Miriam O. Atim

 BACKGROUND

Miriam is an Associate with the Corporate Advisory team at MMAKS Advocates. Miriam routinely advises the firm’s clients on a variety of corporate and commercial matters ranging from business set-up, regulatory advisory, corporate governance, attending to routine filings, structuring commercial transactions, preparation, and review of commercial documents.

Through her work with the corporate and advisory team, Miriam has amassed critical skills set for provision of legal services within the sectors of Technology, Media and E-commerce, Charities and Non-Governmental Organisations, Insurance, Financial Services, Corporate Governance, Corporate M&As and Insolvency.

Miriam holds an LL.B (Hons) degree from Makerere University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center, Kampala and is enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Advocate, High Court of Uganda
•  LL.B (Hons), Makerere University, Uganda
• Dip. L.P (Bar Course), Law Development Centre, Uganda

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Member, Uganda Law Society
• Member, East African Law Society

CAREER SUMMARY

• NOV 2021 – DATE            Associate, MMAKS Advocates
• SEP 2019 – OCT 2021      Legal Trainee, MMAKS Advocates
• JAN 2019 - SEP 2019        Legal Assistant, Pace Advocates
• NOV 2018 - DEC 2018     Legal Volunteer, Platform for Labour Action
• APR 2018 - JUN 2018      Clerkship, MMAKS Advocates

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Technology, Media, and E-commerce
• Corporate M&A
• Charities and Non-Governmental Organisations
• Insurance
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate and Commercial Advisory

TOP MATTERS

Technology, Media, and E-commerce

• Acted for Google Inc. on its investment in Go Ventures Limited, the holding company of Safe Boda Uganda. This was Google’s first investment through its Africa Investment Fund, where the investment was structured through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity. This advisory involved a review of the transaction documents for the financing and reviewing the privacy policies of Safe Boda and its third-party service providers. Currently advising a venture capital firm on a similar investment in a Ugandan fintech providing investment services.
• Advised Google Inc. on the regulation of its youtube platform by the Uganda Communications Commission. This advisory involved a review of the legal framework on broadcasting in Uganda and its potential implications on content broadcasted on the youtube platform.
• Advised Airbnb on the roll out of its online marketplace in Uganda. This instruction involved advisory on data protection and privacy requirements for the platform and regulatory aspects affecting the operation of the online marketplace in Uganda.
• Advised the Walt Disney Company on the offering of its Disney+ platform to the Ugandan market. This advisory was on the regulatory and commercial implications linked to the operation of the Disney+ service in Uganda ranging from data protection and privacy, broadcasting requirements, embedded payment options on the platform, gift cards and contractual obligations, among others.
• Advising Asante Financial Services Limited, a company that provides money lending services on digital platforms, on a partnership with a Ugandan telecom service provider and Mastercard Foundation on providing an asset finance service facilitating access to and ownership of smart phones.
• Advising WPP-Scangroup Limited, the largest marketing and communications group operating in sub-saharan Africa on its Merchant, User and Website privacy policies for its Goby platform. This platform is dedicated to managing online businesses.
• Currently advising a mobility fintech company on the expansion of its drive-to-own business to Uganda. This instruction involves providing regulatory advice on the fintech’s proposed business model in Uganda, obtaining the relevant licenses, preparation of the requisite corporate documents, and review of the commercial agreements.

Corporate M&A

• Advising on the acquisition of a leading agro-processing company in Uganda. This advisory involved a review of the target entity’s corporate documents including a review of shareholder agreements and advising on the transaction documents to effect the acquisition.
• Acting for Sanlam Limited, the holding company of the Sanlam group of companies, in connection with its proposed joint venture with the Allianz group of companies. I advised Sanlam on the corporate and commercial aspects of its proposed joint venture.
• Advice on the proposed construction of the Kampala Storage Terminal. This advisory involved a review of regulatory matters that would affect the construction of the terminal including but not limited to petroleum, procurement of contracts with the government, environment matters, finance, etc.
• Advising on the acquisition of a majority stake in a microfinance institution in Uganda. This included advisory on the share acquisition, conducting due diligences on the target, advising on the regulatory landscape for the conduct of a microfinance business in Uganda and advising on all the applicable statutory, and contractual consents, permits and approvals required to realise this acquisition.
• Advised on the amalgamation of the SN Power entities in Uganda. This involved the preparation and registration of the requisite corporate documents at the Companies Registry and obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals for this amalgamation.

General Advisory (Charities and Non-Governmental Organisations, Corporate Governance, Energy, Gaming, Insolvency, and Insurance)

• Advising indigenous, local, regional, and international Non-Governmental and Charity  Organisations on the registration requirements to operate in Uganda.
• Routinely involved in the incorporation and registration of companies and obtaining relevant licenses and registrations for businesses in a various sectors ranging from general trade, telecommunications, financial and the oil and gas sector.
• Providing company secretarial services to companies in various sectors ranging from insurance, education, financial service providers, and health care services. This includes attending to regulatory compliance matters at the Companies Registry and with several regulators such as Bank of Uganda, the Insurance Regulatory Authority, Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority, and the NGO Bureau.
• Advised on the amalgamation of the SN Power entities in Uganda. This involved the preparation and registration of the requisite corporate documents at the Companies Registry and obtaining the relevant regulatory approvals.
• Advising RF20 Limited, a company conducting business within the gaming and betting sector in Uganda, on obtaining and renewing bingo and general betting licenses from the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board.