Education
- Pepperdine University – Master of Laws (LL.M) with Distinction – 2018
- Makerere University – Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honours – 2013
- Law Development Centre – Post graduate Diploma in Legal Practice – 2015
Admissions
- Advocate in the Republic of Uganda
Countries In Which Practiced
- Uganda
- United States of America
Memberships
- The Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel
- Media Law International
- California Lawyers Association
- East Africa Law Society
- Uganda Law Society
Languages
- English
- Luganda
- Swahili
Louis received his LL.B with Honours from Makerere University in 2013, where he was the Deputy Editor-in-chief of the Makerere Law Journal. He completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice studies at the Law Development Centre in 2015. In 2018, he obtained a Master of Laws in Entertainment, Media and Sports Law from Pepperdine University.
Louis joined KATS in September 2015, as an Associate, he is proficient at Commercial, Civil and Criminal Litigation.
In 2018, Louis initiated the Media and Sports Law sub-department at the Firm, being its in-house expert. He remains the only lawyer in Uganda with a combined Master of Laws (LL.M) in Entertainment, Media and Sports Law. Louis is widely acknowledged and internationally recognized as one of the leading entertainment and media lawyers in East Africa. He boasts over 9 years’ multi-jurisdictional practice experience having worked in California, Massachusetts and Uganda. He is a member of the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel, The California Lawyers Association, Media Law International, the East Africa Law Society and the Uganda Law Society.
Louis has led the global entry of international media giants and streaming platforms like Spotify, and Netflix into Uganda, and negotiated the very first local content film feature on Netflix.
He works collaboratively with global and emerging entertainment and media leaders to execute complex transactions and achieve cost and tax-efficient growth in the East African region. He provides high-level insight into all aspects of complex media transactions and brings clarity to time-sensitive and nuanced deals and issues.
Louis has worked closely with most of the leading entertainment law firms in East Africa, Nigeria, and South Africa, including most of the Magic Circle firms and has developed an excellent working relationship with many of the key entertainment lawyers in these firms. He is known for strengthening bargaining positions and moving deals forward by understanding the interests of all parties and all moving parts of complex transactions.
Louis has structured, negotiated, and executed regulatory policy framework in Uganda, by spearheading the drafting of new regulations on industry unionization and performance rights administration, including supervising the drafting of a Private Member’s Bill on the reform of the Copyright & Neighboring Rights Act of Uganda to the 11th Parliament, to address and adopt international standards of Intellectual Property commercialization.
Having handled some of the largest and most cutting-edge media transactions in Uganda, Louis has become a go-to advisor for several local and multinational companies with new and unusually complex or large-scale entertainment, media and sports transactions in the region. He represents various individual and corporate clients in the region, including leading television and radio companies, recording artistes, and performance rights organizations. He has done a tremendous amount of work protecting the rights of persons involved in film, television and music production for instance leading singers, songwriters, directors, performers, producers, politicians, authors, radio personalities among others. He assists with contract drafting and interpretation, general tax and financial planning, investment strategy, recommendations. He regularly counsels’ clients regarding potential claims for defamation, invasion of privacy and advertising disputes. He has represented clients to license, enforce and defend their rights to music, photographs, videos, films, graphics, trademarks, advertising and other modes of content.
Louis has represented one of the leading newspaper dailies, the largest filming, editing and music production company in Uganda, the largest private commercial radio in Uganda and Uganda’s leading theatrical and music group, various athletes and sports corporations. Clients have come to rely on him to provide thoughtful analysis, plain English explanations of complex legal issues and to find creative solutions focused on overall business objectives.
He previously served as a Board Member of the Uganda Rugby Union, the youngest ever in the history of the country. He also previously served on the Board of the Athletes Commission Uganda Olympic Committee, and currently serves on the Legal and Ethics Committee of the Uganda Olympic Committee.
