+256 200 920 717
info@woodcrest.ug
Careers
Submit RFP
Sign In
Our Expertise

Practice areas built for those who lead.

Core Focus
01
Corporate & Commercial Practice
Full-service corporate counsel for Uganda's leading businesses, financial institutions, and investors — across every stage of the corporate lifecycle, from formation through transformation, transaction, and exit.
Corporate Law
  • Company incorporation, registration, and post-incorporation structuring
  • Corporate governance frameworks and board advisory
  • Shareholder agreements, buy-sell arrangements, and minority protection
  • Joint ventures, strategic alliances, and consortium agreements
  • Commercial contracts — drafting, review, and negotiation
  • Regulatory compliance and licensing for corporates and financial institutions
  • Corporate restructuring, mergers, demergers, and redomiciliation
  • Corporate secretarial services — company secretarial support, statutory filings, and records maintenance
  • General meetings, resolutions, and board pack preparation
Corporate Finance
  • Business plan development and investment memoranda
  • Feasibility studies and financial projections
  • Business, share, and asset valuation for transactions and regulatory purposes
  • Private equity and venture capital structuring
  • Transaction advisory across acquisitions, disposals, and restructurings
  • Buy-side and sell-side due diligence — legal, financial, and commercial
  • Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) — domestic and cross-border
  • Management buy-outs (MBOs) and management buy-ins (MBIs)
  • Post-acquisition integration planning and support
  • Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and capital markets advisory
  • Securities offerings, listings, and Uganda Securities Exchange compliance
  • Bonds, notes, sukuk, and structured finance instruments
  • Debt restructuring and renegotiation
Banking & Finance
  • Loan facility agreements, term sheets, and credit documentation
  • Security documentation — charges, debentures, mortgages, and guarantees
  • Project finance and structured lending
  • Syndicated and club lending advisory
  • Banking regulatory compliance — Bank of Uganda licensing and reporting
  • Financial institution formation and licensing
  • Trade and commodity finance
  • Islamic finance and Shari'ah-compliant transactions
  • Fintech regulatory advisory and licensing
Insolvency & Corporate Rescue
  • Corporate rescue, business rehabilitation, and turnaround advisory
  • Administration proceedings and voluntary arrangements
  • Receivership — appointment and conduct of receivers
  • Liquidation and winding-up — voluntary and court-ordered
  • Creditor advisory — secured, preferential, and unsecured creditors
  • Debtor advisory — negotiation, restructuring, and moratorium applications
  • Cross-border insolvency and recognition of foreign proceedings
  • Banking and financial institution resolution advisory
  • Distressed asset acquisition and sale
Insurance Law
  • Insurance contract drafting, review, and negotiation for insurers and policyholders
  • Reinsurance agreements and treaty documentation
  • Insurance regulatory compliance — Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) licensing and reporting
  • Formation and licensing of insurance companies, brokers, and agents
  • Large and complex claims — advisory and dispute management
  • Directors & Officers (D&O) liability and professional indemnity
  • Political risk and trade credit insurance advisory
  • Bancassurance arrangements and regulatory structuring
  • Cross-border insurance transactions and fronting arrangements
Intellectual Property
  • Trade mark registration, maintenance, and enforcement — Uganda and international
  • Patent filing, prosecution, and portfolio management
  • Copyright registration, licensing, and enforcement
  • Industrial designs and geographical indications
  • IP due diligence in M&A and investment transactions
  • IP licensing, assignment, and franchising agreements
  • IP portfolio strategy for corporates, banks, and institutional clients
  • Brand protection — anti-counterfeiting, customs recordation, and market enforcement
  • Domain name disputes and online brand protection
  • Technology transfer agreements and know-how licensing
  • Trade secrets protection and confidentiality frameworks
Employment Law & Labour Relations
  • Employment contracts, service agreements, and executive remuneration packages
  • Workplace policies, employee handbooks, and HR compliance audits
  • Disciplinary and grievance procedures for institutional employers
  • Termination, redundancy, and severance structuring
