The Cymbell Quartet: Four lawyer friends’ determination to start small and big at the same time To be small and big at the same time, sounds rather exaggerated but yes, that is what most analysts say is going to be a majority of service firms, including law firms of the future. Right-sized but not small, not top heavy but rather with the right skillset mix and not expensive but rather right-priced. One law firm, daring to play in that space is Cymbell Advocates, a brainchild of four lawyer friends- all of them with big dreams- dreams to create what in their words is Uganda’s most outstanding law firm that represents clients locally and globally in today’s global village. Meet the four learned friends, the co-founding partners of Cymbell.

Matsiko Godwin Muhwezi

Managing Partner

Specialist Areas of Practice: Impact Investment, Public Law, Energy & Extractives, Internet Of Things (Iot) Law, Securities, Tax And General Counsel (GC) Support

Years of experience: 8 years

Godwin is the Managing Partner of the firm. He brings wide experience from a variety of sectors and has experience supporting market entry, leading finance portfolio health checks, leading in-house legal teams, and supporting multinational legal offices. 

Godwin started his legal career as an African Renaissance Fellow seconded to the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) where he was exposed to the practice of international public law. He was responsible for researching, transcribing, and advising a lead judge on rulings for labour disputes from UN staff across the world.

He then worked as a Legal Associate at Verma Jivram and Co. Advocates. Here was a desk officer for different companies in charge of all their instructed legal work and transactions. He researched and supported the Managing Partner in commercial litigation matters relating to tax, finance, real estate, and employment law. 

Godwin then moved in-house as part of the legal team at Bank of Africa (BMCE Group). As a legal officer in charge of securities, he was responsible for security perfection, securities audit for the entire bank portfolio, supporting colleagues, shareholders, and regulators in compliance and reporting for bank securities. He also performed documentation, research, and litigation tasks. 

Godwin then joined Bridge International Academies (a silicon valley based education social impact investment company) to support market entry into Uganda and part of the legal team in Africa. He was involved in advising on policy, regulation, real estate, investment, and employment law and processes and litigation. He later became a legal manager for legal services in charge of all legal services support in Uganda. 

He then moved to Fenix International (Engie Group) as Global Associate Legal Counsel supporting the Director, Legal on workstreams from across different operational markets, supply chain, and investment offices. He advised on IoT law, finance, new market entry policy and regulation, tax, intellectual property, energy law, and SLA contracts.

Godwin also tutored at Uganda Christian University for four years. He supported students in; commercial law, criminal law, the law of Evidence, jurisprudence, Law, Christian and Political thought, public law, energy and extractives law among others. 

Professional Qualifications: LLB (Uganda Christian University, Mukono), Dip LP (LDC)

Professional Certifications: Politics and Economics of International Energy (Sciences Po), Resource Governance (SDG Academy, Columbia University), Oil & Gas Industry Operations & Markets (Duke University), Human Rights Law in Africa ( Arcadia University College of Global Studies), Legal Project Management (International Institute of Legal Project Management, Australia), Forensic Investigations (IICFIP), ILFA Banking and Finance Academy, ALSF Academy, Certificate in Digital Money (Tufts, Fletcher School)

Memberships:

• Uganda Law Society

• East Africa Law Society

• International Institute of Legal Project Management

Arinda Herbert Kainlawren

Senior Associate; Cymbell Advocates

Specialist Areas of Practice: Commercial law, Property/Real Estate law, Constitutional law, Employment law, Criminal law, Family Law & Estate Planning, Juvenile Justice law, Humanitarian/Refugee law, Human Rights Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

Years of experience: 5 years

Herbert is a Senior Associate with the firm with more than 9 years’ experience in litigation and dispute resolution practice. Herbert has worked with a number of organizations such as Justice Centres Uganda, Refugee Law Project and Inter-Aid Uganda, and law firms such as M/s Alaka & Co. Advocates and Shonubi Musoke & Co. Advocates.

