Luanda-headquartered mobile telecoms operator Unitel was established in 2001, but did not appoint its first internal lawyers until 2010. Initially consisting of general counsel Tidiane Santos and two senior lawyers, the legal department has now grown to 13 lawyers and two support staff.

The company has also grown significantly in that time, more than doubling its number of employees to around 3,400 in the past five years. This has been accompanied by both a huge expansion in the number of stores it operates domestically and new tower and operations acquisitions, both domestically and overseas. The telecoms sector in Angola has only really developed since the early 2000s, meaning highly-experienced Angolan staff are difficult to come by.

When it comes to finding in-house lawyers that understand the telecoms sector these difficulties are compounded by the lure of private practice and the difficulties of providing defined career progression. Santos, who remains general counsel of Unitel, says that the growth in the legal team has caused her to reflect on the ‘strategic challenge of developing our people by providing them career opportunities’. In response, Unitel’s created two departments within the legal function: one in charge of providing legal and regulatory assistance to the business and the other in charge of litigation and compliance.

This reorganisation allows Unitel’s legal staff – who for the most part are very young – to develop a legal specialisation while strengthening their ties with the entire organisation. It also helps the legal team reflect Unitel’s strong focus on organic growth and developing national talent. However, the legal team’s achievements are also impressive for the wider in-house profession. Unitel’s team has developed an innovative approach to litigation in Angola that has increased recovery rates, has rolled out a new monitoring and billing methodology to prevent collection issues and has revised its documentation so that more than 98% of all contracts executed by the company over the past two years have been templates.

Unitel’s lawyers have also played a big role in helping to negotiate regulatory challenges faced by the company. In 2011 the government of Angola approved a new Information and communications technology (ICT) framework, which was then revised substantially in 2016. To help the company understand the impact of these new regulations, the team has organised workshops and training sessions for directors and board members.

Finally, the team was recently involved in launching the first Apple store in Angola – a major achievement for Unitel that underscores just how skilled its lawyers are. The team worked on all aspects of the agreement, from brand and joint venture negotiations right through to real estate and distribution contracts. Summarising the journey the team has been on over the last few years, Santos says, ‘there is no tiresome routine at Unitel. We have daily challenges [but] we are extremely proud to be part of a company that is a national reference [point]. The team has been actively committed to creating and developing an exceptionally dynamic and professional [culture that] will continue to bring the brand and reputation of Unitel to the highest standards’.