After graduating from CEU, Lemlem Fekadu Arega joined one of the top law offices in Ethiopia, Mesfin Tafesse & Associates, where she was an Associate advising on a range of legal matters including corporate and commercial law, banking, finance, and investment laws in a range of industries including energy and manufacturing. She currently works for 54FMCG Asset Managers as a Group Legal Manager, where she provides strategic advice on a range of corporate, financial, labor, investment and commercial matters including Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Restructuring, Lay-offs, and Due Diligence.
After starting her studies at CEU, Lemlem decided that Business Law was meant for her; despite her initial desire to practice criminal law, she was captivated by the subjects she studied and realized mastering them could contribute to her country’s development. Lemlem testifies her experience at CEU solidified her resolve to become a business lawyer while providing a solid foundation for that career. Furthermore, CEU’s diverse student body gave Lemlem “a reality check as to what the real world looks like.” Lemlem’s research interests focused on Corporate Financing, International Trade Law and Investment Law, but CEU exposed her to a wide range of subjects including Corporate Financing, Secured Transaction Law, and International Tax Law, and she keeps some of her course materials on hand for reference even today.
Lemlem especially valued CEU’s exceptional professors; Tibor Tajti in particular has always been willing to lend her a helping hand, even after the completion of her studies. She urges prospective students to seize the opportunity to apply to study at CEU, and she assures current students that while the programs are intensive, and thus “stressful and hard times” are inevitable, these challenges are worth facing head-on.