Our IP & Technology practice area provides comprehensive legal services to clients in the technology and intellectual property industries. We advise on all aspects of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, data privacy, cybersecurity, and e-commerce matters.

IP & Technology

<p>Joel K. Kalungi is an Associate in the firm's Corporate and Commercial Department. He first joined Signum Advocates through clerkship and was retained on completion of his Bar Course, a reflection of the firm's confidence in his ability, judgment and work ethic.</p><p>He is currently on secondment to one of the firm's insurance-sector clients, where he routinely supports corporate governance, risk and compliance; manages claims before the Insurance Regulatory Authority's Complaints Bureau; drafts insurance-sector contracts; and advises on risk management.</p><p>More broadly, Joel advises international and local clients on regulatory, compliance and commercial matters across a range of sectors. His expertise spans insurance, employment and labour, tax, capital markets, contracts, investigations, dispute resolution and strategic transaction support.</p>

Makerere University

Law Development Centre

Legal Practice (Bar Course)

Joel K. Kalungi

Young ICCA (Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration)

<div><h1>Our Corporate and Commercial practice</h1> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">Our Corporate and Commercial practice provides a broad range of corporate and commercial advisory to a vast set of clients at the firm. These range from domestic to international clientele and include;</p><ul><li>Corporate Advisory and Regulatory Compliance</li><li>Capital Markets</li><li>Corporate Governance and Board Affairs</li><li>Mergers and Acquisitions</li></ul> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">Our Corporate and Commercial lawyers provide cost-effective and seamless solutions to our clients. We take time to understand our clients and each of their needs where the team then coins and provides tailored, practical and innovative advice to provide solutions and enable the client to achieve their objectives.</p> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">Our team’s extensive experience in advising clients leverages our position as a unique and model firm of choice. Our Corporate and Commercial Department was recognised as the “Corporate Team of the year 2021” by the Uganda Law Society Awards.</p><br><br><h1>Our services include work relating to:</h1><br><h3>A. Corporate Advisory and Regulatory Compliance</h3><ul><li>Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We are retained to render legal advisory to the client from time to time. This includes drafting and/or reviewing of all legal documentation and providing bespoke legal advisory. We have specifically drafted and negotiated a Service Level Agreement for Telemedicine services in the wake of innovation and technology between Prudential Assurance (U) Limited and the Medical Concierge Group and advised on all the legal aspects related to the said Agreement.</p><li>National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farmers’ Enterprises (NUCAFE)</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">In 2021/2022, we were engaged to act for NUCAFE, a coffee Argo processing company and Not for profit entity, to restructure its not-for-profit entity in creation a social business and a profit-making arm of the business. We curved out the profit aspects of the Nonprofit and created a social business structure for the Client. The Client runs a 23 billion structure where the farmer ownership model, a patented model is used. We advised on the reorganization, drafted the asset purchase agreements, and advised on employee transfers.</p> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">In 2019, we also acted for NUCAFE, a Coffee based Argo processing company, and advised on the Solar power project for their Plant in Namanve. The project was conducted by a Kenyan Company, and we assisted from the Due Diligence on the Kenyan Company to the commissioning of the Plant. We specifically negotiated and drafted and/or reviewed the turnkey EPC contracts (FIDIC Styled Contracts) and also rendered advisory on the tax implications for the importation of the solar panels and other accessories.</p> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We advise and represent NUCAFE from time to time regarding the propriety of its lease agreements, financing options agreements and structuring of their business enterprises including Franchising, distributorship and agency agreements with its business partners.</p><li>Swangz Avenue Limited</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We are retained to provide legal advisory to the client from time to time. This entails the negotiation, drafting and/or review of contracts. We successfully advised on the contract between the client and Sony Entertainment PLC.