Ammar Oozeer

Ammar is Counsel in the Regulatory and Compliance practice area at BLC Robert & Associates. He has experience advising on competition, data protection, telecommunications, internet and media, technology, privacy and cybersecurity, trademark and copyright, anti-money laundering, and advertising matters.

His dispute resolution practice focuses on competition litigation, trademark and copyright litigation, public sector procurement litigation and tax litigation. In addition, Ammar has solid legislative drafting experience which he acquired after having spent 10 years at the Attorney-General’s Office.

Prior to joining the private practice, Ammar was a senior member of the Attorney-General’s Office of Mauritius, and he was advising the Government of Mauritius on technology, trademark and copyright, civil aviation and ports matters and acting for the tax authority before the former Tax Appeal Tribunal. He has also represented the Director of Public Prosecutions in leading criminal cases.

• Mauritius Bar Association

2001 – 2002: LL.M Computer and Communications Law – Queen Mary College, University of London

1996 – 1997: Barrister Vocational Course, ranked 3^rd, Council of Legal Education, Mauritius

1993 – 1996: LL.B (Hons) – University of Mauritius

2016 – Date Barrister, BLC Robert & Associates

2012 – 2016 Juristconsult, BLC Robert & Associates

2010 – 2012 Principal State Counsel, Attorney General’s Office

2009 – 2010 Inhouse Senior Legal Adviser, QCC Information Security Ltd, London

2009 – 2009 Principal State Counsel, Attorney General’s Office

2003 – 2009 Senior State Counsel, Attorney General’s Office & Director of Public Prosecutions Office

2003 – 2009 Senior State Counsel, Part-time Lecturer, University of Mauritius

2000 – 2003 State Counsel, Attorney-General’s Office & Director of Public Prosecutions Office

1999 – 2000 Temporary State Counsel, Attorney-General’s Office & Director of Public Prosecutions Office

• Ranked 3rd at the Barrister Vocational Course, and offered two awards to do part of his legal training at Doughty Street Chambers, London, U.K. and in Aix-en-Provence, France with Mr. Nicolas Sorensen, Barrister
• Awarded the British Chevening Scholarship in 2001 to LL.M (Computer and Communications Law) in UK

Data Protection and Privacy Laws

• Advising various international law firms in connection with the GDPR transfer impact assessment following the Court of Justice of the European Union in Schrems II decision.
• Advising a global social networking service provider on its data protection law compliance for its services.
• Advising a global multinational technology company which focusses on e-commerce and cloud computing on data protection law compliance for its services.
• Advising a global technology company in connection with the use of cloud services by financial institutions.
• Advising an internationally well-known consumer electronics company in connection with the introduction of its consumer electronics equipment in Mauritius.
• Advising a leading US multinational technology company in connection with the provision of internet-based contents to Mauritian users.
• Advising an internationally well-known telecommunications company in connection with the introduction of its telecommunications equipment in Mauritius.
• Advising an international brand in the fashion industry in connection with its data protection law compliance.
• Advising one of the big four accounting firms on its data protection law compliance.

Cybersecurity

• Advising a leading insurance company following a cybersecurity incident, including providing legal assistance at the IT Unit, Police Department.
• Providing legal assistance to a leading international financial institution following a cyber fraud.
• Advising a law firm in connection with a suspected cyber-attack of its computer network, including liaising with the regulator.
• Advising a foreign reinsurance company on an insurance claim following a cyber fraud.
• Advising a leading international US-based social network company in connection with cybercrime law enforcement.
• Advising a management company following a cyber fraud and liaising with the IT Unit of the Police Department for the recovery of the funds.

Technology, Media and Telecommunications

• Advising a leading US multinational technology company that specialises in internet-related services in connection with its proposed payment service.
• Advising an international financing agency on the regulatory implications of implementing its B2B online platform to Mauritian-based companies.
• Advising a leading US multinational technology company on the legal and regulatory implications of the provision of entertainment contents on the internet to users in Mauritius.
• Advising a local financial institution in connection with the legal and regulatory implications of using cloud-based services.
• Presiding over the Policy, Regulatory and Institutional Working Group set up by the Ministry for ICT for the drafting of the National ICT Strategic Plan 2007-2011 and making recommendations to the Government of Mauritius (2007).

Intellectual Property

• Advising a local production company on the protection of its IP rights for works to be used in a leading international movie and reviewing the IP agreement.
• Acting for the respondent company in connection with a trademark opposition raised against the registration of a trademark by a company in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Advising a client in connection with trademark, copyright licensing and franchising agreements.
• Advising and acting for a five-star hotel group in connection with a dispute over the use of its tradename.
• Acting successfully for a hotel company in connection with obtaining an injunctive relief against the unlawful use of its tradename.

Legal and Compliance

• Advising a leading domestic land promoter in connection with its Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance.
• Acting successfully for an internationally renowned promoter of luxurious properties in connection with the representations to the Financial Intelligence Unit.
• Advising an international financial institution in connection with anti-money laundering law compliance with respect to activities conducted from Mauritius.
• Advising a global accounting firm in connection with the data protection law compliance of the implementation of a software containing its personnel’s contact details at a global level with the data stored within the EU.
• Advising a EU-based company in connection with AML compliance in relation to its prospective business activities with Mauritian companies.
• Advising an international business process outsourcing company on data protection law compliance in respect of employees’ information.
• Monitoring changes in gambling and payments laws for a leading international payment service provider.

Tax

• Acting successfully for a company in the entertainment sector in a tax dispute under the Income Tax Act.
• Acting successfully for a small and medium enterprise in the food production sector in a value added tax dispute before the Objections, Appeals and Dispute Resolutions Department of the Mauritius Revenue Authority and at the Assessment Review Committee.
• Acting successfully for an individual in a tax dispute concerning the residence status of an individual under the Income Tax Act before the Objections, Appeals and Dispute Resolutions Department, Mauritius Revenue Authority.
• Acting successfully for a small and medium enterprise company in the manufacturing sector in a dispute concerning the H.S. Code classification for an imported product.

Competition

• Advising various companies in connection with competition law in relation to merger notifications.
• Acting for a global payment service provider before the Competition Commission and the Supreme Court.