Magezi, Ibale & Co. Advocates

The need of our corporate clients is our cornerstone to devote our experience, skill and knowledge to efficiently undertake our clients’ tasks. We provide top brass legal services to our corporate clients to successfully achieve their corporate objectives and strategies. We fully understand the reality and needs of business as a commercial law firm which compels us to ensure that the reality of business is smoothly facilitated.

We carry out our duties professionally, diligently and in a timely manner. We remedy our client’s day to day challenges and advise on matters concerning their management and operation of their companies.

We advise our corporate clients on contract and employment matters, real estate and conveyancing, regulation and compliance, due diligence, intellectual property and independent advice. We ensure that our corporate clients operate their affairs in compliance with the international principles of corporate governance. From incorporation to operation and finally to dissolution  or winding up, we are a trusted partner by the immediate side of our corporate clients.

We are a multi-faceted corporate law firm but below is the non-exhaustive list of our services to corporate clients.

• Business Set Up/Corporate Spin Off
• Procuring Business Licenses, Permits and Statutory Clearances
• Company Regularization and Compliance
• Draft and Filling Companies Forms, Resolutions, Notices, Particulars and other documents or forms with the Registrar of Companies
• Structuring Raising Capital and Equity Transactions
• Registering Charges and Debentures
• Securitizing and Registering Debt Securities, Guarantees
• Company Secretarial and General Counsel Services
• Chairing Corporate Meetings and Taking Minutes
• Corporate Nominee Services
• Corporate Director & Corporate Secretary Services
• Corporate Governance
• Drafting Corporate Contracts/Agreements
• Insolvency, Liquidation and Winding Up
• Arrangements and Restructuring
• Corporate Due Diligence
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Structuring Joint Ventures, Partnerships, Strategic Alliances& Franchises, Distributions and Agency Relationships
• Independent Advisory and Consultancy
• Debt Collection
• Corporate Employment Matters
• Immigration
• Litigation and ADR

Our firm offers support to insurance and re-insurance companies on commercial, regulatory and dispute management aspects of their business. Our insurance attorneys focus on the legal issues that affect insurers, reinsurers, insureds, intermediaries, and their professional insurance consultants. Our approach is to bring an array of insurance-specific counselling, regulatory transactional, litigation and expertise to bear in order to achieve the most effective solutions for our clients.

Our clients span the breadth of commercial insurance providers, consumers, intermediaries, and consultants. We have cultivated a highly sophisticated nationwide insurance practice that focuses solely on the business of insurance. Our attorneys frequently act as counsel for insurance and reinsurance programs aimed at specific markets.

In addition, we represent insurance clients in the resolution of claim and coverage disputes, whether between insurer and insured or among multiple carriers. The insurance sector in Uganda is mired with fraudulent and disingenuous claims, a prevalent trend which has compelled our firm to cooperate with our insurer’s loss adjustors and assessors in order to thoroughly investigate any suspicious insurance claim.

The conclusions of such investigate arm our firm with relevant knowledge in order to diligently advice insurers on whether to settle the claim or tenaciously defend a suit. Insurance litigation in an era in which litigation often seems out of control, Magezi, Ibale& Co. Advocates is dedicated to focusing its attention on the fulfilment of its client’s litigation objectives. Litigation presents a series of decisions – whether to initiate litigation defensively, whether and when to propose compromise or settlement – in which lawyer and client must weigh both the risks and costs of their plan of action.

It is our goal to ensure that these decisions are made with active attention to the client’s interests, never reactively allowing litigation to take on a life of its own. The firm also has an active practice defending transport and haulage companies. The firm’s practice includes advising these clients and their insurers prior to litigation, as well as representing them in courts at trial and on appeal. The firm is particularly experienced in the area of alternative dispute resolution, including various forms of arbitration and mediation.

When counterfeiting occurs or when goods or productions are copied and sold without our clients’ express permission, we will seek to protect our client’s by taking protective measures including cease and desist letters, injunctions, interim restraining orders and litigation/administrative orders against infringement. Initially, we will explore alternative dispute resolution-negotiations, mediation, and arbitration where they fail, we will file suit in court. When litigation is necessary, we work as a team to effectively enforce our client’s rights.

Our trademark department has experienced lawyers and trademark agents who are experienced in filing and prosecuting trademark applications in Uganda and internationally through a network of experienced foreign law firms and associates.

On the advisory front, our firm handles trademark search, due diligence and clearance projects and advises clients on a broad range of issues. We assist clients to secure, protect, preserve, restore, and renew their trademark rights in Uganda. We actively protect and enforce those rights through instituting and maintaining suits in courts and before administrative tribunals.

The firm’s lawyers have extensive experience before the Courts of Judicature of Uganda and the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). Magezi, Ibale & Co. Advocates has represented trademark owners in litigation, infringement and passing off actions, anti-counterfeiting, licensing disputes, oppositions, and objections to trademark applications.

Our lawyers represent clients in administrative and judicial proceedings in establishing and enforcing or challenging trademark rights, including dilution claims. We also represent clients in passing off, trade dress and unfair competition matters under Common Law, Trademark Laws, and the Penal Code Act.

In addition, our lawyers have represented clients in connection with certification mark disputes and other disputes arising under Uganda trademark laws. We monitor the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and the Uganda Gazette (the Official Gazette) published weekly by the Uganda Printing  & Publication Corporation (UPPC), promptly notify our clients of the publication of potentially conflicting trademarks and will oppose them if authorized by the clients. We actively monitor the electronic and other press for unauthorized uses of client’s trademarks.

