MMAKS Advocates

EXPERIENCE STATEMENT

Some of the major corporate, litigation, finance and capital markets transactions handled recently by us include;

ACQUISITIONS

• Acting (together with Slaughter & May, UK) for Reliance Industries Limited, the only Indian private sector Fortune 500 company, in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake and management control in Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation (Gapco), a company with significant presence in Eastern Africa in the down stream petroleum sector, including co-ordination of a five country (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Sudan) due diligence exercise.
• Acting for Essar Communications Holdings, the telecoms subsidiary of Essar Global, on its acquisition of a strategic interest in Kanyan Telecommunications (U) Limited, the fourth GSM provider in Uganda.
• Acting for the a proposed bidder in connection with the disposal by Chevron, the world's fifth largest global energy company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, on the disposal of its downstream business in six (6) countries in Africa.
• Advising on the acquisition of a majority stake in a local telecoms company by a subsidiary of France Telecom.
• Advising on the acquisition of majority stake in a PIP and PSP licensee in Uganda

 FINANCE

• Advising PROPARCO and rendering an opinion in connection with a substitution of a Borrower for loans granted to a local financial institution.
• Advising PROPARCO on a subordinated loan financing to a commercial bank.
• Advising on a syndicated loan financing for a cement plant.
• Advising on Aircraft financing through Air Serv International Incorporated to its local subsidiary Air Serv Limited.
• Advising DEG on two (2) loan transactions, including subordination of existing loan and rescheduling fresh lending to clients in Uganda and rendering opinion.
• Creation, perfection and as necessary realization of secured lending for 6 commercial banks.
• Advising the Central Bank on bank on regulatory issues arising from the new regulatory regime.
• acting for DEG on financing to a local coffee company

LITIGATION 

• Acting for Primefuels (Kenya) Limited and Mirambo Holdings Limited, a Kenyan company and Tanzanian company respectively, in connection with a dispute arising out of a consortium agreement and which was referred to the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in London pursuant to which Primefuels and Mirambo were successful in obtaining their claim for shareholding in RVR Investments (PTY) Limited, the company operating the Kenya and Uganda railway network under a concession from those governments.
• Advising NORAD on ongoing litigation, subject matter of which is U$ 10 million, attending and holding watching brief at the hearings of the suit
• Acting for Barclays Bank PLC and Absa Bank Limited in a suit to recover in excess of US$ 20 milion. 

CAPITAL MARKETS 

• Advising on the cross-border introduction of Kenya Commercial Bank on the Uganda Securities Exchange
• Advising on admission to Listing of National Insurance Corporation Limited on the Uganda Securities Exchange
• Advising on an infrastructure bond issue by National Water and Sewerage Corporation and listing on the Uganda Securities Exchange.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

• Consultancy  on ongoing counterfeiting and intellectual property related matters focusing on Uganda as part of wider study on intellectual and counterfeiting laws in the East African Region
• Ongoing registration and renewals of intellectual property. 

MINERAL SECTOR 

• Represent several mining companies in Uganda, routinely advising on the law and licensing regime of minerals in Uganda.
• Advised in the acquisition of shares in a mining Uganda company
• Advised on a joint venture agreement between a Ugandan mining company and a UK public registered company. 

CLIENT TRAININGS 

• Conducted client seminars on the Mortgage Bill
• Conducted client trainings for the Board of directors of various banks
• Conducted client trainings for the staff of various banks on operational issues.