S&L Advocates announces Joseph Luswata as new Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution, among several other promotions

This morning’s announcement of the promotion and appointment of six of its lawyers to new roles ranging from Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution through to associate are a testament to hard work, professional growth, and the firm’s commitment to excellence, says DLA Piper Africa, Uganda (S&L Advocates).

Among the promotions, experienced commercial disputes practitioner Joseph Luswata has been appointed as the firm’s new Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution, succeeding James Mukasa Sebugenyi, who was recently elevated to Managing Partner of S&L Advocates. A law graduate of Makerere University, Joseph also earned a Master of Laws (Commercial Law) degree from the University of Cambridge. He has acted for commercial banks, Uganda’s leading downstream petroleum companies, and several other local and multinational entities. 

One of the leading firms in Uganda, DLA Piper Africa, Uganda (S&L Advocates) has a varied and prestigious client base including local and multinational organisations across the financial services, energy, insurance, telecommunications, construction, private equity and manufacturing sectors, along with industry regulators, international financiers, the Ugandan Government, and governmental agencies.

The firm also announced today that commercial lawyer Josephine Muhaise has been promoted from Principal Associate to Partner. Josephine has practiced for more than a decade, rising through the firm’s ranks after beginning as an Associate in 2015. She was seconded to DLA Piper’s London office for two months in 2023. 

Josephine works with a variety of corporate entities and organisations across sectors including financial services, transport, energy and natural resources, real estate, infrastructure, manufacturing, and healthcare. She has extensive experience in litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and corporate advisory.

Another four promotions announced today underline the ‘new chapter’ nature in 2026 for DLA Piper Africa, Uganda (S&L Advocates), alongside last week’s announcement that James Mukasa Sebugenyi had as of 1 January succeeded Barnabas Tumusingize, who served for 19 years as Managing Partner and was instrumental in the firm’s previous transformational growth and reputation.

Corporate commercial lawyer Catherine Lutalo Nakatudde, litigation and dispute resolution lawyer Rodney Nganwa, and intellectual property and technology lawyer Ruth Muhawe have all been promoted to Senior Associate. The firm also announced today that corporate and financial services lawyer Rachel Nakalema was promoted from Junior Associate to Associate. 

S&L Advocates was originally established in Kampala in 1980. It is a member firm of DLA Piper Africa, a Swiss verein whose members are comprised of independent law firms, operates in 20 countries across the continent, offering unrivalled local skill and presence, backed by the resources of DLA Piper, one of the world's largest law firms.