Dentons Eric Silwamba, Jalasi & Linyama Legal Practitioners

Principal Partner: Eric Silwamba, SC

Senior Partner: Joseph Jalasi

Managing Partner: Lubinda Linyama

Associate Partner: Mailesi Undi

Number of partners: 4

Number of other fee-earners: 8

Dentons Eric Silwamba Jalasi and Linyama is a leading full-service law firm and a proud member of Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by geographic reach. Originally established as Eric Silwamba and Company, the firm rebranded in 2013 to Eric Silwamba Jalasi and Linyama Legal Practitioners following the admission to partnership of Joseph Jalasi and Lubinda Linyama. Over the ensuing years, it has developed into one of Zambia’s top-tier law firms, highly regarded for both its depth of legal expertise and its commitment to professional and ethical standards. On 7thDecember 2020,the firm combined with Dentons, the world’s largest law firm by head count, further enhancing its capability to serve clients both locally and internationally.​

The firm is a full-service law firm providing legal advisory and representation services across a wide range of sectors.​

The firm unlike its competitors offers a wide range of services with respect to;

Dispute resolution

• • Confidential Client: The firm represented the bank in a claim alleging fraud, misrepresentation, and negligence arising from the Plaintiff’s investment in a bond, where the Plaintiff south USD320,000, representing the amount allegedly due upon maturity of the instrument.
  • Confidential Client : The firm was retained by the client in a landmark regional dispute before its Court of Justice with respect to a case concerning a challenge to the 2024 election of judges of the said Court of Justice, in which the applicant alleged procedural irregularities, ineligibility of an elected judge, and mishandling of Member State participation.
  • Confidential Client: The firm isassistingwith the provision of legal services with respect to the collapse of a tailings dam.

Banking and Finance

• • Mirova (Kenya) Limited: The firm conducted due diligence, rendering local and structuring advice and perfection of security in respect of US25m bilateral senior secured loan facility to Greenplanet Zambia Limited (Sunking).
  • Confidential client : The firm acted for the client with regards to a syndicated funding to a known entity.
  • Confidential client: Provided legal advice to the client, an impact investment group, in connection with the provision of a loan to a Zambian microfinance institution.

Mergersand Acquisitions

• Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) Africa:The firm conducted a due diligence for the proposed sale and acquisition ofChambeshiCopper Smelter.
• MingombaMine:The firm wasassistingwith respect to a DD on acquisition of mining and land rights.
• PumaEnergy :The firm wasassistingthe client with the review of contracts and agreements for expression of interest and award of contracts for supply and delivery of Low Sulphur Gas Oils.

Corporate

• • XCMG:The firm has advised on its investments into Zambia by undertaking various due diligences with respect to various investment target companies in Zambia.​
  • China Nonferrous Mining Company:The firm wasassistingwith respect to a due diligence on the acquisition of mining and land rights ofMingombaMine.​
  • China Development Bank: The firmassistedwith the conducting of a due diligence for a financing transaction to Sino Leach Metals.​

Intellectual Property

• • Energizer:We successfullyassistedthe client in assigning their trademarksin accordance withthe new property transfer tax laws. Through a combination of legal knowledge, strategic planning, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, we effectively navigated the complexities of the regulatory landscape, providing seamless and value-adding solutions to our clients' trademark assignment processes.
  • Emoji Company GMBH:The firm advised andassistedin trademark opposition proceedings.
  • Standard Chartered Bank Plc:The firm handles all thein countryIP registrations relating toStanchartTrademarks, Copyrights and Patents.
  • Puma Sport:The firmassistsPuma with regards to its trademarks registered in Zambia for its various products.

