Knowledge, curiosity, responsiveness: new AF Mpanga partner Derrick Kuteesa reflects on his legal journey

While there’s a great deal of pride in being made a partner of leading Ugandan law firm AF Mpanga Advocates, says Derrick Kuteesa, the milestone announced in July also caused him to reflect a lot on his legal career; not just looking back, but forwards.

The promotion shows how much the firm believes in him, says a grateful Derrick, but isn’t about him having ‘arrived’ after a decade in practice; instead it’s a clarion call for what lies ahead, and a welcome responsibility.

“All my early practice and all the stages of my career were from when I started at this firm,” recalls Derrick. “I’ve gone through all the levels at this very firm. My first assignment was here, and so now being made partner speaks to the levels of trust the partners have in me. They’ve seen me growing, my colleagues, and most importantly have seen the clients I’ve been serving as I’ve gone from being the most junior lawyer. It counts a lot, and is a big responsibility for me now.”

Derrick says he was initially drawn to study law at Nkumba University, then to practice commercial law in particular, and practice law because of the influence and impact it has on business and society at large, on everyday life. “I was attracted at the time to understanding a problem, getting to analyse it, then having to communicate a position clearly, and ultimately finding a solution.”

Nowadays, Derrick’s practice spans a broad range of commercial advisory and transaction advice, particularly in corporate M&A, energy, and cross-border corporate and commercial law. He acts for both listed and non-listed companies seeking business opportunities in Uganda and across East Africa,

A decade into legal practice, Derrick says it’s the variety of what you get to do as a commercial lawyer that remains part of the appeal, and his love for the law.

“You’re constantly learning something new,” he says. “There are no two transactions that are exactly the same. You find that there is always something new, nuanced … and then you’re going back to scratch your head and work things out. So that’s what keeps me waking up every day, to just go and enjoy the law.”

He credits his colleagues and the senior lawyers around him at AF Mpanga Advocates for his ongoing learning, and the lessons that go beyond the law.

“Mentoring was really very important in my career,” he says, noting that while technical capabilities are important for any lawyer, there are many soft skills that are equally vital. It’s not about just knowing the law, but judgement, how such knowledge can be applied to help clients, and how you interact with people.

An early piece of advice from a senior lawyer at AF Mpanga has endured; that while every lawyer studies the law and capable practitioners can interpret it for clients, what separates the best lawyers is what comes afterwards. “It is the turnaround time, it is the responsiveness, it is the proactiveness, it is that commercial advice rather than just being legal,” says Derrick.

Such guidance continues to apply in our fast-changing world, and for the new generations of lawyers, believes Derrick. Even with AI and other technologies transforming legal practice, mentorship is “non-negotiable”, and he urges younger lawyers to remain curious while developing strong fundamentals.

“While AI seems to be taking over everything, it does not remove the need for you as a lawyer to think critically, to think and to see things candidly, or to look at things very differently. I would advise younger lawyers to remain very curious, beyond the law. If you’re advising a telecoms company, go and understand their business. If you’re advising a bank, I’d urge you to understand the banking business. If you’re advising oil and gas, learn about their energy business.”

It’s far too easy nowadays for lawyers to “be everywhere and nowhere”, and to advise on everything without understanding a client’s business, and what they do. Developing such understanding will separate and elevate you, says Derrick.

Be curious, continue to learn in the law and beyond the law, he advises, and then also be responsive, and own the work you do. Be dependable, and proactive.

Combining legal and business understanding is particularly relevant for Uganda and East Africa, says Derrick, with great opportunities being created with its young, dynamic population, alongside regional integration and development across infrastructure, energy, healthcare, agribusiness, and natural resources.

At AF Mpanga he and the team identify legal risks, while also helping clients distinguish genuine transactional concerns from issues that can be managed practically. For younger lawyers hoping to build careers among such opportunities, Derrick’s advice is to not become too preoccupied with racing through the ranks, but instead focus on accumulating skills and relationships.

Ten years on, Derrick remains curious, and passionate about the law. Partnership is a proud milestone for which he’s grateful. But the real journey still lies ahead.