About Simon Alebachew
Simon Alebachew Befikadu brings a cross-border legal education to practice in New York. He studied law in Addis Ababa before completing a J.D. in the United States. That academic path shaped a practice informed by two legal traditions.
Befikadu earned an LL.B. from Addis Ababa University, concluding that program in 2015. He later attended Emory University School of Law, where he completed his J.D. in 2022. The combination of an Ethiopian law degree and an American law degree gives him familiarity with comparative legal concepts and different procedural regimes.
After finishing his studies at Emory, Befikadu entered practice in New York. He is admitted to the bar in New York and works from an office under his own name. His early career included work that required adapting to U.S. courtroom procedures and client counseling norms. Colleagues describe him as methodical; he tends to favor careful preparation and attention to statutory detail.
His training makes him well suited to matters that touch on cross-border questions. He has handled matters that require translating foreign legal concepts into U.S. contexts and has represented clients in settings that demand an understanding of both civil law and common law approaches. He also assists clients who need clear explanations of U.S. legal processes after encountering them from abroad.
Befikadu combines classroom experience from two universities with hands-on practice in New York. He is comfortable managing document-intensive matters and advising clients on procedural choices. His courtroom experience is paired with work advising clients outside of litigation, where he focuses on practical steps to resolve disputes and comply with regulatory requirements.
Outside of client work, Befikadu remains interested in how comparative legal study can influence problem solving in practice. He keeps current on developments in New York law and on international matters that affect clients with ties to other jurisdictions. He maintains an office under the name Simon A. Befikadu, Esq., and practices in New York.
He currently focuses his practice on representing clients in New York matters that involve questions of U.S. procedure and international or comparative legal issues.