</p><li>Healthy Entrepreneurs Uganda Limited</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We are retained by Healthy Entrepreneurs Uganda Limited to offer routine legal advisory on commercial and contractual aspects, immigration, employment and regulatory compliance with regulatory requirements with the National Drug Authority and District Health Officials. Healthy Entrepreneurs is an Organisation whose trained health workers sell health care products and educate their customers from their own mini-pharmacies. Thanks to the efforts of these passionate entrepreneurs, isolated villages transform into strong, healthy, well-informed communities.</p><li>Liquid Intelligent Telecom</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We have advised Liquid Intelligent Telecom on compliance with its obligations under the Uganda Communications Act and attendant regulations. We have advised it on its obligations to its clients as a service provider vis-a-vis its responsibility to the industry regulator.</p><li>Vine Pharmaceuticals Limited</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We render legal advisory to Vine Pharmaceuticals on commercial and contractual aspects and its compliance with the National Drug Authority and other industry regulators. We have also advised Vine on managing tax obligations and liability to the Uganda Revenue Authority.</p><li>Pathfinder International</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We acted as external legal counsel for Pathfinder International, a US-based non-profit organization concerned with sexual-reproductive health rights on funding and grants agreements, procurements matter, employment and employee rights and given general legal advisory in a score of practice areas.</p><li>Mengo Hospital</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We are retained to render legal advisory to the Hospital and routinely review agreements with its service providers, contractors and its employees to ensure that the Hospital’s risks and liabilities are covered.</p></ul><h3>B. Capital Markets</h3><ul><li>Tolea Securities Limited and ALTX Securities Exchange</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">The Firm was engaged to provide legal advisory in the submission of the client’s prospectuses to the Capital Markets Authority. The Capital Markets Authority in March 2023 approved two (2) prospectuses allowing Tolea Securities Limited to trade Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) Securities built respectively with Regional Treasury Debt securities from all over Africa, and Equities from various markets across the globe on the ALTX Securities Exchange. The Firm was involved in the process from the very beginning and contributed greatly to the development of these financial instruments. This transaction was the first of its kind on Uganda’s Securities Exchange market.</p></ul><h3>C. Corporate Governance and Board affairs</h3><ul><li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 5px; color: #000000;"> We act as Company Secretarial services, governance, board oversight and compliance for several clients such as Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited, NUCAFE, Ziba Limited, Bless A Child Limited.</p><p></p></li></ul><h3>D. Mergers and Acquisitions</h3><ul><li>Prudential Assurance Uganda Limited</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">The Firm acted for the Acquirer acquiring International Air Ambulance (IAA). The acquisition and transfer of business was approved by the Insurance Regulatory Authority. We drafted and/or reviewed and negotiated the Deed of Transfer and the commercial contracts.</p><li>Acquisition of Opportunity Bank by TLG Capital Fund</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We acted for the acquirer, a Private Equity Fund from the Cayman Islands and UK. We assisted in the negotiation of the Share Purchase and assisted to lodge the application to the Bank of Uganda for clearance and approval of the acquisition.</p><li>Acquisition of Tugende Uganda</li> <p style="font-size:0.9em; padding-bottom: 10px;">We acted for the potential acquirer in conducting a due diligence on Tugende Uganda. The report entailed correspondences with Teams in Ivory Coast and Kenya.</p></ul></div>

Our law firm provides comprehensive corporate and commercial legal services to businesses of all sizes. We assist clients in various matters, including entity formation, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, and compliance

Corporate & Commercial

Our law firm offers a wide range of legal services in the field of banking and finance. We advise financial institutions, borrowers, and investors on regulatory compliance, lending transactions, debt restructuring, and project financing

Banking & Finance

Navigating the complexities of tax laws and regulations can be challenging for individuals and businesses. Our law firm offers comprehensive tax advisory services, assisting clients with tax planning, compliance, and structuring transactions to optimize tax efficiency

Tax Advisory & Dispute Resolution

When disputes arise, our law firm is equipped to handle all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution. We represent clients in civil litigation matters, such as contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, and commercial disputes

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

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