Our Team of Lawyers, Researchers and Consultants

Advocate, Commissioner for Oaths and Notary Public.

PhD (Cardiff Law), MA (UDE), LLM (UoN), LLB (UoN), Dip.Law (KSL)

Non Executive Director, Tax Justice Network (UK); Advisory Board Member, International Lawyers Project; Tax Law Committee Member, East Africa Law Society; Co-Founder and Chair, Commitee on Fiscal Studies.

Lyla Latif is redefining what it means to be a global authority on fiscal policy, economic governance, and legal reform. A seasoned lawyer, academic, and policy strategist, she applies her command of comparative law and public finance to some of the world’s most pressing challenges—from dismantling illicit financial flows to innovating inclusive taxation regimes for emerging digital economies.

Latif’s portfolio spans multiple continents, each engagement strengthening her belief that local realities and global frameworks can—and must—coalesce. Early in her career, she spearheaded a historic overhaul of Kenya’s colonial-era land laws, helping to set the tone for a career grounded in rights-based, forward-thinking policy. Later, she pioneered Africa’s first anti–illicit financial flows policy tracker, equipping governments with the tools to safeguard their tax bases and fortify their fiscal space. Through appointments with the United Nations Development Programme, she shaped protective tax legislation for Somalia, informed the rebuilding of Iraq’s fiscal architecture, and contributed to Egypt’s national tax policy. In Lebanon, she advised on taxing the digital economy, ensuring the country’s regulations keep pace with a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Her influence does not stop at legal texts and government corridors. Latif’s work with Kenya’s Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy guides national frameworks for emerging technologies and data governance—issues that increasingly define global economic competitiveness. In Uzbekistan, she has supported the integration of Islamic financial instruments to bolster domestic capital markets, demonstrating her versatility in navigating complex financial ecosystems. Beyond these landmark initiatives, Latif’s dedication to strengthening institutional capacity and fostering informed discourse is evident in her extensive training engagements. She has trained tax administrations, parliamentarians, ministries of finance, civil society organisations, trade unions, and journalists across Eswatini, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Djibouti, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Togo, Seychelles, Namibia, Botswana, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and China—helping to build robust networks of expertise and trust across diverse jurisdictions. In recognition of her unparalleled insights, the Revenue Appeals Tribunal of Eswatini (RATE) has engaged Latif as their in-house expert counsel, entrusting her to guide them through complex international tax disputes.

Lyla Latif’s thought leadership is both accessible and resonant. She has delivered sought-after lectures at Bhutan’s prestigious JSW Law School and authored a TED-Ed video reaching over 510,000 viewers. Sharing the stage with a Nobel laureate, she eloquently articulated how illicit financial flows weaken public institutions and deepen socio-economic hardship, underscoring that policy isn’t merely technical—it is profoundly moral. Recognised by the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria for her contributions to tax scholarship, Latif is part of a new vanguard of experts reshaping the global fiscal narrative.