Obtaining Trademark Registrations: We regularly assist clients in obtaining and maintaining registered trademarks, including conducting all necessary searches, filing applications, preparing and filing necessary affidavits and renewal applications, defending opposition proceedings and handling other matters that may arise before the Trademark Office and international trademark offices.

Trademark Litigation: Our attorneys have over 25 years’ experience in handling trademark, service mark, trade name litigation in the courts. We work closely with associates in other countries in foreign trademark litigation. Searching and selecting trademarks: We advise our clients to carefully search, select and clear word marks and logos. This includes obtaining searches of registrations and usage related to proposed marks and advising as to the likelihood of registrability and opposition or objection by third parties.

Harnessing Trademarks: Our attorneys are experienced in working with clients to harness, benefit, take advantage of and make use of trademarks, especially through drafting and negotiating trademark licenses, assignments, and related marketing agreements. Unfair Competition: We litigate and provide pre-litigation  preventative and enforcement advice involving proceedings before administrative authorities and the courts.

Our attorneys have also handled disputes under Customs Laws. This has enabled clients to obtain prompt relief from infringement in importation. The firm’s trademark attorneys prepare and prosecute applications before our National Trademark Office, draft assignment and licensing agreements, and litigate before the Uganda Registration Services Bureau and Courts of Judicature.

In addition, the firm assists clients in obtaining and enforcing trademark rights in other countries and in obtaining Uganda Revenue Authority Customs Department protection against infringing imports and exports. Our trademark practice is pro-active, efficient, cost effective, extensive, and diverse.

Our firm advises employers on compliance with Employment and Labour Laws, Health and Safety Laws/Regulations of Uganda. We further formulate Internal Rules and Regulations for our clients to ensure that employees understand the core and principal rules and regulations of their employees. We understand that some companies outsource value addition employees from outside Uganda.

Our immigration attorneys guide our clients on the most appropriate way to secure employment for non-Uganda citizens in Uganda by obtaining the necessary work permits, entry permits, special passes, or certificates of residence. Our Firm offers customized, effective, and convenient advice on employment and labour matters.

Protecting our client’s business is our primary concern, whether by promoting commitment and productivity of employees through performance agreements, non-competes, whether intellectual property, through tailor-made employment contracts, restrictive covenant and confidentiality agreements or other methods. Our team will help you arrange effective employer-employee relations and formulate policies and procedures governing matters such as;

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Harassment
• Sickness And Disability
• Progressive Discipline
• Corporate Compliance
• Compensation
• Work Perks and Benefits
• Summary Dismiss or Termination

Our firm is a friendly conduit for our employers to the appropriate and registered labour/trade unions. We apply our practical experience honed for over 20 years and our sound knowledge on the law regularizing and governing the operation of labour/trade unions in Uganda ensure that these unions are not frequent impediment to our client’s daily business operations.

Our firm has experience in handling employment disputes and our attorneys apply the firm’s practical, appropriate and commercial sense principles to remedy such disputes either by alternative dispute resolutions methods or an adversarial system of justice before Labour Officers, The Industrial Court or the High Court of Uganda. Whether unionized or non-non-unionized, conglomerate, or mid-size company, our client’s company’s workforce is one of its most vital and complex elements. To manage and challenge the convoluted and myriad issues employment law presents, you need an experienced and strategic legal ally.

When dealing with organizational restructuring or change management, trust our comprehensive counsel on the human resource aspects and labour law implications. If you face claims of retaliation, employee misconduct, bullying, harassment or discrimination, our experienced team will be in your corner. We help you address even the most sensitive and high-profile claims and investigations. We can also guide you through whistle-blower concerns, corporate governance issues, fiduciary duties of senior management and other challenges.

As the demand and rate for real estate increases, we understand that one of the most valuable assets you can own as an individual or company is real estate property. Given Uganda’s soaring economy today, real estate is the future of investment and the best long-term investment you can ever make. Uganda’s recent natural resource discoveries, foreign and domestic investments in the oil sector; and the stable political climate have precipitated a favorable environment for real estate business.

With the growing population of the middle class, the demand for international hotels and restaurants, schools, hospitals, offices, and other infrastructure is steadily increasing and is expected to soar. That is why it is important to us to secure your investment.

At Magezi, Ibale & Co. Advocates, we help you sail through the process of acquiring, registering, and using your property, without worrying about the tedious processes you must go through to finally realize your wish. We are ready to help you complete your transaction, assisting with the complex processes, and allowing you time to inspect the property, obtain financing if needed for the desired outcome.

Our firm has a well experienced team trained in the law touching on real estate and its administration systems operating in Uganda. We provide legal advice and services to both local and international clientele on a wide range of services. From land acquisition to drawing contracts and tenancy agreements, carrying out searches in the respective property registries, transfers of ownership and interest or other rights in real estate property, lodging caveats, leasing, and sub leasing, commercial and domestic letting, mortgages, subdivisions, land use, compulsory acquisition, and compensation of any parties on the property, etc.

We are available to expedite your request with utmost efficiency, diligence, and ethics to enable you deal with your property, in reasonable time. We represent clients in litigious matters and also offer non litigious advice and services on real estate where necessary or requested for; encouraging clients to settle their disputes in legally accepted alternative dispute resolution methods for expeditious intents. We treat each client’s matter as a sole entity to comprehensively handle your expectations for satisfaction. We endeavor to provide you with the best professional legal advice, giving you the opportunity to realize your investment in the real estate sector.