Jude Byamukama

Managing Partner

About

Professional Qualifications

LLM(MUK), LLB (Hons) MUK, PG Dip. LP (LDC)

Professional Memberships

  •  Uganda Law Society
  •  East Africa Law Society

Core Expertise

  • Litigation
  • Arbitration
  • Labour & Employment
  • Corporate & Tax
  • Electoral Law
  • Insolvency, Debt & Business Rescue
  • Land, Regulatory & Public
  • Corporate Legal Advisory

Profile Summary

Jude Byamukama is the Managing Partner at JByamukama & Co. Advocates. He holds a Master of Laws (with Distinction) from Makerere University, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Makerere University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre.

With over 15 years of distinguished legal practice, Jude is a versatile and highly accomplished litigator representing corporate entities, state agencies, foreign investors, and individuals. He has successfully handled high-value and precedent-setting cases before the East African Court of Justice, the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal of Uganda. His litigation expertise spans electoral law, banking, energy, judicial review, constitutional and public interest litigation, TMT, commercial disputes, transfer pricing and employment law. Notably, he has represented clients in presidential election petitions, parliamentary and local government election disputes, achieving considerable success.

Beyond litigation, Jude has extensive experience in Arbitration and Corporate transactional advisory, including the structuring and establishment of business entities, private public partnerships, corporate governance, land, mergers & acquisitions, insolvency practice, property transactions, regulatory compliance for non-profits, and commercial legal advisory. As a licensed insolvency practitioner, commissioner for oaths, notary public, and trademark agent, he provides specialized legal services to his diverse clientele.

Jude is also a respected human rights defender and has been at the forefront of landmark public interest litigation before Uganda’s Constitutional Court and Supreme Court, contributing to the advancement of fundamental rights and freedoms. Additionally, he has an academic background, having previously taught Industrial Relations Law at Makerere University’s Department of Chemistry and lectured Constitutional law at Cavendish University. He has also been recently nominated to sit on the Governing Council of Uganda Martyrs University.

Top Notable Matters​

  • 2016 Presidential Election Petition: Played a key role in the landmark case John Patrick Amama Mbabazi v Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Ors (Presidential Election Petition No 1. Of 2016), a case which led to significant reforms in Uganda’s electoral laws.
  • Secured a favorable settlement for minority shareholders in a suit against Uganda Baati Ltd, challenging transfer pricing practices by the majority shareholder, Safal Group.
  • Successfully led to acquittal of client in the Supreme Court Criminal Appeal matter of Sarah Bireete Vs Uganda (2020).
  • Served as the first counsel in the 2015 landmark precedent setting case of Uganda Development Bank Vs Florence Mufumba, which clarified critical aspects of employment law in Uganda.
  • Successfully represented a client in a landmark case of Mark Ssemaganda & Anor v Bank of Africa (2021) at Court of Appeal regarding Mortgagor-mortgagee relationship and effect of undervaluation of mortgaged property.
  • Successfully acted for Hon. Betty Muzanira v Electoral Commission & Anor (2018), achieving a favorable outcome in the electoral dispute.
  • Successfully overturned an election in favour of a client in a landmark local government election case of Omara Yuventine Vs Ariko Johnny De West in Court of Appeal Election Petition Appeal No. 04 of 2023.
  • Acted in the case of Rebecca Nagidde v Charles Mwasa Steven [2020] UGCA 29, which established crucial precedent in Uganda’s divorce law.
  • Corporate and Advisory services on construction project “Twed Heights” which is designed to be a Hilton Hotel franchise in a high rise building with 18 floors.
  • Advisory and Corporate Secretarial Services to the Advisory Board of Strathmore University in Uganda and TWED Property Development Limited.
  • Advisory services to Emmaus Foundation Trust, Helpware Tech (U) Ltd, Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU), Lifewater International, Basil Dental Clinic Ltd, the Orthodontist, Italia Uganda, Kabale Diocese among others.
  • Acting as liquidator in the winding up of several distressed companies.
  • Consultant in development of Sanitation bye laws in Northern Uganda.
  • Successfully represented Mahathi Infra Uganda Ltd in establishing a robust and highly efficient petroleum transportation network by construction of an Oil Jetty along the vast expanse of Lake Victoria.
  • Advisory services to Action Aid–Namutumba branch in registration of farmers’ cooperatives.
  • Employment law advisory services to various NGOs and educational institutions.
  • Led the firm’s advisory team at BNB Advocates in advising a client, a private contractor, involved in public private partnership projects with the Government of Uganda.
  • Conduct of due diligence on entities on behalf of leading financial institutions in the Ugandan economy to assist them in making credit decisions.
  • Instituting and defending property related suits in the High Court and appellate courts on behalf of the largest pension fund in Uganda, National Social Security fund (NSSF).
  • Part of the team that achieved major success for a client involved in a construction dispute with a global contractor engaged on the Bujagali Dam project.
  • Successfully secured a judgment for a client at Court Appeal in a Human Rights Enforcement matter in Paul Wanyoto Mugoya Vs Attorney General & Anor (2021) that led to acquittal and discharge of Appellant and a victim on account of torture and human rights violations by state agent.

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