South African law firm Bowmans has named Mr. Earnest Wiltshire Kalibbala as Uganda Managing Partner as of September 1 2019.
Mr. Kalibbala replaces Mr. William Kasozi who has served for 10 years.
The Sandton, Johannesburg, headquartered law firm, which also has offices in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, UK among other countries announced that Mr. Kalibbala will lead the firm’s development, oversee daily growth and set improvement strategies.
“Award winning African law firm BOWMANS announces new managing partner for it’s Kampala Office (AF Mpanga Advocates) with Ernest K. Wiltshire replacing William Kasozi as Managing Partner effective 1st September 2019,” reads a statement on its website.
“Ernest Wiltshire is a partner in our Kampala office,” the law firm added.
Mr. Kalibbala’s main practice areas are corporate and commercial law, tax law, employment law, local and international arbitration, and litigation.
He specialises in foreign direct investment, legal due diligence and audit, labour relations and retirement benefits, product liability litigation, and the regulation of non-governmental organisations, immigration and tax law.
He holds an LLB (Hons) from Makerere University Uganda, and an LLM from the University of Cambridge, UK.
He is also a lecturer of law at Makerere University.
The shakeup comes is confirmed after one of its Lawyers, David F.K. Mpanga was reportedly summoned and grilled on a number of inconsistencies including his dealings with the scandalous Bank of Uganda (BoU).
In December 2017, citing conflict of interest, the civil division of the High Court disqualified law firms MMAKS Advocates and AF Mpanga Advocates (Bowmans) from representing the Bank of Uganda in the case where the central bank/Crane Bank In Receivership sued Kampala businessman Sudhir Ruparelia and Meera Investments for allegedly fleecing former Crane Bank Limited of Shs397 billion.
The above decision came after Sudhir applied to court seeking that they be barred from representing BoU and any other institution where Ruparelia Group is involved.
And as such lawyers of MMKAS Advocates, David Mpanga of AF Mpanga-Bowmans and Sebalu & Lule Advocates were also barred from representing BoU and any party in cases involving Ruparelia Group.
The conflicted lawyers formerly worked for Ruparelia Group and therefore had predicial facts to him and Ruparelia Group.
Relevant experience
Mr. Kalibbala represented shareholders of Orient Bank Uganda Limited against the Uganda Revenue Authority in a landmark case dealing with tax liability arising from the sale of interests in Orient Bank Limited and successfully resisted a tax assessment of USD 20 million.
He challenged a tax assessment for an international manufacturing company to a tune of UGX 15 billion as a result of a new tax law being applied prior to its actual enforceability.
Mr. Kalibbala successfully defended Total E&P Uganda, one of the licensed oil and gas exploration and production companies in Uganda, in a suit concerning disposal of waste products.
He previously advised Liberty Life Assurance Uganda in the establishment of an umbrella retirement benefits scheme.
He also dvised the shareholders of Lion Assurance Company on the purchase of 100% shares by Sanlam Emerging Markets leading to the amalgamation of two leading insurance companies in Uganda.
He has been involved in the drafting of the retirement schemes of leading corporate clients such as Uganda Breweries Limited, Citibank Uganda Limited and Tullow Oil Uganda Limited Liberty Life Assurance Uganda Ltd and number of other clients through AON Uganda.
Regularly advising a leading bottling and manufacturing company on compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
He also acted in advising Cipla Limited in its acquisition of Quality Chemicals Limited Uganda the leading manufacturer of Anti-retroviral drugs in Uganda.
