Denis Kusaasira

Experience

Denis Kusaasira is a partner at ABMAK Associates and served as the firm’s managing partner for 14 years from 2009 to 2023. He has over 15 years of experience advising on projects in Uganda’s mining, oil, and gas sectors. Denis has acted as lead Ugandan counsel on major projects including the Makuutu Rare Earths Project, the Sukulu Phosphate Project, the Namekara Vermiculite Project, the Mwerasandu Tin Project, the Tilenga Oil Project, the Uganda Oil Refinery Project, and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project. He has also represented clients in significant disputes in the mining, oil & gas, and power sectors, including serving as a Ugandan law expert in a major arbitration claim at the Permanent Court of Arbitration against the Government of Uganda.

Specialty

Denis specialises in mining, oil & gas, and related litigation. His practice focuses on natural resources law, particularly in the energy, natural resources, and infrastructure sectors. He is well-equipped to handle transactions such as the acquisition of mineral rights and the development of large-scale resource projects.

Education

Denis Kusaasira holds a Master of Laws (LLM) with distinction in Mineral Law & Policy from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum, Mining Law and Policy (CEPMLP) at the University of Dundee, Scotland. He also holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre in Kampala, Uganda. Additionally, he has academic credentials from Kampala International University.

• Leadership Roles
  Denis Kusaasira served as the Managing Partner of ABMAK Associates for 12 years (2011-2023) and is currently a Partner at the firm124.

• Industry Rankings
  He has been consistently ranked as a highly regarded projects lawyer by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR 1000) and as a highly recommended lawyer by Chambers Global for his work in energy, natural resources, and infrastructure sectors13.

• Major Case Successes
  Denis acted as lead Ugandan counsel for major mining and oil & gas projects including the Makuutu Rare Earths Project, Sukulu Phosphate Project, Namekara Vermiculite Project, Mwerasandu Tin Project, Tilenga Oil Project, Uganda Oil Refinery Project, and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project1.

• Contributions to Award-Winning Projects
  He advised TotalEnergies EP Uganda on corporate, employment, and regulatory matters related to the Tilenga Project, a significant energy infrastructure project3.

• Notable Legal Expertise
  Denis acted as Ugandan law expert in a major oil & gas arbitration claim filed at the Permanent Court of Arbitration against the Government of Uganda1.