Alex Samson Ntale

BACKGROUND

Alex is an Associate in the litigation and employment teams at MMAKS Advocates. He mainly handles litigation matters arising out of commercial disputes. Alex holds an LL.B (Hons.) degree from Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, Uganda.

Alex is actively involved in the employment practice. He routinely advises on an array of employment matters including but not limited to restructurings, review of employee handbooks, termination, and dismissal of employees. He handles a number of employment related matters before the Industrial Court of Uganda and has participated in a number of employment law webinars and conferences.

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Advocate, High Court of Uganda
• Member, Uganda Law Society
• Member, East African Law Society
• Secretary, East African Law Society Employment Law Committee
• Member, Industrial Court (Uganda) Users Committee

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Law Development Centre, Uganda
• LL.B (Hons.), Makerere University, Uganda

CAREER SUMMARY

• 2015 – DATE    Associate, MMAKS Advocates
• 2015                 Clerkship Student, MMAKS Advocates
• 2013                 Internship Student, Bank of Uganda

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• General Commercial Litigation
• Employment law
• Intellectual Property
• Dispute Resolution

TOP MATTERS

• Acting for the Bank of Uganda in a suit involving the termination of employees who sought terminal benefits and compensation for unlawful termination and early or forced retirement.
• Acting for Absa Bank Uganda Limited, Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited, Uganda National Bureau of Standards and Uganda Breweries Limited to successfully defend several actions of unlawful termination before the Industrial Court of Uganda.
• Advising Uganda Breweries Limited concerning a complex tax dispute with Uganda Revenue Authority involving the application of the East African Custom Management Act, 2004.
• Acting for Oryx Oil Uganda Limited, a subsidiary of Addax and Oryx Group Limited to successfully defend an employment claim seeking compensation in a sum of Ug. Shs. 18,588,145,180 for alleged unlawful termination of employees.
• Acting for Intel Corporation in an action seeking orders inter alia to restrain Intel Computers Limited from using our client’s “Intel” trademark and “dropped e” logo and to deliver-up for destruction all material bearing the Intel Computer Limited name, trademark, get-up, or any other material which infringes on the “Intel” trademark.
• Acting for Nokia Corporation in a suit against the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (“URSB”) and a local player seeking orders that the local player is infringing on the “NOKIA” trademark and the local player having ceased carrying business, URSB is obliged to remove its name from the Business Names Register pursuant to the Business Names Registration Act, Cap 109.
• Successfully acting for Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited in a suit filed by Kasule Kalule t/a Modern Design Services claiming that he is the creator/owner of the Bank’s corporate logo and therefore entitled to copyright protection, the suit being dismissed.
• Acting in various suits by commercial banks in the recovery of both secured and unsecured debts.
• Acting for Uganda National Bureau of Standards as retained external Counsel in various suits involving importation of counterfeit and substandard goods into Uganda.
• Acting for Uganda National Examinations Board as retained external Counsel in various suits involving examination malpractice, falsification of results and defending actions of Judicial Review.
• Advising World Vision Uganda, Alight Uganda, Food for the Hungry, Give Directly, GIZ and Open Society Initiative of East Africa as retained external Counsel on routine employment and immigration issues.
• Acting for SCD Uganda Limited in an action of trademark infringement and passing off, obtaining an order against infringement of the “KINKY” brand.
• Acting as Junior Counsel in an action filed by Electro-Maxx Limited against Absa Bank Uganda Limited seeking orders inter alia that a USD 34,730,000 facility advanced to it by the Bank was illegal and unenforceable.
• Acting for 12 Commercial Banks in a copyright infringement suit in which the Plaintiffs allege that the Banks infringed on their copyright by rolling out agent assisted financial services and use of Point of Sale based technology platforms for agency banking.
• Acting for 30 commercial Banks and the Uganda Bankers Association in a Petition against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) seeking orders that Sections 41 (7) (a) and 42 (4) (a) of the Tax Procedures Code (TPC) Act, derogate from the right to a fair hearing enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of Uganda, that Section 41 of the TPC Act impairs the right to privacy enshrined in Article 27 (2) of the Constitution and is accordingly beyond what is acceptable and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society, contrary to Article 43 (2) (c) of the Constitution and is, accordingly, null and void. This Petition arose from Notices issued by URA allegedly pursuant to Section 42 of the TPC Act and addressed to each of the 30 Commercial Banks requiring them to furnish to URA details of all bank accounts held by them for the two (2) year period of 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2017.