S&L Advocates (formerly Sebalu & Lule Advocates)

Partners: James Mukasa Sebugenyi, Joseph Luswata, Nicholas Ecimu, Moses Segawa, Andrew Munanura Kamuteera, Michael Mafabi, Allan Waniala, Paul Mbuga, Winnie Awino and Josephine Muhaise

FIRM OVERVIEW:

S&L Advocates is a leading business law firm in Uganda. It is a full-service commercial law firm. S&L Advocates is a member of the DLA Piper Africa Group. The DLA Piper Africa Group is an alliance of leading independent law firms working together across Africa.

MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:

Finance and banking matters have included acting for:

• A sovereign export credit agency for a guarantee facility to the state borrower
• A sovereign export credit agency for a guarantee facility to the private sector borrower
• A leading local commercial bank in a US$ 13.5 million telecom financing
• Standard Bank and Stanbic Bank for a US$ 18 million structured warehousing facility to a mobile financial services platform.
• A multilateral lender for a loan facility to an agricultural non-profit social enterprise
• A structured debt vehicle providing eco-tourism finance for a debt facility to eco-tourism lodge operators.
• A regional development bank for a US$ 42 million structured forfaiting facility.

Contact: Winnie Awino

Email: [email protected]

Corporate, commercial and capital markets matters have included acting for:

• MTN Group and MTN Uganda for the structural separation and reorganisation of the Uganda mobile money and fintech subsidiary
• The issuer for the proposed listing of a domestic medium-term note programme
• A global fruit producer for its 70% share subscription in a local agri-processing and export company
• A commercial state enterprise for its acquisition of an equity interest in an energy storage and terminal infrastructure asset
• A provident fund for its equity investment in a luxury hotel management licensee
• A multinational private equity fund for its acquisition of a minority stake in an Africa-wide insurance brokerage
• A private equity fund dedicated to small to medium size (equity) investments in private healthcare companies on its sale of a 65.8% equity stake
• MTN Group and MTN Uganda for the follow-on secondary market sale of 7.05% shareholding in MTN Uganda, resulting into an oversubscription

Contact: Paul Mbuga

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Winnie Awino

Email: [email protected]

Projects and Infrastructure matters have included acting for:

• TotalEnergies Renewables for the establishment of two 20MW solar power plants
• AMEA Power on the establishment of the 20 MW Madi-Okollo solar power plant, including acting as sponsor's counsel for US$ 18 million project financing by the Emerging Africa and Asia Infrastructure Fund.
• The project sponsors and equity financiers in relation to the proposed development of a cross-border road and electricity transmission project.
• CrossBoundary on the implementation of an off-grid, single commercial-industrial captive solar power supply project - the first to be licensed under Uganda's generator-to-consumer bulk supply electricity regulations.
• A carbon-streaming investment vehicle company on a carbon stream swap transaction with the seller involving a portfolio of community-based, energy efficient carbon projects in Uganda.
• Sinohydro Corporation on completion aspects (regulatory, contractual and adjudicative) related to the construction of the US$ 2.2 billion 600MW Karuma hydropower dam.

Contact: Nicholas Ecimu

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Paul Mbuga

Email: [email protected]

Employment and employee benefits matters have included acting for:

• A commercial bank on a significant employee restructuring
• A telecommunications-sector regulated entity on an employee restructuring.
• A reproductive health organization on the corporate reorganisation of its operational entities in Uganda

Contact: Moses Segawa

Email: [email protected]

Insolvency, recoveries and restructuring matters have included acting for:

• An international insurance group on the operational closure and solvent liquidation of its Uganda business
• A leading commercial bank in significant recovery proceedings against a leading logistics entity.
• A leading commercial bank in significant recovery proceedings against a hypermarket store.

Contact: Andrew Munanura Kamuteera

Email: [email protected]

Tax matters have included acting for:

• A telecommunications entity in challenging a significant tax assessment.
• A leading commercial bank in challenging a US$ 33 million exposure arising from a transfer pricing and allocation of government securities expenses audit
• A downstream petroleum entity in challenging a US$ 16 million indirect capital gains tax assessment
• A renewable energies company in challenging a US$ 4 million indirect capital gains tax exposure
• Old Mutual in an industry significant challenge of stamp duty assessments on beneficiaries and endorsements [removing or adding beneficiaries] under group insurance policies.
• A downstream petroleum entity in challenging a US$ 16.5 million assessment arising from various domestic taxes.
• Uganda's leading downstream petroleum entities in challenging income tax and value added tax assessments arising from the importation of fuel.
• A leading commercial bank in challenging a stamp duty assessment on financial instruments.
• A global construction group and its Ugandan branch and subsidiary on the optimal tax treatment of inter-company balances.
• A coffee and fast-foods restaurant in challenging significant income tax and value added tax assessments.
• A construction company on the settlement of a significant import duty and value added tax assessment.

Contact: Joseph Luswata

Email: [email protected]

Dispute resolution matters have included acting for:

• Stanlib in defending a shareholder claim arising out of a property development joint venture
• MTN Group and MTN Uganda in defending a constitutional violation claim
• TotalEnergies EP in a compensation dispute concerning the acquisition of land for the central processing facility for the Tilenga oil project
• Old Mutual in the settlement of claims of US$ 9.6 million and US$ 3.8 million over the establishment of three hydro-power projects
• Great Lakes Energy in landmark enforcement proceedings for a US$ 24 million London Court of International Arbitration arbitral award
• The Central Bank and the acquiring bank in connection with an ex-employees’ class action.
• National Social Security Fund in successfully defending historical contract and tort claims related to the construction of Workers House.
• Vivo Energy in a novel fraud and asset-tracing claim.
• Centenary Bank in a landmark decision on allocation of liability and risk of loss (as between banker and customer) for fraudulent online banking transactions

Contact: James Mukasa Sebugenyi

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Michael Mafabi

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Allan Waniala

Email: [email protected]