IFLR 1000
The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

Mkono & Co in association with SNR Denton

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Tanzania

Financial and corporate

Mkono & Co in association with SNR Denton

Mkono & Co is the Tanzanian powerhouse. "Very solid, the largest law firm, [well] connected," says an in-house counsel.... [more]

Leading lawyers
Wilbert Kapinga
Nimrod Mkono


In association with SNR Denton

8th Floor Exim Tower, Garden Avenue
PO Box 4369 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tel: +255-22-2114664; +255-22-2118789/91
Fax: +255-22-2116635; +255-22-2113247
Email: info@mkono.com
Web: www.mkono.com

2nd Floor, Old East Building, Place de l'Indépendance,
B.P. 2341, Bujumbura, Burundi

Tel: +257-22- 256219/20
Fax: +257-22- 25 6221
Email: info@mkono.co.bi
Web: www.mkono.co.bi

Firm overview

Main office established: 1977
Managing Partner: Hon. Nimrod E. Mkono
Senior Partner: Dr. Wilbert B. Kapinga
Senior Partner: Capt. Audax K. Kameja
Partner: Karel Daele
Partner (Burundi): Gilbert Nyatanyi
Number of partners worldwide: 7
Number of lawyers worldwide: 19

Firm profile:

With almost 20 lawyers, Mkono & Co is one of the largest and most highly respected law firms in East-Africa. The Founding Partner, Hon. Nimrod E. Mkono, MP, has been recognized as one of the country's leading corporate lawyers by leading international professional directories and peers alike. The firm offers a wide selection of legal services globally to the corporate, industrial and governmental communities.

International experience:
The United Republic of Tanzania and East Africa can without any doubt be considered as one of the most attractive areas for private investment in Africa, offering a market of over 200 million people. In this emerging economy, Mkono & Co Advocates constitutes an ideal partner for foreign investors in Tanzania.

Mkono & Co houses close to 20 lawyers in its headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The firm has a branch office in Burundi, exclusive associations in Rwanda and Uganda and alliances with a number of law firms in other African jurisdictions. Finally Mkono & Co has formed an association with SNR Denton in 2000, is part of an expanding network throughout Africa, a member of Terralex and can draw upon an exclusive network of specialised international lawyers.

Main international areas of practice:

Corporate/Commercial: The corporate side of the practice has a longstanding reputation for its representation of major public and private companies and institutions on all aspects of corporate activity, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, management buy-outs, etc. as well as providing specialist support in areas such as pensions and employee benefits.

Banking/Finance: Mkono & Co's Banking and Finance Practice advises on all aspects of commercial banking and lending business. The department supports borrowers, lenders, issuers, lead managers and trustees on debt, syndicated lending and trade finance.

Dispute Resolution: Mkono & Co. Advocates handles a wide variety of domestic and international commercial disputes relating to construction, defamation, employment, financial and corporate matters, insolvency, insurance, etc.

Securities/Capital Markets: Mkono & Co has a strong securities and capital markets practice, representing both issuers and underwriters in a wide variety of securities offerings. This department advises on disclosure and corporate governance matters, on corporate and securities regulatory issues and transactional structuring.

Intellectual/Real Property: Mkono & Co. Advocates is a leading firm in the protection of intellectual property rights. The firm is actively involved in handling applications for trademarks and patents, including contentious and noncontentious work, such as licensing and franchising, trademark infringement, passing off and opposition proceedings, copyright and design right, confidential information disputes and protection.

Institutional/Public Law Reform: Counsel in this practice provide advice and support on legal issues and policy support to governmental and regulatory authorities and have been instrumental in most of the privatisations and institutional reforms in Tanzania.

Awards:
The firm is recognised by international professional directories and has received multiple awards for its legal leadership and quality of services. The firm has been ranked in Tier 1 by Chambers Global since 2000 and has several lawyers firmly established as leaders in their field.

Professional directories:
• "The most successful Tanzanian firm in a dominant market position." IFLR, 2009 edition
• "Rainmaker Wilbert Kapinga covers a good mix of disputes, corporate and telecoms work." PLC Which Lawyer, 2009 edition
• "Wilbert Kapinga is recommended as a well established and responsive attorney whose workload spans trade and project finance, along with arbitration concerns." Chambers Global, 2009 edition
• "Has the resources to handle some of the country's largest transactions across a variety of practice areas." Chambers Global, 2009 edition
• "Mkono & Co is still the most successful law firm operating in the Tanzanian legal market; over the last 12 months they have won some of the most desirable deals in East-Africa. They have a competitive edge and a close association with international law firms which puts them in a dominant market position." IFLR, 2009 edition

Partners:
Hon. Nimrod E. Mkono, MP (Managing Partner)
Email: nimrod.mkono@mkono.com
Dr. Wilbert B. Kapinga (Partner)
Email: wilbert.kapinga@mkono.com
Capt. Audax K. Kameja (Partner)
Email: capt.kameja@mkono.com
Karel Daele (Partner)
Email: karel.daele@mkono.com
Gilbert Nyatanyi (Partner) - Burundi
Email: gilbert.nyatanyi@mkono.com
Joy Alliy (Partner)
Email: joy.alliy@mkono.com