Dorothy deGraft-Johnson
@dorothydegraft-johns
Dual-qualified lawyer specializing in cross-border fintech, compliance, and corporate governance.
GhanaWhat I'm looking for
I am a dual-qualified lawyer (Ghana & The Gambia) with 5+ years' experience advising on cross-border contracts, payments, and regulatory compliance.
I draft, review, and negotiate commercial and fintech agreements, develop compliance frameworks (KYC, AML, sanctions, GDPR, Consumer Duty, MiCa, DORA) and streamline legal workflows to improve efficiency across jurisdictions.
I have led entity operationalization, restructuring and licence acquisitions across multiple countries, recovered over USD 500k through pre-litigation settlements, and designed legal templates adopted by global teams.
I combine courtroom and in-house experience with a pragmatic, risk-focused approach to governance and stakeholder management to drive compliance and commercial outcomes.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Legal Expert (Contractor)
Micro1
Sep 2025 - Oct 2025 (1 month)
Produced legal prompts, golden responses and evaluation rubrics to train and benchmark enterprise AI systems on fintech, privacy, sanctions and payments compliance scenarios.
Legal & Regulatory Counsel
AZA Finance
Mar 2024 - Sep 2025 (1 year 6 months)
Drafted, reviewed and negotiated commercial and fintech partnership agreements while managing cross-border regulatory processes and implementing compliance frameworks (KYC, AML, sanctions, GDPR, MiCA, DORA) to support global operations and reduce risk.
Legal Counsel
CDH Investment Holdings Ltd
Nov 2022 - Mar 2024 (1 year 4 months)
Represented the parent company and subsidiaries in disputes, conducted due diligence for investments, and developed compliance and corporate governance frameworks to avoid penalties and protect company interests.
Legal Counsel
Filifili Studios
Feb 2022 - Dec 2023 (1 year 10 months)
Drafted, reviewed and negotiated partnership, licensing and artist management agreements, led brand collaboration negotiations, and implemented a records-keeping compliance system to accelerate legal review turnaround.
Legal Assistant
Judicial Service of Ghana
Aug 2018 - Sep 2020 (2 years 1 month)
Supported magistrates and prosecutors by drafting pleadings, conducting legal research and preparing case files, contributing research and drafting incorporated into published court judgments and improving case preparation efficiency.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
GLGhana School of Law
Barrister-at-Law (BL), Professional Law
2021 - 2022
Completed the Professional Law Course (BL) preparing for legal practice in Ghana with emphasis on advocacy and professional ethics.
LULiverpool John Moores University
Master of Arts, International Relations
2020 - 2022
Completed a Master of Arts in International Relations, focusing on global regulatory and political frameworks relevant to cross-border operations.
The Gambia Law School
Barrister-at-Law (BL), Professional Law
2020 - 2021
Completed the Professional Law Course (BL) in The Gambia, attaining recognition for advocacy performance.
UGUniversity of Ghana
Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Law
2014 - 2018
Activities and societies: Member, Editorial Board, University of Ghana Law Students' Union (Sep 2016 — Sep 2017)
Earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) covering foundational and advanced legal subjects relevant to litigation and corporate practice.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
GhanaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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