Shonubi, Musoke, Gilbert & Partners

The firm: Shonubi, Musoke & Co. Advocates is one of the largest law firms in Uganda, with a core emphasis on corporate and commercial law that spans nearly 30 years. The firm was established in 1987 after the turbulent times of the past. It has, over this time, built an impressive East African footprint, including a branch in Bujumbura, Burundi, operating as Shonubi, Musoke, Gilbert & Partners, and transaction-specific partnerships with law firms in Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. This regional outreach has perfected the firm’s expertise in providing innovative legal products honed by local knowledge across East Africa.

The 2015 strategic alliance with the global law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa added an Africa-wide pool of legal expertise to the firm’s resources, rendering the firm as a one-stop legal centre for complex continental investments across the greater African landscape (including those with English law competencies). These, together with close working relationships with several other prominent and/or leading global legal firms/brands, continue to earn the firm international recognition for mastery and leadership in business and corporate law.

The firm enjoys market dominance and repute in the fields of energy and mining, public-private partnerships, the oil and gas sector, and its traditional strongholds of corporate and commercial law, M&A, project finance, banking and finance (including Islamic banking), telecommunications, real estate and litigation/alternative dispute resolution.

SM Registrars Limited, the firm’s company secretarial subsidiary, provides dedicated company secretarial services, regulation and compliance assessments, and corporate governance training in line with international best practice.

Areas of practice: The firm has handled significant M&A transactions, advising on the acquisition of a majority stake in Imperial Bank by Exim Bank of Tanzania. The firm has also handled large significant financing, including acting for the Export Import Bank of China on its two loans to the government of Uganda for the construction of the Isimba and Karuma hydro power projects.

The firm has also represented IFC, FMO, European Investment Bank and other development agencies, in addition to main stream commercial banks like Stanbic Bank/Standard Chartered Bank, ABSA/ Barclays, First Rand Bank in numerous syndicated facilities. The firm is presently acting for 70% of the developers of mini hydro-power projects in Uganda, and also acts for the holder of the electricity distribution concession Umeme Limited and Eskom Uganda.

The firm is local counsel for and routinely advises British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Air Uganda and some smaller charter companies, cementing its aviation practice in Uganda.

The firm has advised on large infrastructure projects, including the Kalangala infrastructure project, encompassing road construction, ferry operation, construction of a solar fuel hybrid electricity generation plant and a water supply plant. It has also advised on the construction of industrial parks, housing for the Uganda police and on the expansion of Entebbe Airport.

It is proud to have advised on the establishment and operations of the first cellular company in Uganda and routinely advises the largest mobile services provider.

It enjoys a formidable reputation in litigation matters, having handled a myriad of judicial precedent-setting cases. It actively handles arbitrations and mediation as an alternative dispute resolution strategy.