  • Industrial Court representation and labour dispute resolution
  • NSSF compliance, pension structuring, and benefits advisory
  • Expatriate employment — work permit structuring and immigration alignment
  • Trade union recognition and collective bargaining advisory
  • Employment aspects of M&A and TUPE-equivalent transfers
  • Whistleblower policy design and implementation
Management Consulting
  • Business process outsourcing — legal process outsourcing, contract management, and compliance administration
  • Strategic business advisory and corporate planning for boards and senior management
  • Organisational design, restructuring, and transformation
  • Business performance improvement and operational efficiency reviews
  • Change management advisory
  • ESG advisory — environmental, social, and governance frameworks for corporates, banks, and investors
  • ESG reporting, disclosure compliance (GRI, ISSB), and sustainability strategy
  • Impact investment structuring and advisory
  • Regulatory impact assessments and policy submissions
Government & Public Sector Advisory
  • Government-to-Government (G2G) funding advisory and negotiation
  • Public procurement advisory — compliance, disputes, and debarment proceedings
  • Policy research, regulatory analysis, and legislative drafting support
  • Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) — structuring, negotiation, and implementation
  • Institutional assessments and capacity building for government agencies
  • Governance transformation, policy advisory, and strategic planning
  • Fiduciary risk management and public financial management advisory
  • Privatisation and state enterprise reform advisory
  • International development finance advisory (World Bank, AfDB, IMF-related)
  • Governance training programmes for public officers and board members
Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT)
  • Technology contracts — software licensing, SaaS agreements, and IT outsourcing
  • Data protection and privacy compliance — Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act advisory
  • Cybersecurity legal frameworks and incident response advisory
  • Fintech and digital payments regulatory advisory — BOU, UCC, and NITA-U licensing
  • Telecommunications licensing and regulatory compliance — UCC matters
  • Media law — content licensing, broadcasting regulatory compliance, and press matters
  • E-commerce and digital marketplace legal frameworks
  • Artificial intelligence and emerging technology governance advisory
  • Platform liability and content moderation legal advisory
  • ICT project contracts and technology procurement for government and corporates
  • Cloud computing agreements and data sovereignty advisory
  • Digital asset and cryptocurrency regulatory advisory
Immigration Law
  • Work permit applications and renewals — all classes, for corporates and foreign investors
  • Special Pass, Dependant Pass, and Student Pass applications
  • Entry certificates and visa advisory for business travel and relocation
  • Investor and entrepreneur visa structuring
  • Expatriate workforce management — immigration compliance programmes for multinationals
  • Certificate of Incentives and Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) investor registration
  • East African Community (EAC) freedom of movement advisory
  • Immigration compliance audits for corporate employers
  • Permanent residency and citizenship advisory
  • Immigration advisory for NGOs, international organisations, and diplomatic missions
Risk Advisory
  • Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance programmes — policies, procedures, and training
  • Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) audit, reporting, and compliance
  • Know Your Customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) framework design
  • Fraud prevention, investigation, and asset recovery advisory
  • Risk register development and enterprise risk management frameworks
  • Integrated risk management and three lines of defence implementation
  • Regulatory compliance monitoring — banking, insurance, capital markets, and tax
  • Sanctions screening and compliance advisory
  • Agreed-upon procedures and forensic accounting support
  • ESG risk assessments and climate-related financial risk advisory
  • Business continuity and operational resilience advisory
Make an Enquiry
Core Focus
02
Revenue Law & Tax Practice
Legal and financial expertise applied together — protecting and optimising value for corporates, banks, multinationals, and investors across every tax, compliance, and dispute challenge in Uganda and the region.
