PATRICK SANGA

PARTNER
+255 (0) 686 999 993
p.sanga@vemmaattorneys.co.tz

Patrick Sanga is a Partner and Heads the Firm’s Corporate and Intellectual Property Practice Department. He is an Advocate of the Court of Appeal, High Court of Tanzania and Courts subordinate thereto. He is a member of Tanganyika Law Society, East Africa Law Society, SADC Lawyers Association, Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators, London, International Trademark Association (INTA), New York and currently he is serving as a member of the INTA Anticounterfeiting Committee and Global Project on Anticounterfeiting Policy. He is also a member of International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), Switzerland.

His practice area covers banking, corporate, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, competition, mining, conveyance and real estate, public law and policy, joint ventures and corporate compliance matters. He also practices employment law and oversees the company secretarial services to clients.

Previously he worked for the United Bank for Africa (Tanzania) Limited as the Head of Legal, Compliance and Company Secretary and before that he worked at Exim Bank. He gained legal skills and experience working with Hallmark Attorneys and CRB Africa Legal. Over the span of years of working with highly regulated companies, Patrick has a profound knowledge and experience in conducting legal compliance audits to ensure compliance, dealing with complex regulatory and governance compliance matters such as Corporate Governance Structures and Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-trust and Anti-Bribery laws and regulations.

He has handled major transactions to include:

  • Lead Counsel in the merger and acquisition transaction involving Telesis Tanzania selling of a 4G LTE license and the entire entity to Millicom International Ventures AB (owners of Tigo Tanzania) for the sum of US$ 17 Million.
  • Advising United Bank for Africa (Tanzania) in a syndicated loan transaction led by Citibank in the aggregate of US$100 Million issued to Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited.
  • Advised financiers/JV Partners of the Real Estate-Joint Venture transactions for the accommodation apartments and commercial buildings located at Oysterbay and Masaki, Dar es Salaam.
  • He was part of the team that conducted due diligence at the time East African Breweries Limited (a subsidiary of Diageo) was acquiring Serengeti Breweries Limited.
  • He has successfully represented a Foreign Government in a land dispute matter before the High Court; the land is worth to the tune of US$ 5 Million.
  • Lead Counsel on the merger and acquisition transaction of CSI Engineering by CSI Energy Group, a Mauritius Energy Firm, US$ 3 Million transaction.
  • Lead Counsel on the conveyance acquisition transaction for the engineering industrial property of by CSI Energy Group, a Mauritius Energy Firm, US$ 3 Million transaction.
  • Lead Counsel on the merger and acquisition of Coastal Fanjove Private Island located in Kilwa, Tanzania by a South Africa Hospitality Company, a US$ 3 Million transaction.
  • Lead Counsel on the merger and acquisition of Rhino Lodge, a lodge base on Ngorongoro Crater by a South Africa Hospitality Company, a US$2 Million transaction.
  • Lead Counsel, advised and conducted due diligence for the BancABC on the legal steps and procedures for the increase of its share capital, US$ 4 Million transaction.
  • Advised and represented Asas Group (Asas Yoghurts, Asas Milk) on their trademarks portfolio and protecting their intellectual property valuables across Africa.
  • Advised and successfully represented various Clients before the Registrar of Trademarks, in trademarks disputes based on the Client unregistered well-known marks.
  • He also heads the Company Secretarial Department, whereas he advises Clients on Corporate Governance issues and he sits on Clients Boards as a Company Secretary.
  • Advised and represented various Clients to fight counterfeits products imitating well-known trademarks and famous brands before the Registrar of Trade and Service Marks and Fair Competition Commission (FCC).
  • Lead Counsel, advised and led Mining Company on the negotiations with the Government of Tanzania on the compliance to the surface rights ownership, with a proven reserves of US$ 1.9 Billion.
  • Lead Counsel, advised and engaged Tanzania Revenue Authority on the dispute of VAT Adjustment Note Claim for US$ 1.2 Million between a British Global service company and Shell Tanzania.
  • Lead Counsel, advised Swiss investment entity on securing equity to the Mining Company over advanced financing to the Mining Company for the value of US$ 500,000.
  • Lead Counsel on conducting enhanced due diligence of the BancABC as a condition precedent for the acquisitions negotiations.
  • Lead Counsel, on the merger and acquisition of a Forest Entity owned by the Finnfund on the acquisition by the French Agriculture entity.
  • He contributes regularly to the World Bank Group research on the world business competition surveys for Tanzania (Doing Business).
  • He is a regular and lead contributor to the Lexology Getting the Deal Through for the Tanzania Chapter on the Trademarks Practice.

He also sits on the Board of Directors of The School Fund, Tanzania an American non-government organization with concentration of helping students in need of school fees; so far, the fund has funded 1550 schools, 865 students in 15 countries.

He has keen interests in leadership and economic development across Africa and is constantly engaging on start-ups and building stronger businesses.