Herbert earnestly started his law practice in 2011 with M/s Owen Murangira & Co. Advocate as a Legal Assistant. While there, he was exposed to a lot of commercial and civil practice in areas such as banking, debt recovery, land and property law, family law, and employment law. He was also responsible for legal research, advising clients, drafting legal documents, and representing clients in court.

Herbert then moved to Justice Centres Uganda as a Legal officer and the Acting Centre Manager for the Kampala office. Here he was responsible for mentoring and supervising the office staff, advising vulnerable and indigent clients, offering legal representation, conducting legal aid clinics, sensitizing communities on legal matters, coordinating JLOS and other stakeholder meetings among other.

Herbert later moved to M/S Alaka & Co Advocates and spent more than 3 years as an Associate. Here he was exposed to a lot of high level litigation in criminal law practice, constitutional law practice, commercial and property law practice, and public interest litigation practice.

He then joined Refugee Law Project as a legal Officer in charge of offering legal representation to all refugees from Kiryandongo Refugee settlement, Pagirinya Refugee Settlement – Adjumani, Kyanwali Refugee Settlement – Hoima, and Kyaka II Refugee Settlement – Kyegegwa. He was also responsible for offered legal advice, sensitizing communities, and holding mediation sessions to resolve disputes, capacity building trainings for police officer, prison officers, magistrates, and refugee leaders in Kyegegwa, Hoima, Kiryandongo, Mbarara, and Kampala. He also doubled as the Assistant Coordinator for the Hoima officer and responsible for the running of the office and supervising the staff.

Herbert then moved to Inter-Aid Uganda as a legal officer. Here he was the Division Manager of Kawempe Division; also acted as the Assistant to the Legal manager, was a member of the Contracts Committee of the organization, and proposal Drafting Committee. He was responsible for supporting the legal manager, offering legal representation and counsel to all urban refugees. He was the secretary for the Urban Refugee Implementing Partners and Stakeholder Meetings which involved the Office of the Prime Minister, UNHCR, Inter-Aid and all other implementing partners in the urban areas of Uganda. He is responsible for establishing the urban Refugee Handbook. He possesses enormous experience and skills in urban refugee policy and the settlement refugee policy, refugee rights and protection, durable solutions for refugees.

• Professional Qualifications: LLB (Uganda Christian University, Mukono), Dip LP (LDC)

• Professional Certificates: Trial Advocacy (Justice Advocacy Uganda/Africa), Mediation (Judicial Training Institute – Uganda), Public Administration & Management (African Population Institute)

Membership:

• Uganda Law Society
• East African Law Society

Ronald Samuel Wanda

Associate, Cymbell Advocates

Specialist Areas of Practice: Corporate Advisory, Mergers & Acquisitions & Restructuring, Immigration, and Taxation Law.

Years of experience: 5 years

Samuel is an associate with the firm and brings wide experience in Corporate Advisory, Immigration Law, Mergers & Acquisitions & and Restructuring.

Samuel started his career as a Legal Assistant at Quest Advocates where he was in charge of General practice and advisory to clients.

He later worked with Taslaf Advocates & Consultants where he was in charge of the Firm Immigration Advisory practice, not-for-profit corporate set up and compliance, mergers & acquisitions, and conveyance practice.

Samuel has advised many Profit & Not-for-profit organisations setting up in the East African region and onward compliance issues, processing of the relevant operational permits. He has further participated in advising on an acquisition of an insurance company in Uganda.

He has advised social impact funds in setting up in Uganda and has helped them in the formation process, conducting due diligence before investing in the targeted organisations. He also has a niche in immigration as he has acted for many expatriates in helping them obtain all the necessary facilities to necessitate their legal stay in Uganda.

Professional Qualifications: LLB (Makerere University, Kampala), Dip in Legal Practice (LDC)

Memberships:

• Uganda Law Society
• East Africa Law Society
• Rotaract Club of Kampala Ssese Islands