafted written arguments that led to the successful expunging of a Trademark from the Register of Trademarks1.
  • Successfully argued in the Court of Appeal of Kenya against an extension of time to lodge an appeal1.
  • Represented clients in complex tax litigation cases involving assessments exceeding Kshs 600 million, successfully challenging enforcement actions and tax penalties3.
• Industry Ranking: Recognized in The Lawyer Africa Litigation Hall of Fame of Kenya in 2025 for his expertise in litigation and dispute resolution3.
• Firm Award: Madhani Advocates LLP, with Harshil Shah as Managing Partner, has been recognized as the Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year in Kenya7.