Tax

• • Mitsui: Assisted with advice on Value Added Tax with regards to VAT treatment, goods destined for export transiting through Zambia.
  • Barloworld Zambia: The firm advised on the restructuring of the shareholding of Barloworld Zambia at Group level. The transaction involved giving advice on implications of change of domicile of Barloworld UK to Barloworld Dubai and Barloworld South Africa.
  • CMS Francis Lefebvre: The firm provided legal advice relating to the taxing implications of a foreign company paying the fees of expatriates in a subsidiary and advice on risks that would result on a failure to comply with the tax advice given for the past fiscal years of the company. The firm also provided legal advice on the tax rules applicable in Zambia to interest paid by resident companies to related non-resident companies.

Data Protection and Privacy

• • Master Card (Confidential):The firmadvisedMaster Card with respect to Data privacy security in Zambia
  • Mary’s Meals:The firmassistedMary’s Meals with respect to compliance relating to the data protection Act.
  • InternationalSeniorLawyersProjects (ISLP): .The firmassistedwith filing of an amicus curiae brief in a petition on the constitutionality of cyber security Act

Energy and Mining

• • Confidential Client:Representingthe client in a class action case which involves an alleged breach of environmental rights by some 118households due to a collapse of a Tailings Storage Facility, which allegedly released quantities of acidic and toxic waste into nearby waterways, among other things, thus, making the water undrinkable and dangerous.​
  • Confidential client:Representingthe client in a class action suit wherein the unidentified alleged claimants claim compensation for being displaced from their farmlands and breach of their environmental rights. ​
  • Confidential client:The firmrepresentedthe company in a matter where 96 Plaintiffs sued the oil company for damages for polluting and contaminating the environment and its inhabitants through alleged illegal disposal of acid tar.
  • Western Power: The firm is representing the Barotse Royal Establishment, which is the traditional authority in the western part of Zambia in a transaction involving the development of a 170MW hydro power project. The project is designed to produce power that will feed into the national grid within a framework of a power purchase agreement with the state. It is premised on a joint venture.

Real Estate

• Confidential Client:The firm has been engaged to provide professional legal services in a sale transaction of a multi-million dollarproperty at a consideration of US$1,900,000. The vendor is a Zambia registered entity whose shareholders is a registered foreign trust in Mauritius.
• Spectra Oil Corporation:The firm has been engaged toassistthe client with a conveyance transaction topurchaseportions of land for purposes of erecting fuel service stations.
• Confidential client : The firm was instructed to act as local counsel with respect to a loan agreement and relevant security agreement between our client andJiayouInternational Logistics Co. Ltd for the upgrade ofSakaniaborder post Zambia and the road from Mufulira to Ndola (the project).

Employment

• Standard Chartered Bank:The firm represented Standard Chartered bank Zambia Plc in an appeal before the Court of Appeal challenging the decision of the lower court, which had upheld claims byformer employees seeking a recalculation of their redundancy packages. The claims included, among other things, the inclusion of talk time allowances, bonuses, and transfer of leased motor vehicles toemployees who had not fully settled their motor vehicle loans at the time of redundancy.
  • CowaterInternational:The firm provided legal counsel toCowaterin relation to the USAID work Stop Order (project termination). Our services included advising on the legally prescribed redundancyprocedures, reviewing draft correspondence betweenCowaterand Ministry ofLabourand Social Security, andfacilitatingthe required notifications to theLabourCommissioner, including a request for anextension for the furlough.​
  • National Democratic Institute:The firm provided legal counsel to National Democratic Institute with respect to the redundancy procedure in accordancetothe prescribed provision in the EmploymentCode Act.​

Regulatory and Compliance

• • Meta / Facebook:The firmassistedMeta with regards to navigating the regulatory framework with respect to ISP services in Zambia.​
  • Deloitte:The firm regularly advises Deloitte clients on various regulatory and compliance matters through a corporation agreement that has been signed between Deloitte and the firm.​
  • Apple:The firmassistedApple with respect to regulatory compliance and other digital services offered in Zambia.​
  • Very Pay:The firmassistedVery Pay with regulatory and compliance advice relating to fintech registration and regulation in Zambia.