Alex Samson Ntale

background

Alex is a Principal Associate at ALN Uganda | MMAKS Advocates, one of the leading law firms in Uganda. Alex works with the employment and Litigation teams, and he handles litigation matters arising out of commercial disputes. 

Alex is actively involved in the employment practice. He routinely advises on an array of employment matters, including but not limited to restructurings, review of employee handbooks, termination, and dismissal of employees. He handles several employment-related matters before the Industrial Court and Court of Appeal of Uganda. He has participated in several employment law webinars, podcasts and conferences organised by the Employment Law Alliance and Uganda Law Society. 

Alex graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, Uganda.

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• Advocate, High Court of Uganda
• Member, Uganda Law Society
• Member, East Africa Law Society
• Uganda Representative, Employment Law Alliance
• Member, Industrial Court (Uganda) Users Committee

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Law Development Centre 

LLB (Hons) Makerere University, Uganda.

Career summary

2023 - Date        Principal Associate, MMAKS Advocates 

2015 - 2022         Associate, MMAKS Advocates

2013                    Internship Student, Bank of Uganda

areas of expertise

• General Commercial Litigation
• Intellectual Property
• Dispute Resolution

TOP matters

employment

• Acting for the Bank of Uganda in a suit involving the termination of employees who sought terminal benefits and compensation for unlawful termination and early or forced retirement.
• Acting for Oryx Oil Uganda Limited, a subsidiary of Addax and Oryx Group Limited, to successfully defend an employment claim seeking compensation in a sum of Ug. Shs. 18,588,145,180 for alleged unlawful termination of employees. 
• Advising on the employment-related aspects of the transaction to acquire a 100% stake in Kansai Plascon East Africa Proprietary Limited from Kansai Paint Co. Limited.
• Advising Masstores (Pty) Ltd and Massmart Holdings Ltd, the shareholders in Game Discount World (Uganda) Ltd, about the employment-related implications of the intended sale of their entire shareholding and/or business in Game Discount World (Uganda) Ltd to a third party.
• Acting for Absa Bank Uganda Limited, Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited, Uganda National Bureau of Standards and Uganda Breweries Limited to successfully defend several actions of unlawful termination before the Industrial Court of Uganda.

TAX

• Advising Uganda Breweries Limited concerning a complex tax dispute with the Uganda Revenue Authority involving the application of the East African Customs Management Act, 2004.

intellectual property

• Acting for Intel Corporation in an action seeking orders inter alia to restrain Intel Computers Limited from using our client’s “Intel” trademark and “dropped e” logo and to deliver up for destruction all material bearing the Intel Computer Limited name, trademark, get-up, or any other material which infringes on the “Intel” trademark.
• Acting for Nokia Corporation in a suit against the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (“URSB”) and a local player seeking orders that the local player is infringing on the “NOKIA” trademark and the local player having ceased carrying business, URSB is obliged to remove its name from the Business Names Register pursuant to the Business Names Registration Act, Cap 109.
• Successfully acting for Centenary Rural Development Bank Limited in a suit filed by Kasule Kalule t/a Modern Design Services claiming that he is the creator/owner of the Bank’s corporate logo and therefore entitled to copyright protection, the suit being dismissed.
• Acting for SCD Uganda Limited in an action of trademark infringement and passing off, obtaining an order against infringement of the “KINKY” brand.
• Acting for 12 Commercial Banks in a copyright infringement suit where the Plaintiffs allege that the Banks infringed on their copyright by rolling out agent-assisted financial services and using Point of Sale-based technology platforms for agency banking.

Banking LITIGATION 

• Acting as Junior Counsel in an action filed by Electro-Maxx Limited against Absa Bank Uganda Limited seeking orders inter alia that a USD 34,730,000 facility advanced to it by the Bank was illegal and unenforceable.
• Acting for 30 commercial Banks and the Uganda Bankers Association in a Petition against the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) seeking orders that Sections 41 (7) (a) and 42 (4) (a) of the Tax Procedures Code (TPC) Act, derogate from the right to a fair hearing enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of Uganda, that Section 41 of the TPC Act impairs the right to privacy enshrined in Article 27 (2) of the Constitution and is accordingly beyond what is acceptable and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society, contrary to Article 43 (2) (c) of the Constitution and is, accordingly, null and void. This Petition arose from Notices issued by URA allegedly pursuant to Section 42 of the TPC Act and addressed to each of the 30 Commercial Banks requiring them to furnish to URA details of all bank accounts held by them for the two (2) year period of 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2017.

OTHER NOTABLE

• Acting in various suits by commercial banks in the recovery of both secured and unsecured debts. 
• Acting for Uganda National Bureau of Standards as retained external Counsel in various suits involving the importation of counterfeit and substandard goods into Uganda.
• Acting for Uganda National Examinations Board as retained external Counsel in various suits involving examination malpractice, falsification of results and defending actions of Judicial Review.
• Advising World Vision Uganda, Alight Uganda, Plan International, Clinton Health Access Initiative Uganda, Food for the Hungry, Aga Khan Foundation, Give Directly, GIZ, Open Society Initiative of East Africa, Bank of Uganda, and dfcu Bank as retained external Counsel on routine employment and immigration issues.