Areas of Practice
The Firm’s client base is extensive, ranging from local and international private and public corporations, sub-region entities, government departments and agencies, foreign missions accredited to Zambia and individuals. The Firm has exceptional capacity to provide a wide range of legal services with a strong bias for commercial and corporate matters. We are engaged in the traditional and emerging disciplines of law involving civil litigation, arbitrations, mediations or other administrative and alternative dispute resolution
processes and provides our clients with legal advice on most aspects of the law, including Corporate and Commercial, Mergers and Acquisitions, Energy, Infrastructure Development Agreements, Contract Negotiations, Drafting and Agreements, Intellectual Property (Patents and Trade Marks), Conveyancing, Property and Real Estate, Inheritance and Probate matters, Bank Securities, Stock Market Listings, Employment and Labour, Mining, Environment, Taxation, Foreign Investments and Divestments, Debt Recovery, Company Secretarial Services, Insurance and other professional activities.
CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL LAW
The Firm gives advice and renders other legal services in all aspects of the law relating to Corporate and Commercial transactions. We have considerable experience in Mining, Energy, Taxation, Commercial Contracts, Mergers and Acquisitions, Insurance Law and Claims, Partnership and Trade Disputes and Receivership and Insolvency matters.
COMPANY & INVESTMENT LAWS
The Firm advises local and foreign clients on all aspects of Zambian business law, particularly the laws and procedures relating to investment in Zambia. We undertake work for public and private companies and other commercial enterprises, individual and corporate investors, financial institutions and participants in development, joint ventures and venture capital transactions.
Our services have been engaged in negotiation and preparation of various contracts, such as shareholders’ and infrastructure agreements. We undertake other pre-incorporation agreements, the formation and structuring of corporate entities, the purchase and sale of assets, acquisition, restructuring or mergers of companies involving foreign and/or local entities and legal due diligence.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT & DIVESTMENT
The Firm advises foreign clients in the Mining, environment, Employment and Labour, Manufacturing, Investment, Divestment, Technology and Service Sectors and has considerable experience with foreign companies and individuals wishing to establish business in Zambia either in partnership with Zambians, or through companies wholly owned by non-Zambians.
In this area, apart from company incorporation, we also assist clients in complying with all other requirements for establishing, as well as maintaining, business in Zambia. These include obtaining business permits and or expatriate quota allocations, certificate of capital importation, confirming capital in-flow, pioneer status where merited, and approval for exemption from incorporation [where foreign entities do not desire to establish a long term presence in Zambia but are involved in specific private or government projects].
With regard to transactions involving foreign entities wishing to enter into partnership with Zambians, the firm has been called upon to represent parties in the negotiation and preparation of Joint Venture Agreements as well as technical and other service contracts.
BANKING AND CORPORATE FINANCE
The Firm acts regularly for several Merchant and Commercial Banks and other financial institutions operating in Zambia. We provide comprehensive advice on all domestic banking requirements, including lending on the security of all forms of assets. We also prepare and perfect purpose-structured security and financial documentation.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The Firm’s exploitation of the intellectual property law is dual. The firm works with its clients to ensure adequate protection of the clients’ ideas, concepts, business operating plans and information, know-how, product or service information, works of authorship and advertising.
The Firm also advises and represents clients in claims for copyright infringement and other intellectual property disputes. The Firm advises and represents clients in obtaining registration of their trademarks, patents, designs and inventions and the protection of trade names and copyrights.
We have been engaged in the transactional aspects of intellectual property ownership such as licensing and franchising and proffer advice on joint venture relationships.
The Firm also handles litigation arising from infringements of its clients’ proprietary interests and generally carries out a “watch service” on behalf of its clients.
PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE
The Firm acts for companies, financial institutions, investors, dealers, developers and owners of property and has been engaged in all aspects of real property law including acquisition, investment and development agreements, working closely with experts from other disciplines in the property field. We advise both developers and funding institutions and conduct planning inquiries and appeals against decisions of planning and other authorities.
LITIGATION AND ARBITRATION
The Firm’s litigation, arbitral and dispute mediation practice arises, in the main, from its general representation of clients engaged in the business and commercial activities of the type already described herein. It is always our aim, however, to obtain a commercially favourable settlement as an alternative to usually lengthy and costly litigation.
DEBT RECOVERY
The Firm acts for some banks, public and private local and foreign companies and individuals in respect of debt recovery and this may often entail investigation of Companies, Members, Directors and their assets.
COMPANY SECRETARIAL SERVICES
The Firm serves as Company Secretary to many commercial enterprises drawn from the major sectors of the economy. Aside from attendance of meetings and filing of requisite returns, the services normally offered include nominee arrangements and trusteeships.
In general, we ensure compliance with the provisions of legislation relevant to operations of incorporated associations in Zambia.
PRIVATE CLIENT SERVICES
For the individual private clients, the Firm also proffer advice on and provide services in the areas of litigation, succession, wills, intestacy, inheritance and matrimonial proceedings. We draft wills and settlements and assist in taking out probate or obtaining the grant of administration in respect of the estates of deceased persons.
INSURANCE
The firm advises clients when the need arises on the insurable interest of the insured or assured. It also makes claims on insurance companies for its numerous clients and follows up such claims to conclusion.