Tommy Ogwang
Corporate & Commercial Partner
tommy.ogwang@astraladvocates.com
Tommy joined the Corporate & Commercial team of the Firm from Orima & Co. Advocates and before that, he worked with Masembe, Makubuya, Adriko, Karugaba & Ssekatawa Advocates (MMAKS Advocates/ALN-Uganda) where he worked with the Corporate Advisory Team as an Associate from 2013-2017. Tommy is routinely involved in cross border transactions including but not limited to business establishments, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, conducting legal due diligences (both local and cross border), Corporate Structuring & Re-structuring, Corporate Compliance, Licensing regimes, Mining, Telecoms, HealthCare, Property & Conveyancing, Oil & Gas and a cross section of regulatory issues affecting local and foreign investors. He also has a wealth of experience in negotiating both local and cross border corporate and commercial transactional agreements, and liaising with local counsel in other jurisdictions involved under a cross border transaction. Tommy has served and continues to serve on several local and private international investors’ boards as Company Secretary.
Professional Memberships
- Advocate of the High Court of Uganda
- Member Uganda Law Society
- East African Law Society
Education
- Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, LDC
- LL.B (Hons) Makerere University-Kampala
Career Summary
2022 : Partner, Astral Advocates
2016 - 2022 : Partner, Orima & Co Advocates
2013 - 2016 : Associate, MMAKS Advocates
Top Matters
- Advising and acting for Asigma Capital Fund1 in the acquisition of a majority stake in Moto Geothermal Projekt Uganda Limited (“Moto”), a renewable energy company licensed by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of Uganda to generate electricity from geothermal energy resources from the hot springs of Ihimbo geothermal area in the Western region of Uganda.
- Successfully acting for and advising Euro Minerals Limited, a licensed TIN mining and processing subsidiary of a Dubai based company on the acquisition of its 40,000 square miles mining license and operations in Uganda by Woodcross Resources Uganda Limited who is a subsidiary of Woodcross Capital Asutralia. The acquisition was valued at USD 13,000,000 (United States Dollars Thirteen Million only) with our brief extending to all regulatory clearances and approvals as well as ensuring compliance with all applicable local taxes.
- Successfully advising Victoria Hospital Limited, one of Uganda’s largest privately owned hospitals on a USD 10,000,000 (United States Dollars Ten Million only) capital injection by a Private Equity Fund based in Nairobi-Kenya. Our brief included preparing the Hospital for the injection by ensuring compliance to all regulatory and statutory obligations, putting in place a functional board to ensure compliance with corporate governance requirements, revieing term sheets and all related transactional documents necessary for the admission of the new partner.
- Advising Case Hospital Limited, one of the largest and family-owned private hospitals in Uganda in its capital raise of USD 8,000,000 (United States Dollars Eight Million) from a Private Equity Fund based in Mauritius. The transaction involved conducting a detailed legal & tax due diligence on the Hospital and responding to all questions raised in the DD report as well as advising the Hospital on all transactional and related documents.
- Successfully acting for and advising GDF SUEZ Rassembleurs d’Energies a French based company on its acquisition of Green Bio Energy, a Ugandan company that provides lowincome earners with access to cost saving energy solutions. The transaction involved conducting a detailed diligence on the Company, review of contracts and transaction documents and regulatory compliance.
- Acting for and advising Guardian Health Limited, a top Ugandan retail pharmaceutical company on the acquisition of its shares by a private equity Fund based in Nairobi. The transaction was valued at USD 3 million and used for its citywide expansion.
- Acting for a private company based in Malta on the acquisition of a 75% stake in a group of companies in the sports betting sector. Our scope involved conducting detailed due diligences on the group company, structuring the transaction and preparation of the transaction documents including transfer of all licenses and assets to the buyer.
- Conducting legal due diligences for Asigma Capital, a Ugandan based private equity fund that invests in Medium Enterprises. The due diligences involve review of company records filed at the Companies Registry to confirm shareholding, directorship, debentures, share pledges and compliance with ongoing statutory obligations.
- Acting for Ngetta Tropical Holdings Limited a sunflower cooking oil manufacturing company based in Northern Uganda on the sale and acquisition of a 25% stake to an Indian company that was bringing on board a new technology system and modern plant and machinery expected to improve production for the international market especially in India.
- Acting for the Aga Khan Foundation in a matter involving acquisition of prime land in Nakawa from the Government of Uganda for setting up a state of art Aga Khan University teaching hospital at an estimated cost of USD 100 Million.
- Advising East African Medical Vitals Limited, a medical syringe and gloves manufacturing company in Uganda in its financing requirements of USD 14 million by a major regional development bank a long side a private lender that acquired a minority stake in the borrower.
- Acting for Ngetta Tropical Holdings Limited, one of the largest sunflower oil manufactures based in Northern Uganda on its financing of USD 5 million from Uganda Development Bank. The transaction involved advising the Company in implementing requirements by the Lender such as formation of a strong board, rectification of various corporate documents as well as reviewing and negotiating term sheets and related transactional documents.
- Advising PERMA- PIPE MIDDLE EAST (FZC) a company based in Middle East on its intended bid to Total E&P for the installation of insulated pipelines for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project from Uganda to Tanzania. Our advice extended to best structure the project would adopt, corporate taxation, employment law, business setup in Uganda, JV arrangements and laws as well as application of local content requirements of the sector.
