Legal Services

Guidance on Mining Law and Regulations

We provide expert counsel to ensure clients fully understand and comply with the legal frameworks governing mining in Uganda and beyond.

• Regulatory Compliance: We guide clients through Uganda's mining law and related regulations, advising on licensing requirements, environmental obligations, and compliance with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). Our transparent approach ensures clients receive clear, actionable advice on regulatory processes and timelines.
• Foreign Investment Structuring: We provide tailored guidance on foreign ownership, joint ventures, and protections offered by Uganda's Investor Protection Unit under the Uganda Investment Authority. We clarify tax restrictions, tax incentives, and repatriation of profits, ensuring compliance with the Investment Code Act and international standards like the IFC Performance Standards.
• Policy Updates and Advocacy: We keep clients informed of all regulatory changes, such as amendments to mining or environmental laws, and advocate on their behalf in dealings with government bodies like the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines. Our guidance ensures clients stay ahead of legal developments, minimising compliance risks.

Dispute Resolution and Advocacy

We represent clients in disputes involving mineral rights, environmental concerns, human rights violations or community grievances, leveraging expertise in negotiation, mediation, and litigation to achieve fair outcomes.

Human Rights Advisory for Businesses

We provide expert legal guidance to mining companies on integrating human rights principles into their operations, ensuring compliance with international standards (for example, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights) and local regulations.

Services include risk assessment, policy development, and strategies to mitigate human rights impacts, fostering ethical and sustainable business practices.

Facilitating Transactions between Verified Buyers and Sellers of Minerals

We specialize in facilitating transactions between verified buyers and sellers of minerals through ensuring secure, compliant, and transparent exchanges in Uganda's dynamic mineral sector.

By conducting thorough due diligence, we mitigate risks, verify the integrity of all parties, and safeguard client interests, fostering trust in mineral trading. Our expertise in Uganda's mining laws and other relevant laws, and international standards, combined with our commitment to human rights and community empowerment, ensures that transactions are legally robust, ethically sound, and beneficial to all stakeholders.

• Verification of Buyers and Sellers: We rigorously vet buyers and sellers to confirm their legitimacy, financial capacity, compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Identity and Licensing Verification: We confirm that parties hold valid licenses issued by the designated authority. We verify identities to prevent fraud or illicit trade, aligning with Uganda's anti-money laundering laws and international standards like the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains.
• Reputation and Track Record Checks: We assess the business history and reputation of parties to ensure reliability, using public records, industry networks and all relevant platforms.
• Conflict-Free Sourcing: We ensure transactions comply with regulations preventing trade in conflict minerals and international frameworks like the Kimberley Process for precious stones or the Responsible Minerals Initiative.

Contract Negotiation and Review

We provide meticulous contract negotiation and review services to secure favourable, legally sound agreements that can protect client interests and promote ethical mining practices.

Our services are designed to navigate the complexities of mining-related contracts while ensuring transparency and alignment with regulatory and community obligations.

• Drafting and Reviewing Mining Contracts: We meticulously draft and review a wide range of agreements, including mineral exploration licenses, mining leases, joint venture agreements, royalty contracts, and community benefit-sharing agreements. Leveraging our experience of drafting legal briefs, we ensure contracts comply with Uganda's mining laws and all other relevant laws, incorporating clear clauses on ownership, environmental responsibilities, and dispute resolution mechanisms.
• Strategic Negotiation Support: We represent clients in negotiations with partners, government entities, suppliers and local communities, securing terms that balance profitability with compliance and fairness. Our transparent approach ensures all parties understand obligations such as royalty payments or land access terms, reducing the risk of future disputes. We prepare clients with detailed negotiation strategies, outlining key risks and opportunities.
• Incorporating Human Rights and Community Protections: We embed human rights considerations into contracts, ensuring provisions for fair compensation, community consultation, and environmental safeguards as required under Uganda's legal framework and international standards like the Equator principles. For example, we include clauses for community resettlement agreements or benefit-sharing plans, reflecting your mission to empower local stakeholders and promote equitable outcomes.
• Cross-Border Contract Expertise: For international clients, we review and negotiate contracts to address cross-jurisdictional issues such as taxation under Uganda's Income Tax Act, repatriation of profits, and international arbitration. Our transparent communication ensures clients fully understand contractual implications, enhancing confidence in global partnerships.
• Ongoing Contract Management: We provide post-negotiation support, including contract amendments, compliance monitoring, and dispute prevention strategies, ensuring agreements remain robust throughout the project lifecycle. Our proactive approach minimises legal risks and fosters long-term stakeholder trust.