Tax Planning & Risk Management
  • Development and implementation of tax plans and strategies ensuring full compliance across: Corporate Income Tax, Value Added Tax, PAYE, Withholding Tax, Stamp Duty, Local Excise Duty, Local Service Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Customs Duty, Rental Tax, Transfer Pricing, and Licence Fees & Government Rates
  • Tax diagnostic reviews and tax health checks for corporates, banks, and institutional investors
  • Tax risk identification, assessment, and mitigation frameworks
  • Tax structuring for new businesses, mergers, acquisitions, and investments
  • Transfer pricing policy review and formulation
  • Employee compensation and executive remuneration structuring for tax efficiency
  • VAT reviews and VAT refund advisory
  • Capital allowances review and optimisation
  • Customs review and trade advisory
  • Lobbying for changes in tax legislation on behalf of industry clients
Tax Administration
  • Tax position reconciliation and ongoing monitoring
  • Preparation and filing of all tax returns across all tax heads
  • Computation of current and deferred tax liabilities
  • Applications for tax exemptions, incentives, and investment certificates
  • Private ruling requests and advance pricing agreements
  • Applications for tax clearance certificates
  • Requests for extensions of time to pay or file
  • Liaison with Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) on all tax matters
  • System integration and technical support — EFRIS, ASYCUDA, eTAX, DTS, and e-invoicing
Tax Accounting & Independent Assurance
  • Tax due diligence on acquisitions, restructurings, and investments — buy-side and sell-side
  • Independent review and assurance of tax positions and disclosures for boards and audit committees
  • Computation and review of current and deferred tax provisions
  • Tax advisory on financial reporting treatments under IFRS and Uganda GAAP
  • Tax reporting for banking and financial institutions — regulatory and statutory submissions
  • Training and capacity development on tax matters for finance teams
Tax Dispute Resolution
  • Representation before URA in queries, investigations, reconciliations, and field audits
  • Processing of objections to tax assessments — formal and informal
  • Negotiation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) with revenue authorities
  • Dealing with enforcement action, tax recovery, and criminal prosecution by revenue authorities
  • Prosecution of applications and appeals before the Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT)
  • Prosecution and defence of tax appeals before the High Court and Court of Appeal
  • Tax controversy management, remediation, and compliance restoration
  • Voluntary disclosure and regularisation programmes
International Tax & Cross-Border Practice
  • Permanent establishment (PE) risk analysis and advisory for foreign investors entering Uganda
  • Withholding tax planning on cross-border payments — dividends, interest, royalties, and services
  • Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) analysis and treaty benefit claims
  • Tax structuring of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Uganda and the East African region
  • Holding company and investment vehicle structuring for regional and offshore investors
  • Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) compliance — country-by-country reporting, controlled foreign company rules, and thin capitalisation
  • Transfer pricing — policy design, documentation, benchmarking studies, and advance pricing agreements
  • Cross-border M&A tax due diligence and post-acquisition integration
  • Tax advisory for East African Community (EAC) and COMESA cross-border transactions
  • Value chain and profit allocation analysis for multinational enterprises
  • Tax advisory for international development finance institutions, NGOs, and foreign diplomatic missions
  • Repatriation structuring — dividends, management fees, and intercompany loans
  • Digital services and e-commerce tax compliance for non-resident suppliers
  • Customs and trade compliance for import-dependent and export-oriented businesses
Make an Enquiry
Core Focus
03
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
Strategic, decisive representation for corporations, financial institutions, and individuals across Uganda's courts, tribunals, and international arbitration forums — always focused on the most efficient and durable resolution.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  • Commercial arbitration — domestic and international, including ICC, LCIA, SIAC, and ICSID-referenced proceedings
  • Institutional and ad hoc arbitration before the Centre for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (CADER), Uganda
  • Mediation and conciliation — facilitation and representation before accredited mediation centres
  • Negotiated settlements and structured workouts for commercial and financial disputes
  • Dispute boards and expert determination in construction and infrastructure projects
  • Enforcement of domestic and foreign arbitral awards under the New York Convention
  • Multi-tiered dispute resolution clause drafting and advisory
  • Investment treaty arbitration advisory for foreign investors against states
Civil & Commercial Litigation
  • High Court civil litigation — contract disputes, debt recovery, and breach of fiduciary duty
  • Court of Appeal and Supreme Court representation
  • Commercial Court proceedings — complex multi-party corporate and financial disputes
