Wanangwa Hara

Managing Partner

+265 995 49 95 20

Wanangwa Hara is the Managing Partner of Ritz Attorneys at Law positioning it to help clients with legal needs in Malawi and across the globe. He is proud to be at the helm of this dynamic, innovative and leading law firm. He is responsible for the daily management of the firm: overseeing people, practices, clients, developing and implementing policies and strategies for the firm’s competitive advantage.

He was previously a Partner in the firm from 2016 to 2021during which time the firm grew from a sole proprietorship to a partnership. He has overseen the growth of the firm’s leading disputes practice and contributed to the rapid expansion of its international transactional practice from 2020. He led the firm’s first strategic international alliance with Alliott Global Alliance and contributed to facilitate the firm’s first informal cooperation with its best friend firm DLA Piper. He has also been instrumental in getting the firm to be recognized by the Africa Legal Awards. Wanangwa’s focus remains on ensuring the growth of the firm’s resources, capabilities and competency to meet its diverse clients’ needs with a global outlook.

Wanangwa specialises in dispute resolution and advisory over corporate and commercial law; domestic, customs cross border and international taxation; banking, finance and securities; public and administrative law; property, insurance and labour laws. Wanangwa represents Malawi’s public listed companies, multinational companies, local and international financial institutions, FDIs, INGOs, traders, portfolio investors and private companies across a range of industries.

Education

Wanangwa has a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Degree by the University of Malawi, 2014. In 2015, he was admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court, High Court and Courts subordinate thereto. He is an MBA-Executive candidate at the University of Bolton, 2022 and an LLM International Tax Law candidate at the University of Melbourne.

Membership

Wanangwa is a member of

1. the Malawi Law Society, and

2. International Bar Association.

Trainings

Certificate: Law firm culture: its impact on revenue, recruitment, and retention, International Bar Association, London, September 2020.

Certificate: Syndicated Loan Financing, University of Cape town, RSA, June 2021.

Certificate: Lessons on trial and advocacy, MLS 2021.

Certificate: Professional Ethics and Discipline, MLS 2021.

Certificate: The financial services sector insights into law and practice, MLS, 2021.

Experience

Local consultants for a multinational law firm in ongoing class litigation before the England and Wales High Court in Josiya & 7262 others vs British American Tobacco Plc, Imperial Brands Plc & Ors [2021] Ewhc 1743 where about 7,263 Malawian tobacco farmers, comprising 4,066 adults and 3,197 children, claim damages against certain companies in the British American Tobacco Group and certain companies in the Imperial Tobacco Group for negligence and/or conversion (of the tobacco leaves) and/or unjust enrichment. The claims in tort and unjust enrichment are said to arise from the unlawful, exploitative and dangerous conditions in which the claimants produced tobacco leaves on the tobacco farms include the widespread use of unlawful child labour and unlawful forced labour.

Advising an international client on the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the steps that the executive or legislator bodies of Malawi will need to take to adopt and domesticate the FCTC. His specific role was domestic and customs taxation of tobacco products including cigarettes, pipe tobacco and roll your own tobacco manufactured in Malawi or imported into Malawi.

Advising a Client in USA on the tax component diligence, litigation risk and property checks on instructions related to the issue and sale of carbon credits in voluntary carbon credits schemes and voluntary carbon markets compliant with the International Carbon Reduction & Offset Alliance (ICROA) best practices. The scope of our firm’s instructions includes advising and conducting diligence probes on the forms of the local providers, their activities and applicable regulations and ability to self-ascribe credits generated by use of their products by third parties.

Advising a company based in Norway, Accurat, on registration and the regulatory requirements for setting up a Company limited by guarantee and/or a foreign company in Malawi including the regulatory framework and operational requirements. Acting as first company secretary.

Advising an INGO based in Norway on Registration of an INGO, Congoma Registration, Registration of company, operations and the regulatory framework and activities. Providing company secretary services.

Advising a client, Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire (ADUS) on Solar Farm Project with Gigawatt Global and Interfaith Centre for Sustainable Development. Lead Legal advisor and representative for the Diocese, and its institutions including St Martins Hospital, St Lukes Mission Hospital and St Lukes College of Nursing & Midwifery in their operations and compliance.

