The GC Powerlist (formerly Corporate Counsel 100) is a series of publications, highlighting the most influential in-house lawyers in business today.
The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities of law firms across the world for 27 years. The Legal 500 has shifted the attention to the in-house function, shining a spotlight on the role of corporate counsel, and in particular those individuals who are driving both legal and business issues to the forefront. The latest edition is the GC Powerlist: Africa, which identifies an array of the most influential and innovative in-house counsel working in Africa.
We have canvassed opinion from our 2.5 million in-house readers and partners at law firms in Africa, to bring you the 100 in-house stars that are driving the profession. The selected corporate counsel are those who are changing or forming opinions within their company or industry; have developed brilliant technical solutions to complex issues; created innovative structures to ensure that the in-house function is driving the business forward; provided a diversity or business working model that other corporate counsel should follow.
Lilian Komwihangiro
Company secretary and head of legal
National Microfinance Bank (NMB), Tanzania
NMB, Tanzania’s largest financial institution, continues its rapid growth in the region. Supporting over 140 branches, efficiency is key for Lilian Komwihangiro’s lean, ten-strong team. Among other measures, she has divided the function into units, with different specialisms, to heighten the level of service provided. ‘It is very diverse and there is always a new challenge to work on’, Komwihangiro says. When it comes to outside counsel, she feels ‘timeliness’ and ‘conciseness’ are sometimes areas for improvement.
Neema Kweka
Legal co-ordinator and company secretary
Petrobas Tanzania (PETAN), Tanzania
A longstanding Tanzanian resident, Brazilian oil company Petrobras farmed out offshore blocks to Shell Deepwater Tanzanian and Norwegian multinational Stateoil in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Formerly responsible for MOGAS International’s legal, HR and company secretarial functions, Neema Kweka has a strong understanding of the regional oil and gas market. One of her greatest assets, according to sources, is her ability to ‘ speak the industry’s language’. During her five years at Petrobras, she has driven forward efforts to increase the legal function’s efficiency and lower costs. She has also played an important role in procurement and presenting PETAN’s interests to government bodies.
Country general counsel
Citibank Tanzania, Tanzania
As the Tanzania Bankers’ Association legal committee chairperson, Citibank’s Tanzanian general counsel Doxa Mbapila is active in driving forward industry dialogue. She has sterling credentials in the financial services sector, having led the establishment of Ecobank Tanzania, and built its in-house legal function from scratch. During her time working across Citibank, Ecobank and Stanbic, she has participated in some of the nation’s most significant transactions, and it is this aspect of her work, she says, which is particularly important to her. ‘I chose Citibank because it has the most complex banking transactions in the market’, she says. A part of Citibank’s EMEA group, she has been building the country’s free-standing legal function from scratch, since her arrival two years ago. ‘Having a hands-on Tanzanian in-house lawyer has made it easier for the business units and support functions to obtain advice during the product structuring, approval and implementation stage’, she says. ‘I am very much a part of the business’. When it comes to outside counsel, she feels expertise and industry understanding need to be improved in some cases. ‘Based on my experience at Citibank alone, I don’t believe in-house lawyers will get value for their money unless local and international outside counsel take time to understand the Tanzanian banking business and regulatory environment’.
Head of department: legal affairs
Vodacom Tanzania
‘The dynamism of the telecommunication sector and the need to be constantly alert to new regulatory changes is something not to be taken lightly’, Olaf Mumburi says. During his time at the market leader, he has led the sale of Vodacom’s assets to Helios Towers Africa subsidiary, HTT Infraco, involving over 1,000 towers, and has handled all aspects of his employer’s changing business model. Heading a lean legal function, Mumburi has led efforts to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of processes, with key focuses including due diligence and document templates. ‘I would like to see more specialised law firms not only in the telecom industry but also other industries’, he says. ‘For example, when dealing with telecom disputes such as interconnection, roaming, tax, radio frequency and spectrum issues and so on’.
Head of legal department and secretary to the Commission
The Fair Competition Commission, Tanzania
Heading all legal and company secretarial functions at Tanzania’s Competition Commission, Crispin Bebwa Mwebesa has focused on revamping processes and procedures to optimise risk management and strategic direction. ‘In a short period of time, I have managed to modernise the role of the legal department from being a mere legal advisor to being a partner in commercial decision-making’. In an in-house legal career comprising broad sector exposure, other highlights have included overhauling power company Tanesco’s legal function and helping to establish JTI’s Tanzanian subsidiary, JTI Leaf. Mwebesa has provided pro bono legal services to children’s groups through the Tanganyika Law Society.
Source: The Legal 500
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