Our team has all played an integral role in developing and subsequently subscribing to our core values. These values define who we are and are our roadmap for how we aim to be refreshingly and reassuringly different. They

form the very basis of our legal DNA.

We look for success. We are ambitious for our clients and ourselves. Our results should speak to who we are.

We offer service excellence to our clients of the highest standard. We keep our promises to clients: placing their needs first. We look to the long-term, to building and developing trusting relationships and to meeting ongoing client needs through creativity and effective legal problem-solving.

We invest in and nurture talent within the firm to build our future. We give talent a voice.

We innovate by looking to changes in the market and the impact of these on our clients’ needs. We aim to stay ahead of the curve and produce nuanced solutions for our clients.

We aim to be market leaders in our compliance standards, internal processes, ongoing development and infrastructure. We see this as a key driver of our success.

We are ethical and honest in all we do.

We value and respect each other. We achieve more through effective teamwork and structure and share our workload always to have the client’s best interests at heart. We constantly strive to do better and to keep learning.

While locally focused, we look to global standards.

We invest in our community and always strive to maintain the highest standards of corporate social responsibility.

O U R V A L U E S

Desai Law Group is a group of talented individuals who have formed a unique, dedicated law firm with one of Botswana’s leading corporate lawyers at the helm, Founding and Managing Partner, Rizwan Desai. Additional cutting edge, modern and client oriented partners include Andre Bell, Bruno Williams and Angelica Bojosi. Together, our partners have decades of proven experience.

Our aim at Desai Law Group is to be refreshingly and reassuringly different. We do not see ourselves solely as lawyers, but as problem solvers. Our goal is to add value to our clients with our signature approach.

We offer flexibility in our services depending on client needs and our understanding of their organisation. We give practical and meaningful advice that reflects the changing and increasingly competitive environment within which our clients operate.

We are results focused and committed to service excellence for our clients. We do this by providing a depth and breadth of legal knowledge and expertise which is both effective and efficient.

We want our clients to see us not just as a source of legal advice and counsel, but as an integral and ongoing part of achieving, and maintaining, their success.

2020

TOP TIERFIRM

W e R e p r e s e n t a V a r i e dC l i e n t B a s e a n d H a v e E x t e n s i v eE x p e r i e n c e o f H i g h P r o f i l e

T r a n s a c t i o n sOur experience spans across a number of industries and sectors. We represent leading corporate, banking and financial institutions, government parastatals and regulators as well as high net-worth entrepreneurs.

We look to provide a complete legal and advisory solution to our clients through tailor-made, nuanced insights and experience with a personalised touch. Our clients can always count on us for integrity, quality, individual attention and carefully considered guidance. Everything we dois premised on ensuring excellence.

Our Pract ice Areas

W e p r o v i d e p r e c i s e , i n f o r m e d a n d

t i m e l y a d v i c e i n r e l a t i o n t o a b r o a d

s p e c t r u m o f p r a c t i c e a r e a s .

Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Banking and Finance

Capital Markets

Competition Law

Corporate and Commercial

Corporate Liquidation Law

Corporate Governance and Compliance

Education Sector

Employment, Trade Union and Benefits Law

Energy (including Renewable Energy)

Environmental Law

Financial Services Law and Investigations

Insurance

Intellectual Property

International Trade

Islamic Finance

Litigation

Mergers and Acquisitions

Mining

Property

Regulatory and Administrative Law

Restructuring

Tax

Telecommunications and Technology

Transaction Management

T H E P A R T N E R S

Rizwan Desai - LL.B (Hons.) (Edin.), DIP.LP (Edin.), LL.M (Harvard) - is the Founding and Managing Partner of Desai Law Group and Head of Corporate. He is qualified as an Attorney in Botswana. He also qualified as a Solicitor in England, Scotland and Wales, and as an Attorney in New York. Rizwan practised at a major UK law firm before returning to Botswana in 1999, at which time he joined another Botswana law firm where he was one of the senior partners for 16 years. He specialises in high end corporate and structured finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, banking, financial services, telecommunications, private equity and regulatory work.

Rizwan has been the lead lawyer on many ground-breaking corporate transactions in Botswana and represents many blue chip companies. After decades of experience, he formed Desai Law Group in 2016 to realise his vision of a new brand of law firm in Botswana, designed to operate in line with the best practices of major international law firms.

Rizwan is widely regarded as first tier and one of the leading corporate and transactional lawyers in Botswana. Rizwan is a former Chairman of the Botswana Stock Exchange and Barclays Bank of Botswana.

The Partners are representative of the best legal skills available in Botswana. Their collective wisdom and experience guides clients through the most complex and challenging matters.

