With increased business activity in the country in recent years, corporate law firms and lawyers are increasingly featuring in transactions in multiple roles such as dispute resolution, advisory, negotiation among others. This has driven the opportunities for local corporate lawyers as well as increased distinction and competition among themselves on the basis of tasks previously handled. A British research firm, Chambers and Partners operating across 200 jurisdictions has released its 2021 rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers including in Rwanda. The ranking provides insight into complex areas of law in different jurisdictions informed by thousands of interviews to access providers of legal services. The report categorizes law firms and lawyers in bands, with Band 1 being the top category. The ranking does not rank individuals or firms against each other but rather categorizes them in the bands. The latest release of the report ranked Band 1 law corporate firms as; ENSafrica, Equity Juris Chambers, Trust Law Chambers and K-Solutions & Partners in no particular order. MRB Attorneys was classified as Band 2 while Band 3 law firms included Cabinet Batware Jean-Claude, Cabinet d’Avocats Mhayimana, Cabinet Kazungu and R & Partners Law Firm. In the categorization of corporate lawyers, Band 1 is largely made up of founders of legal firms, while Band 2 is often made up of lawyers who have had long standing experience with some having founded their own firms. Band 3 is largely made up of lawyers fast rising up the ranks. City lawyers ranked as band 1 were Apollo Nkunda (Trust Law Chambers), Richard Mugisha (Trust Law Chambers) Désiré Kamanzi (ENSafrica) and Julien Kavaruganda of K-Solutions & Partners. Lawyers under the second tier, Band 2, include Calvin Mitali (Equity Juris Chambers) Moses Gatama Kiiza (Equity Juris Chambers) Athanase Rutabingwa (MRB Attorneys) Claudine Gasarabwe (Gasarabwe & Associates) Eric N Cyaga (K-Solutions & Partners) and Herbert Rubasha (MRB Attorneys). Others in the same category include Isaïe Mhayimana (Cabinet d’Avocats Mhayimana) Jean-Bosco Kazungu (Cabinet Kazungu), Jean-Claude Batware (Cabinet Batware Jean-Claude), and Richard Rwihandagaza (R & Partners Law Firm). Corporate lawyers ranked in Band 3 in no particular order were; Asante Twagira, (Corban) Richard Balenzi (Trust Law Chambers), Emmanuel Butare (MRB Attorneys) and Fred Byabagabo (ENSafrica). Maggie Baingana (Shield Associates) and Dieudonee Nzafashwanayo were also ranked in the up and coming and associates to watch categories, respectively. The ranking considers lawyers and law firms based on several factors and considerations investigated by their research team.