  • Banking and financial institution litigation — loan recovery, security enforcement, and bank guarantee disputes
  • Shareholder and boardroom disputes — derivative actions and oppression of minority claims
  • Insurance and reinsurance disputes
  • Corporate and personal insolvency litigation
  • Enforcement of judgments and court orders — domestic and cross-border
  • Injunctions, freezing orders, and urgent interim relief
  • Judicial review of administrative and regulatory decisions affecting businesses
  • Class action and representative proceedings
Land Litigation
  • Land ownership and title disputes — customary, freehold, mailo, and leasehold
  • Boundary disputes, encroachments, and trespass claims
  • Adverse possession and unlawful eviction proceedings
  • Compulsory acquisition and compensation disputes — government and infrastructure projects
  • Landlord and tenant disputes — commercial and residential lease disputes
  • Land fraud, forgery, and fraudulent transfer of title claims
  • Succession and inheritance disputes involving land assets
  • Institutional and corporate landholding disputes
  • Land disputes involving foreign investors and public land
  • Environmental and heritage land matters
Criminal Law Practice
  • White-collar crime defence — fraud, forgery, obtaining by false pretences, and conspiracy
  • Anti-corruption and bribery defence — IGG investigations and Inspectorate proceedings
  • Financial crime — money laundering, tax evasion, and securities fraud
  • Cybercrimes and computer misuse defence
  • Regulatory criminal prosecution defence — banking, insurance, tax, and company law offences
  • Pre-charge advisory and representation during police and DPP investigations
  • Bail applications, urgent hearings, and remand proceedings
  • Corporate criminal liability advisory and compliance
  • Proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture defence
  • Private prosecution proceedings
  • Appellate criminal proceedings — Court of Appeal and Supreme Court
Family Court Practice
  • Divorce and judicial separation proceedings
  • Contested and uncontested matrimonial proceedings
  • Child custody, care, and control — including contested custody involving foreign nationals
  • Child support and maintenance applications
  • Guardianship and adoption proceedings — domestic and cross-border
  • Matrimonial property disputes involving High Net Worth Individuals
  • Injunctions and protection orders in domestic matters
  • Inheritance and succession disputes in the Family Division
  • Capacity and mental health proceedings
  • Surrogacy and assisted reproduction legal advisory
Make an Enquiry
04
Real Estate & Conveyancing
End-to-end legal and valuation support for property transactions, development, and disputes — for domestic buyers, foreign investors, corporates, banks, and developers operating in Uganda's evolving property market.
Property Transactions & Conveyancing
  • Property acquisition, sale, and transfer — for individuals, corporates, banks, and foreign investors
  • Conveyancing, title registration, and title insurance advisory
  • Off-plan and new development purchases — due diligence and contract advice
  • Commercial property purchases and disposals
  • Sale and leaseback arrangements
Land Tenure & Title Advisory
  • Land tenure analysis — freehold, mailo, leasehold, and customary land
  • Title verification, land search, and due diligence reports
  • Conversion of land tenure and ground rent negotiations with Uganda Land Commission
  • Land registration and title rectification
  • Advisory on foreign ownership restrictions and investment land holding structures
Commercial Leasing & Property Development
  • Commercial lease drafting, review, and negotiation for landlords and tenants
  • Long-term and build-to-suit lease structuring
  • Property development contracts — construction, design-and-build, and EPC agreements
  • Developer and contractor disputes
  • Sectional title and condominium property advisory
  • Mixed-use development structuring for investors and developers
Mortgage, Security & Property Finance
  • Mortgage documentation and title charge registrations for banks and financial institutions
  • Property security structuring for corporate and project finance transactions
  • Foreclosure and mortgage enforcement proceedings
  • Debenture and floating charge advisory over property assets
  • Strata and multi-unit property financing advisory
Valuation & Survey Services
  • Independent property valuation for acquisition, disposal, and financial reporting purposes
  • Compulsory acquisition and compensation valuations
  • Rental determination and rent review advisory
  • Asset valuation for mortgage lending, estate administration, and litigation
  • Land and improvement surveys, boundary demarcation, and cadastral work
  • Plant and machinery valuation
Disputes & Regulatory Matters
  • Boundary and ownership dispute advisory and litigation support
  • Compulsory acquisition and compensation claims against government
  • Planning, zoning, and environmental permit advisory
  • Landlord and tenant dispute resolution — commercial and institutional
  • Property-related insolvency and receivership advisory
Make an Enquiry
05
Energy & Natural Resources Law
Specialist legal advice for investors, operators, governments, and lenders in Uganda's oil and gas, mining, renewable energy, and infrastructure sectors — grounded in regulatory precision and commercial understanding.