Lead advisor and litigation lawyer for a client Mitra Systems in the public procurement dispute involving the Reserve Bank of Malawi and the Review Committee of the Public Procurement Asset Disposal Committee and another firm regarding the procurement for the supply and delivery of ICT Hardware for Flexicube Upgrade and Hardware for Automated Transfer System (ATS) valued over MK2 billion.

Litigation lawyer and portfolio manager for FDH Bank PLC, FDH Holdings Ltd, First Discount House Ltd. Rendering dispute resolution to the bank’s matters in financial services, securities, employment, mergers and acquisitions, white-collar crime, and a broad spectrum of disputes from 2015 to date. Recently, defended a claim for the unlawful realization of security by some cotton ginners valued over 5 billion. Litigated and facilitated a compromise settlement in favor of the Bank.

Advising and conducting litigation for Transglobe Produce Export Limited in commercial, banking and contractual disputes from Recently represented Transglobe in defending a claim for the sum of MK855, 652, 698. 0 and interest thereon by then Nedbank Malawi Ltd. Litigated and facilitated debt restructuring and payment of MK20, 000, 000. 00.

Representing Midima Holdings Ltd an agent for Techfab International Company Ltd, a multinational company, in its claim for $ 905,598.19 for their role in winning a contract with EGENCO to design, build, supply, deliver and install diesel power generation plants in Lilongwe and Blantyre within Malawi. Obtained a freezing injunction for the claimed sum and commenced arbitral proceedings under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Arbitration Rules.

Represented Pricewaterhousecoopers Advisory Services Limited (PWC) in advisory and litigation services. In 2020, successfully defended claims for the sum of USD250, 000. 00 as commenced by NBS Bank Plc with costs to PWC. The matter concerned negligence issues raised by a third party in the acquisition of 100 per cent shareholding in Group Developments Limited and its subsidiaries by Gillanders Arbuthnot and Company Limited where PWC was a receiver.

Representing MBL Holdings Limited and all its subsidiaries including but not limited Mulli Brothers Limited, Celcom Limited, National Bus Company Limited, Smallholder Tea Company Limited, Chombe Foods Limited, Web Commercial Limited.

Recently defending claims by Reserve Bank of Malawi of over MK4 Billion arising from letters of credits with Trade Development Bank before the Commercial Division of the High Court of Malawi.
Also represented National Bus Company Ltd to secure its courier licence with Macra following its withdrawal for non-payment of licence fees.
And representing some of the subsidiaries in a public procurement dispute involving the failure to award the subsidiaries contracts under the Affordable Input Program worth over MK5 billion.
Further representing the Company in a claim for negligence and defamation against Delloitte for its forensic audit report issued to the Reserve Bank of Malawi on the bank’s payments.

Representing NR Electric Co. Ltd, a multinational company in procurement, construction contracts, commercial transactions, energy and litigation in commercial and contractual disputes. Successfully represented the multinational company in defending a claim for over MK100 Million arising from their construction of a solar power in Likoma and Chizumulu Island.

Representing Victoria Forex Bureau Ltd in a matter against Reserve Bank of Malawi for damages exceeding USD5 Million in loss of business and loss of foreign currency occasioned by closure of the bureau between 2009 and 2013 despite Court Orders in favour of opening the bureau.

Representing Rab Processors Ltd or the Rab Group and its subsidiaries including Kulima Gold Ltd in all commercial, insurance, corporate and contractual matters.

Representing a majority of the insurance companies in Malawi including Britam Insurance Company Ltd; Liberty Insurance Company Ltd, General Alliance Insurance Company Ltd and formally represented Prime Insurance Company Ltd in property and motor vehicle insurance matters with various clients and defending litigation claims. Currently on the list of lawyers for Nico Holdings Plc and subsidiaries in the category of debt

Representing and collaborating with audit firms including Ernest & Young and Audit Consult in conducting legal due diligence, advising and providing dispute resolution services.

Representing other clients in advisory and litigation including:

Mybucks Banking Corporation Ltd;
Agrosack Industries Ltd,
Anchor Industries Ltd,
Zambia Cooperative Federation,
Admike Import and Export,
Joyce Banda Foundation;
Sunseed Oil Limited;