Alan Shonubi

Practice Areas

Dr. Alan is the founding Partner of the firm. He specializes in all corporate and commercial law matters advising both local and international business entities in areas of Public Private Partnerships, banking and project finance, technology and telecommunications, real estate, oil and gas, privatization and de-regulation, aviation, mergers and acquisitions, as well as general business practices, with a particular focus on cross border transactions.

Corporate Law and Advisory, Mergers and acquisitions, property law, Aviation law, Banking, Public and Private Procurement, Insurance, Commercial Litigation, Telecommunications and Privatisation.

Career

1990 to date: Founder and Senior Partner - Shonubi, Musoke & Co. Advocates a full-service law firm specialising in Corporate Law. Shonubi, Musoke & Co. Advocates is one of the largest law firms in Uganda, whose core emphasis of legal practice is corporate and commercial law. The firm has been licensed to practice for the last 36 years. The firm has maintained an impressive East African footprint and international experience through its cross-border practice facilitated in part through its alliance with global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright. The Firm has been constantly ranked in Top Tiers by all leading Global Law Directories.

1988 – 1990: Senior Legal Officer - The Cooperative Bank Limited. Was responsible for liaising with external lawyers, preparing debentures and mortgages, organising Insurance and legal opinions and performing general compliance and company secretarial duties.

Feb 1985 – 1989: Worked with Sun International Insurance Brokers (formerly JH Minet) as Assistant Claims Manager and was later promoted to Legal/Claim Manager.

1982 – 1984: Worked with Kabugo & Co. Advocates as a legal assistant. The position involved preparing legal memos, research and providing the Partners with opinions and court documentation.

Professional Memberships

Uganda Law Society

East African Law Society

International Bar Association

Personal

He previously served as the Chairman for Uganda Breweries and the National Library of Uganda, and as a Director on the Boards of local and regional companies such as East African Breweries, Golf Course Holdings and AAR Health Services. He also serves as chairperson on the Board of Trustees for the Kampala School for the Physically Disabled. He is a Senior Counsel of the High Court of Uganda.

Links:

Alan Shonubi, Global | Chambers Profiles

Alan Shonubi - Uganda - Lawyer Profile | IFLR1000

Shonubi, Musoke & Co Advocates > Kampala > Uganda | The Legal 500 law firm profiles

young+lawyers+conference+by+uls+2023&rlz

https://www.google.com/search?q=dr+alan+shonubi+at+uls+female+lawyers+symposum+2023

Hobbies:

• An ardent musician and expert guitarist.

• Interior design, landscape design and gardening.

• Reading, walking, and Table tennis

• A Life Member of the Uganda Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).

Work Highlights

1) Lead Counsel for the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into allegations of illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a lead counsel he was assigned to be in charge of the commission, steer its course of investigations into airports, border points, ministries, army officers, police, other security officials, Ugandan and Uganda based individuals, doing business in and conducting activities in and relating to the Democratic Republic of Congo, interview witnesses and leading evidence and cross examine in open and closed sessions. Also had to lead evidence of various ministers and high-ranking officials including the President of Uganda.

2) Advised a consortium of International Lenders in the establishment and funding of the Kasese Cobalt Project as Lead Counsel. This was one of the largest projects in the country’s history. He enjoyed the privileged position of representing both Lenders and Borrowers.

3) Appeared before the London Chamber of Commerce as a Uganda Law Expert representing a Malaysian Company in a dispute with the Government of Uganda.

4) Represented a Malaysian company investment in the acquisition of the largest Bank in Uganda.

5) Led the legal team which advised on the setting up of Garden City shopping Mall/Golf Course Hotel the first Major Mall and hotel complex in Uganda and also overcame all legal, environmental and other objections to the project were adhered to. Presented papers to court, Parliament and the executive among other bodies/tribunal.

6) Legal advisor on the Privatisation of the Nile Hotel/Serena Hotel and the concession and lease thereof by TPS Uganda Limited part of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic development group AKFED.

7) Successfully argued up to Court of Appeal level the leading aviation law authority on Insurance and airplane hull damage.

8) Team leader of the firm representing the AKFED Group/ TPS Rwanda Ltd in Negotiations and eventually the conclusion of a lease and concession for the Hotels now known as the Kigali Serena Hotel and the Kivu Serena Hotel.

9) As local counsel, advised ABSA Bank Limited acting through its ABSA Capital Division and Barclays Bank Uganda in the provision of syndicated loan facility of US$100 million to the largest telecommunications company. The transaction was awarded Project Finance Deal of the Year award in the category Africa TMT by Euromoney.

10) Advised the lenders being IFC, Propaco on the financing of the first cellular Communications company.

11) Advised Umeme Limited, the holder of the electricity distribution concession on its negotiations with the Government of Uganda on the grant of a concession and recently advised on the concession end a significant event in the commercial and energy sectors.

12) Advised Eskom Uganda, the holder of the electricity generation concession on its consideration and negotiations with the Government of Uganda on the grant of the generator’s concession and its exit from its concession for the power generation.

13) Advised on the US$135 million demerger of the core businesses of the leading telecommunications provider in Uganda following the passing of the National Payment Systems Act and the Regulations which mandated the segregation of the lucrative mobile money business from the telecommunications business.

14) Advised on the review, restructure and potential demerger of the Uganda National Oil Company Limited and its subsidiaries being the Uganda Refinery Holding Company Limited and the National Pipeline Company. The transaction involved the review of the current structure in light of the laws and regulations governing the oil and gas sector and the most optimal structure for the UNOC and its subsidiaries to achieve the Government of Uganda goals for benefitting from the oil and gas sector.

15) Advising IFC in respect of the proposed senior secured loan in an aggregate amount of €134 million to a telecoms company to be utilised for purposes of meeting the borrower’s capital expenditure and growth plans with a focus on acquisitions and expansions into new markets to strengthen the borrower’s footprint in the telecom sector across Africa including Uganda.

16) Advising in relation to a proposed senior secured term loan facility to a technology enabled financial services company, for purposes of, among others, financing the borrowers’ consumer loan portfolio and refinancing existing debts. The facilities are to be secured by an assignment of receivables over the Ugandan borrower’s sub loan agreements and bank accounts. Represents a highly regulated space dealing with new innovations that technology presents.

17) Advised the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development through Air Uganda on the proposed acquisition of Rwanda Airways.

18) Dr. Shonubi has trained and mentored several lawyers in Uganda and his products include (2) Justices, Senior Government officials, Ambassadors and leading in- house Counsels.

19) His contribution has been mentioned in several books and articles.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

UGANDA, KENYA, TANZANIA, BURUNDI, SOUTH AFRICA

Languages Spoken

English, Luganda, Swahili.

Industry Sector Expertise

Corporate Law and Advisory, Mergers and acquisitions, property law, Aviation law, Banking, Public and Private Procurement, Insurance, Commercial Litigation, Telecommunications and Privatisation.

Education

Awards