Scanlen & Holderness promotes Kachara to Associate Partner and Mwase to Senior Associate

Being promoted to Associate Partner at longstanding, premier Zimbabwean law firm Scanlen & Holderness is a milestone received with immense gratitude to God, the firm, her colleagues, and all the clients who have trusted her over the years, says intellectual property law expert Tanaka Margret Kachara.

“I am deeply honoured and grateful,” shared Kachara following the announcement. “I am excited for the responsibility that comes with this role, the opportunities ahead, and the privilege of continuing to grow alongside an exceptional team.”

The chief intellectual property attorney at Scanlen & Holderness, Kachara first joined the firm as a graduate trainee six years ago, after completing her law degree at the University of Zimbabwe. She is also a certified Data Protection Officer, a registered conveyancer, and a notary public. Kachara advises clients before local and international bodies, including matters relating to intellectual property protection in Zimbabwe and at the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO). She has further contributed to several intellectual property projects and capacity-building initiatives supported by the British Council, the European Union, and ARIPO.

Kachara’s promotion to Associate Partner recognises her sustained professional growth, strong performance, growing practice and contribution to the firm, said Scanlen & Holderness when making the public announcement this week.

Recently elected President of the Zimbabwe Institute of Patents and Trademark Attorneys (ZIPTA), Kachara is also an active member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), and serves as a Non-Executive Director on the board of a private company, providing strategic oversight and advising on governance at board level.

Alongside the elevation of Kachara from Senior Associate to Associate Partner, Scanlen & Holderness this week announced the promotion of corporate lawyer Mbalenhle Violet Mwase to Senior Associate, in recognition of her “continued professional growth, performance, and contribution to the firm and its clients”.

With a practice that covers corporate and commercial law, banking and finance, privatisations, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, alternative dispute resolution, and mining and energy law, Mwase advises clients on a broad spectrum of transactional, regulatory, and commercial matters, providing practical and strategic legal solutions tailored to their business needs.

“Thank you to the Partnership of Scanlen and Holderness Legal Practitioners for this incredible honor,” shared Mwase following the public announcement. “I look forward to embracing this new chapter with renewed purpose, continuing to grow in my practice, contribute meaningfully to the firm and serve our clients with excellence.”

Globally recognised as a leading Zimbabwean law firm, Scanlen & Holderness traces its roots back to 1894, when former Cape Colony Prime Minister Sir Thomas Scanlen set up a legal practice in what is now Harare. A member of both LEX Africa and Meritas, the firm has throughout its 130+ year history proudly influenced jurisprudential development in Zimbabwe through its continued involvement in landmark cases which have set precedent in many areas of law. A number of its lawyers have been elevated to the bench of the High Court and Supreme Court.

While it has a rich heritage stretching back more than a century, Scanlen & Holderness is progressive and future-focused; a thinking that is illustrated by this week’s elevation of intellectual property expert Kachara to its partnership.