Monica Nakanwagi
Senior Associate
monica.nakanwagi@astraladvocates.com
Monica Nakanwagi holds an LLM (degree) in International Commercial law from University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, an LLB (Hons) degree from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is a Senior Associate in the Intellectual Property team. Formerly Monica was an associate with AF Mpanga Advocates (Bowmans-Uganda) handling corporate governance, commercial transactions, banking and finance, technology, media and telecommunications team and leading the Intellectual Property department.
Professional Memberships
- Advocate of the High Court of Uganda
- East African Law Society
- Law Society of Uganda
Education
- Diploma in Legal Practice, LDC
- LL.B (Hons) Makerere University-Kampala
- LLM, University of Birmingham
- LLB (Hons.), University of Dar es salaam
Career Summary
2022 : Senior Associate, Astral Advocates
2018 - 2022 : Associate, AF Mpanga Advocates (Bowmans)
April 2015 - July 2015 : Clerkship Student, Buwule & Mayiga Advocates
2014 : Legal Intern, MMAKS Advocates (ALN associate firm)
Top Matters
- Advised Open Society Initiative for East Africa in their initiative to implement an Africa-wide organizational change process aimed at develop an optimal common governance and management from its state as five separate entities.
- Advised Triodos Sicav Ii-Triodos Microfinance Fund and Triodos Custody B.V. in the sale of shares in Centenary Development Bank Limited.
- Advised Commercial Bank of Africa on its proposed merger with NC Bank.
- Advised Allianz SE on the acquisition of insurance businesses of Jubilee Insurance Limited.
- Advised Eaton Towers on its take-over by ATC.
- Handled the registration and the management of the intellectual property rights for both local and international clients such as trademark registration and management for clients such as Equity Group Holdings Plc, Pawapay UK Limited, UnitedHealth Group, Nissan Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, NIC Group PLC, Isuzu East Africa Limited, among others.
- Drafted, developed, and advised on intellectual property rights and policies for local and international clients such as the Infectious Diseases Institute and Rocket Health Africa Corp, among others.
- Reviewed target companies’ compliance with the intellectual property laws and analysed the measures taken by the target company to protect its intellectual property rights owned in several due diligence exercises such as due diligence exercise on Multichoice Uganda Limited, NCBA Bank, Equity Group Holding Plc, on Copia Uganda Limited, Sokowatch SMC Limited, among others.
- Analyzed the information technology assets of target companies in mergers and acquisitions transactions and provided advise to the buyers on the legal validity and risks of the information technology assets used by the target company such Multichoice Uganda Limited, Sokowatch, RocketHealth, among others.
- Handled litigation matters concerning lawsuits for copyright infringement on musical works, unauthorized use of image rights and breach of data protection and privacy laws for clients such as Multichoice Uganda Limited, Taz Technologies among others.
- Advised Reed Smith LLP on the copyright law regarding performing rights organisations and the laws on equitable remuneration in Uganda.
- Advised several local and international clients on copyright registrations and protection.
- Managed the Company Secretarial portfolio for Multichoice Uganda Limited, GoTv Uganda Limited, CSquared Uganda Limited, among others.
- Rendered legal advice to MUL on the requirement by UCC to register Multichoice Africa Holdings B.V under Part VI of the Companies Act, 2012 and to acquire a tax Identification Number (TIN) in Uganda as a condition precedent to the issuance of a landing Rights License (the License), by the UCC.
- Rendered legal advice to Multichoice Uganda Limited on the occupational and health safety laws and regulations.
- Rendered legal advice to Multichoice Uganda Limited on the termination of its employees.
- Undertook a compliance due diligence exercise on Eaton Towers Uganda Limited prior to the its acquisition by American Tower Corporation.
- Advised and handled the acquisition and transfer of the PIP Licence from Eaton Towers Uganda Limited to American Tower Corporation.Undertook several due diligence exercises on multinational companies and analysed their compliance with the corporate governance laws, employment laws, environmental laws, conveyancing laws, data privacy and data protection laws, regulatory laws of Uganda for example a due diligence exercise on Fourth Generation Capital Uganda Limited, NIC Bank Uganda Limited, Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited, Open Society Foundation, Copia Uganda Limited and Sokowatch SMC Limited.