Environmental Law and Permitting Services

Aimed at ensuring that mining operations in Uganda and across Africa comply with stringent environmental regulations while fostering sustainable and community focused outcomes.

We are committed to balancing industry needs with environmental stewardship and community rights, ensuring that your mining projects are legally sound, environmentally responsible, and socially equitable. We offer comprehensive support for the preparation, review and implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments, a critical requirement under Uganda's National Environment Act, 2019 and international standards such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards.

Our services include: environmental impact assessment planning and scoping, baseline studies and data integration, stakeholder engagement, impact analysis and mitigation strategies, environment impact assessment report preparation and submission and monitoring and compliance.

Conducting Thorough Due Diligence with Anti-Money Laundering Focus

Our due diligence services provide clients with comprehensive, transparent assessments to make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance in mining projects, and ensure strong emphasis on anti-money laundering (AML) measures.

We conduct rigorous investigations tailored to the mineral sector, leveraging our expertise in Uganda's legal and regulatory environment and international anti-money laundering frameworks to deliver actionable insights.

• Legal Due Diligence: We thoroughly examine the legal status of mineral rights, licenses, and land titles to confirm validity and compliance with Uganda's mining laws and other relevant laws. We identify potential legal risks, such as unresolved disputes or regulatory penalties, ensuring clients have a clear picture of their legal standing.
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Compliance: We integrate robust AML measures into our due diligence process, ensuring compliance with Uganda's Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2013 and international standards, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.
• Source of Funds Verification: We scrutinize the financial backgrounds of investors, partners, and vendors involved in mining projects to ensure funds are legitimate and not derived from illicit activities, such as illegal mining or fraud. This protects clients from legal and reputational risks under Uganda's AML regulations.
• Beneficial Ownership Analysis: We investigate the ultimate beneficial owners of entities involved in transactions, ensuring transparency and compliance with Uganda's Companies Act and AML requirements for disclosing ownership structures.
• Transaction Monitoring: We review financial transactions related to mineral rights, royalties, or contract red flags, such as unusual payments patterns or offshore accounts, to prevent money laundering risks. Our transparent reporting highlights any concerns and recommends mitigation strategies.
• AML Policy Development: We assist clients in developing internal AML policies, including Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and suspicious activity reporting, to align with Uganda's Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) requirements and global best practices.
• Environmental and Social Due Diligence: We assess environmental and social risks, including compliance with Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) under the National Environment Act, 2019, water use permits, and community agreements. Our human rights-focused approach evaluates impact on local communities, such as land access or displacement risks, aligning with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We ensure transparent reporting of environmental and social risks, including AML-related concerns that could affect community trust or project viability.
• Financial and Operational Due Diligence with AML Focus: We analyse the financial and operational viability of mining projects, with a specific focus on AML risks. This includes royalty obligations, tax compliance under the Income Tax Act, and financial flows to detect potential money laundering activities. We assess operational risks, such as partnerships with entities flagged by the FIA or international watchlists, ensuring clients avoid legal and financial penalties. Our geological activities validate resource data to ensure financial projections are not inflated to obscure illicit funds.
• Transparent and Accessible Reporting: Our due diligence reports are comprehensive, clear, and transparent, detailing legal, AML, environmental, financial, and social findings. We highlight AML risks, such as questionable funding sources or non-compliant entities, and provide actionable recommendations, such as KYC checks or FIA reporting. Reports are presented in an accessible format, empowering clients to make informed, compliant decisions.
• Stakeholder Engagement with AML Awareness: We engage transparently with stakeholders, including communities, regulators, and financial institutions, to verify compliance with AML, social, and environmental obligations. This aligns with our commitment to community empowerment and transparency, ensuring local stakeholders are informed of their rights and protected from illicit financial activities that could undermine project integrity.

Community Sensitization and Support

We advocate for and educate local communities on their rights in mining contexts, including land use, environmental protection, and fair compensation.

We offer tailored workshops, legal consultations, and representation to empower communities and promote equitable engagement with mining projects.