Clay & AssociatesAdvocates
Clay & AssociatesAdvocates
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A Nairobi law firm built on transparency, efficiency and commercial relevance

We advise the way our clients’ businesses actually operate, with the rigour and discretion a serious matter deserves.

Our storyValues and approachPro bonoPeople

A small firm with serious ambitions

Clay & Associates Advocates was founded in June 2019 on a simple premise: legal advice should be transparent, efficient and commercially relevant, not a black box billed by the hour and delivered in language no client asked for.

The early years were defined by range: litigation and criminal defence, commercial disputes and conveyancing. That breadth gave the firm a working understanding of how legal problems actually show up in people's lives and businesses, rarely fitting neatly into a single practice area.

In late 2025 the firm organised itself around the industries it serves, not just the legal services it offers: technology and startups, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, sports, and manufacturing. The goal is not to be the biggest firm in any of these sectors. It is to be the most useful.

We also invest in work beyond client matters, including developing Kenya's first comprehensive annual sports law research report and a growing body of research across our focus industries.

Milestones

From a solo practice to a firm organised around the industries it serves.

  1. June 2019

    Established

    Founded by Clay Odari, with a broad early practice across litigation, criminal defence, commercial disputes and advisory work in Nairobi.

  2. January 2023

    A permanent home

    The firm moved to Nextgen Mall, 5th Floor, Suite 6, Mombasa Road, a period of growing stability and an expanding client base.

  3. Late 2025

    An industry-focused firm

    Restructured around priority industries, with a commitment to sector-specific research and thought leadership.

  4. 2026, today

    A growing team

    Sarah Susan joined as associate advocate, followed by Mercy Jerono in client services. Matters, deadlines and client communication now run on the firm's own practice system and secure client portal.

“Good legal work starts with understanding what the client is actually trying to achieve.”Clay Odari, Founder and Managing Partner

Clay Odari

Founder and Managing Partner

Clay founded the firm with a practising certificate, a conviction that he could serve clients well, and the willingness to do the work. Taking on the matters that came through the door gave him a working understanding of how legal problems actually show up in people's lives and businesses.

Meet the team

What guides how we work

01

Competence above all

We do not accept instructions in areas where we lack expertise. When a matter falls outside our competence, we say so and refer where possible.

02

Direct communication

We explain the law in language our clients understand. We set expectations on timelines and costs at the outset.

03

Commercial perspective

Legal advice that ignores commercial reality is useless. We invest in understanding each client's business, industry and objectives.

04

Accessibility

Fixed-fee arrangements for standard work, structured retainers for ongoing advisory, transparent hourly rates where complexity requires it. No surprises.

05

Technology as infrastructure

Matters, deadlines, documents, invoices and client communication run on one practice management system built for the firm, with a secure client portal. Not as a differentiator, but as operational infrastructure.

Pro bono

A commitment that is not unlimited, but is genuine.

We allocate a proportion of our time to matters where representation would otherwise be absent, including constitutional rights enforcement and community legal education.

Plan your next move in Kenya with us

Book a consultation for a single question, or ask about a monthly retainer for regulatory and compliance counsel on call. We quote a fixed fee wherever the work allows one.

Book a consultation