Oil & Gas
  • Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) — negotiation, review, and advisory for operators and investors
  • Oil and gas licensing — Petroleum Exploration, Development, and Production (PEDP) advisory
  • Upstream, midstream, and downstream regulatory compliance
  • Refinery, pipeline, and storage project advisory
  • EACOP and trans-boundary pipeline legal advisory
  • Farm-in, farm-out, and joint operating agreements (JOAs)
  • Petroleum fiscal regime advisory — royalties, profit oil, and cost recovery
  • Decommissioning and abandonment advisory
Mining & Minerals
  • Mining permits, exploration licences, and concession agreements
  • Mineral royalty and fiscal regime advisory
  • Mining M&A — acquisition and disposal of mineral rights
  • Community development agreements and benefit-sharing structures
  • Cross-border mineral rights and EAC mining regulatory advisory
  • Environmental and social impact management in mining projects
Renewable Energy & Power
  • Renewable energy project development — solar, hydro, wind, and geothermal
  • Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) — negotiation and advisory for generators, offtakers, and lenders
  • Grid connection, wheeling, and electricity distribution licensing
  • Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) regulatory advisory
  • Energy financing — project finance, green bonds, and development finance
  • Independent Power Producer (IPP) structuring and licensing
  • Carbon credits, voluntary carbon market advisory, and emissions trading
  • Energy transition and just transition policy advisory
Environmental & Regulatory
  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legal advisory and permitting
  • NEMA compliance and environmental regulatory matters
  • Environmental litigation and regulatory enforcement defence
  • Climate change regulatory compliance for corporates and investors
  • ESG integration in energy project structuring
  • Environmental due diligence for acquisitions in the energy sector
Project Finance & M&A
  • Energy and natural resources sector M&A — domestic and cross-border
  • Project finance structuring for energy infrastructure
  • Lender-side and borrower-side project finance advisory
  • Government and investor relations advisory for energy projects
  • Risk allocation in energy contracts — EPC, O&M, and BOOT structures
  • Dispute resolution advisory for energy projects and concession agreements
Make an Enquiry
06
Family Law & Estates Planning
Discreet, considered counsel for High Net Worth Individuals, business-owning families, and internationally mobile clients — protecting what has been built and ensuring it passes to the right hands, across borders and generations.
Wills & Testamentary Planning
  • Will drafting for individuals, High Net Worth clients, and business owners
  • Mutual wills and complex testamentary arrangements
  • Testamentary capacity advisory and contested will proceedings
  • Living wills and advance directives
  • Cross-border will validity and recognition advisory for foreign nationals in Uganda and Ugandans abroad
Succession & Inheritance
  • Succession planning for family-owned businesses and corporate shareholders
  • Inheritance advisory under Ugandan, customary, and international private law
  • Multi-jurisdictional estate planning for internationally mobile clients
  • Succession planning for High Net Worth Individuals — asset protection and tax efficiency
  • Blended family succession structures
Trusts & Foundations
  • Trust formation, structuring, and administration — personal, charitable, and commercial trusts
  • Family office structuring and advisory
  • Charitable trusts and not-for-profit foundation establishment
  • Offshore trust advisory and coordination with foreign trustees
  • Trust dispute resolution and breach of trust claims
Probate & Estate Administration
  • Letters of administration and grant of probate — contested and uncontested
  • Estate administration and asset realisation
  • Cross-border probate — recognition of foreign grants and repatriation of assets
  • Estate administration involving corporate shareholdings and business interests
  • Creditor claims management in estate administration
Matrimonial & Family Matters
  • Divorce and judicial separation — contested and uncontested, including internationally mobile spouses
  • Matrimonial property division for High Net Worth Individuals — businesses, real estate, and investments
  • Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements
  • Cohabitation agreements and separation arrangements
  • Spousal maintenance and financial provision orders
  • Child custody, care arrangements, and access orders
  • Parental responsibility and guardianship — including matters involving foreign nationals
  • International child abduction and Hague Convention matters
Adoption & Child Law
  • Domestic adoption proceedings
  • Cross-border and inter-country adoption — compliance with Hague Convention principles
  • Guardianship orders for foreign nationals and international families
  • Surrogacy advisory and parental order proceedings
  • Child support enforcement — domestic and cross-border
Make an Enquiry