LEADING LAWYER

2020

HIGHLYREGARDED

T H E P A R T N E R S

Andre Bell - is a partner at Desai Law Group in the Corporate Commercial Department. He is an admitted attorney in Botswana and South Africa .

With a history of investment banking and development finance, Andre has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the areas of project finance and structured debt and equity finance. His previous work includes Head of Africa Legal for Jindal Africa Investments as well as extensive specialist finance roles for development finance institutions and investment banks, including Standard Bank SA and IDC. He was also Vice President-Specialised Finance and Funding for CIC Energy (SA) (Pty) Ltd.

Andre has a proven track record as lead lawyer for large scale resource, energy and infrastructure projects, and M&A transactions.

His decades of experience of complex financial structuring brings nuanced depth to the Desai Law Group Corporate Commercial Department.

The Partners are representative of the best legal skills available in Botswana. Their collective wisdom and experience guides clients through the most complex and challenging matters.

T H E P A R T N E R S

Bruno Williams - LL.B (UB) is a Partner at Desai Law Group in the Litigation Department. He was admitted to practise as an Attorney in the Courts of Botswana in 1993 and was subsequently admitted as a Conveyancer and Notary Public.

Bruno has provided legal advice and litigated on various aspects of the law throughout his career. He is a legal professional with over 20 years’ work experience, especially in the full spectrum of litigation and courtroom advocacy. Bruno is a strong litigator and has represented various corporate and individual clients in both the High Court and Court of Appeal of Botswana with respect to matters and disputes spanning diverse areas of law, including commercial, property, family, delict, employment and labour to cite a few.

In addition to litigation, Bruno has rendered legal opinion and advice on both litigation and corporate commercial transactions and has represented clients as lead counsel in criminal defence cases before the Courts. He is also registered, and has in-depth practice experience and knowledge, as a Notary Public and Conveyancer in Botswana.

More recently, Bruno was employed as Group Corporate Counsel for Air-Tec Global, where he has further enriched his knowledge in the Mauritius international off-shore sector as well as in the commercial aviation sector.

The Partners are representative of the best legal skills available in Botswana. Their collective wisdom and experience guides clients through the most complex and challenging matters.

T H E P A R T N E R S

Angelica Bojosi - BA (UCT), LL.B (UCT), LL.M (Queensland) - is a Partner at Desai Law Group. She was admitted as an Attorney in Botswana in 2004 and as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 2009.

Angelica has worked as in-house legal counsel for a major UK multinational firm, where she focused on regulatory, contractual and corporate governance work. Since returning to Botswana, she has been involved in corporate commercial transactions including complex due diligence activities and advising in relation to mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and joint venture, and banking work.

Angelica has extensive blue chip corporate experience and works alongside Rizwan Desai in the corporate department at Desai Law Group.

We are an equal opportunities employer dedicated to inspiring and developing the best talent in the country. We are committed to gender diversity.

S u c c e s s :Teamwork, Results &T a l e n t

We strongly believe in a mutually supportive approach. We encourage collegiality through shared values and a commitment to our clients, support of ongoing personal development and team building programmes.

Our lawyers are highly motivated and driven individuals who are dedicated to informing themselves with the most up to date legal skills and techniques.

Our approach and mindset is international in orientation. Fair practice, integrity and governance are our keystones.

Our teams are structured to suit client needs and the delivery of service excellence at all times.

Our support infrastructure is an additional partner in the practice. We have invested heavily in IT, conferencing resources and a stimulating workspace to achieve an environment that cultivates further excellence.

We will continue to invest in and develop the Firm’s support infrastructure to strengthen our people and resources to assist in the delivery of our mandate. We believe that a positive and enjoyable working environment helps generate greater passion as well as productivity. Our team, and our clients, only stand to benefit more from this commitment to the Firm.

Desai Law Group, following the growing trend in international law firms, has a professional management structure. The firm has appointed a Chief Operating Officer and a Chief Financial Officer, along with a supporting operations team. This ensures the professional management of the business of the firm which, in turn, allows the legal team to focus on service delivery and excellence.

O U R S U P P O R T R E S O U R C E S

Rizwan Desai, Founding Partner, Head of Corporate: rizwan@desailawgroup.co.bw

Andre Bell, Partner, Corporate: andre@desailawgroup.co.bw

Bruno Williams, Partner, Litigation: bruno@desailawgroup.co.bw

Angelica Bojosi, Partner, Corporate: angelica@desailawgroup.co.bw

Mary Maeda, Head of Property: mary@desailawgroup.co.bw

P O Box 640, Gaborone | 3rd Floor, North Wing, Central Square,

Central Business District (CBD), Gaborone, Botswana

Tel: +267 3162 727 | Fax: +267 3162 737

info@desailawgroup.co.bw

www.desailawgroup.co.bw

P L E A S E F E E L F R E E T O C O N T A C T U S