Charles Odere

Personal Background

Mr. Odere is the Managing Partner at Landwell Advocates in Kampala, Uganda. He has advised on and engaged in several transactions in the commercial, properties and telecommunications sectors over the past 30 years.

Charles advises companies, banks, regional and international investors on corporate, commercial law and tax issues. He also has extensive experience in the fields of Land and Real Estates laws. Before going into private practice, Charles Lectured and taught various Commercial & Company Law courses including contract, sale of goods, banking and insurance, company law, partnerships, taxation to students and supervised research at the Faculty of Law, Makerere University, Kampala.

He has advised on and/or drafting a number of construction contracts and sub-contracts, vehicle and plant hire and leasing contracts, tax issues, compensation for land and injury-related claims, environmental impact and compliance issues, and also handled litigation and dispute resolution for the joint venture.

Has also argued numerous cases for various corporate and individual clients before the Courts of Uganda, the Court of Appeal, High Court and all Courts of Judicature in Uganda, in the Tax Appeals Tribunal of Uganda and the Commercial Court.

Charles holds a Masters' in Law degree from the London School of Economics, UK and holds a Bachelor’s in law degree from Makerere University.

Significant Professional Assignments

Charles has acted for leading corporate & commercial entities in East Africa in financial services including banking and insurance, the petroleum sector, the telecommunications and media sector, and commerce; governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and various commercial concerns. . The following cases are some of the assignments that Mr. Odere has engaged in on behalf of his clients:

• Rendered expert professional services as consultant with the Foreign Investment Advisory service to advise the Uganda Government (Ministry of Finance) on Administrative Barriers to Investment.
• Advised on a 30 billion shillings (USD 15 million) Bond Issue by a local bank.
• Advised the Privatization Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of the Republic of Uganda on the privatization of several public enterprises.
• Lead Counsel in loan recovery suits against private borrowers & the Government of Uganda in the Commercial Court of Uganda, and as against GOU it entailed the interpretation of international agreements on Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPIC).
• Over 15 years’ experience advising telecommunications companies in Uganda. This work has included negotiating, drafting and execution of telecommunications licenses, interconnect agreements, international roaming agreements, dealership agreements, and agreements for sharing telecommunications infrastructure, site lease agreements, network service agreements and agreements for rights of way.
• Advised and acted on disputes with other telecommunications operators in Uganda regarding interconnect charges and routing of international telephone traffic.
• Advised a pioneer telecom company, from inception in several loan transactions with local banks, the International Finance Corporation and played a lead role as legal counsel for the company.
• Advised several Joint Ventures including one for two Italian companies which undertook and completed the construction and commissioning of a second hydroelectric power plant at the Owen Falls on the River Nile.

Organizations & Memberships

He is a member of the Uganda and East African Law Societies, International & South African Council of Shopping Centers and Past Secretary General of Uganda Hotel Owners Association(UHOA). He is also a Rotarian and Past President of The Rotary Club of Kampala East.

Languages

English(fluent), Lugwere(fluent), Ateso(fluent), Luganda, Swahili (fluent).