Dentons Eric Silwamba, Jalasi & Linyama Legal Practitioners

Managing Partners: Eric Suwilanji Silwamba, SC, Joseph Alexander Jalasi and Lubinda Linyama
Number of partners: 3
Number of lawyers: 13
Languages: English

Firm Overview:
Eric Silwamba, Jalasi & Linyama Legal Practitioners is a Zambian Law Firm that has been in existence for over thirty-two years as Eric Silwamba and Company. In 2013 it was rebranded to ESJL following the admission to partnership of Joseph Jalasi and Lubinda Linyama. It has over the years developed to the level of being among the top law firms in Zambia. The firm offers boutique style legal services to its Clients. The firm unlike its competitors is able to offer a wide range of services with respect to dispute resolution, criminal litigation, banking and finance, intellectual property law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate, immigration, competition, tax, energy and mining.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the firm joined the Dentons network of firms. Dentons is the world’s largest firm by head count.
The firm is a regular contributor to several International Comparative Legal Guides in collaboration with Chambers Global, Legal 500, ICLG, Lexology and Mondaq. The guides cover various areas which include; M&A, tax, labour and employment, dispute resolution, arbitration, trademarks and patents and mining.
The firm is a member of Trust law, a probono service operated by Thomas Reuters.

Main Areas of Practice:
■ Tax Law
■ Arbitration
■ Criminal Litigation
■ Civil Litigation
■ Corporate and Commercial Law
■ Banking and Finance
■ Real Estate
■ Mining Law
■ Immigration
■ Employment, Labour Law and Industrial Relations
■ Intellectual Property Law
■ Constitutional and Administrative Law
■ Energy
■ Environmental
■ Legislative Drafting
■ Debt Collection

■ The firm acted as local counsel for a 35Million Dollar transaction with respect to an equity financing for a locally listed financial company on the Lusaka Stock Exchange.
■ Strategic Adviser on a Private Placement
The firm acted as strategic Adviser on a private placement transaction valued at Millions of dollars with respect to a leading telecom provider in Zambia. Mr. Joseph Jalasi and Mr. Linyama were the partners involved.
■ Acquisition of a Business and Asset Sale
The firm represented an international logistics company in conducting a due diligence and an acquisition of a business and asset sale.
■ Acquisition of a local Fintech Company
The firm advised on the acquisition of a local fintech entity.
■ The firm was actively registering a number of trademarks and patents, this included several national phase patents and also assisted in prosecution for trademark infringement.
■ The firm acted in a number of business restructuring, in a cross number of areas which included Agriculture, Aviation and Mining.
■ The firm acted in tax due diligence for an acquisition of a target company with multiple subsidiaries.
■ On account of Covid-19 pandemic the firm advised various companies on various employment issues.
■ The firm was active in rendering advise in restructuring insolvency and bankruptcy.
■ The firm advised an international real estate developer and company on a transaction relating to retail development estimated to cost 9Million United States Dollars.
■ The firm assisted international power company with the internal group reorganisation with respect to property transfer tax.
■ The firm advised a telecom company with regard to their group restructuring which resulted in the setting up of a new UK based holding Company.
■ The firm advised a leading sugar producer in a group reorganisation by Illovo.
■ Financing of a Telecom company by a South African based Bank. The firm acted as local advisors.
■ The firm collaborated with an international firm in advising an international mining company in an environmental claim on pollution and this has resulted into a leading authority of Dominic Liswaniso Lungowe & Others V. Vendanta Resources Plc and Konkola Copper Mines Plc [2016] EWHC 975 (TCC).
■ The firm collaborated with an international firm in advising a Petroleum company on a pollution matter with potential to be adjudicated upon by the English Courts.
■ The irm has provided legal advise and representation to leading Telecom company before the Zambia Revenue Authority with regard to disputed tax assessments in as far as they relate to Value Added Tax Act and the Firm successfully resolved a US$10 Million VAT assessment.
■ The firm represents another leading telecom company. The firm recently provided Legal advice and representation before the Zambia Revenue Authority with regard to disputed tax assessments in as far as they relate to Customs and Excise. The assessment size is the sum of US$48, 793,516.13.
■ The firm advised a leading copper mines company on disputes regarding the imposition of tax under the Customs and Excise Act and the assessment size is the sum of US$68, 954,395.37.
■ The firm advised a trailer assembly/logistics company on the application of the SADC rules of origin with respect to the payment of duty for trailers manufactured in South Africa but imported into Zambia.
■ The firm advised a broadcasting company on a potential dispute regarding an application of the double tax treaty between Zambia and Mauritius.
■ We successfully argued an appeal before the Tax Appeal Tribunal (“TAT”) with respect to the tax treatment of mandatory training for bank staff to be treated as expenditure spent wholly and exclusively for the business and not as allowances to be taxed by way of Pay As You Earn in the hands of the employee.
■ The represented Trading company in a ground breaking decision of the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal which set the law on whether an acquisition of an asset amounts to a merger.