Mathias Ssekatawa

Mathias is  Partner with MMAKS Advocates. He has a wealth of experience in intellectual property, litigation, insolvency, conveyancing and criminal law. He specialises in trademark filings, renewals, assignments, anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property litigation matters. Mathias holds an LL.M from the University of London and an LL.B (Hons) from Makerere University in Uganda. He is a practicing Advocate of the High Court of Uganda, a member of the Uganda Law Society and the East African Law Society. He has served the Uganda Law Society on various committees, chaired the Uganda Law Society committee set up to advise on the revision of the trademarks law in Uganda, leading to the Trademarks Act of 2010, and the Uganda Law Society committee set up to review the insolvency law in Uganda leading to the Insolvency Act of 2011.

Mathias is continually ranked by World Trademark Review as a gold member for Practitioners in the Intellectual property field in Uganda.

Mathias is the Chairman of the Buganda Kingdom Traditional Knowledge Committee, and a prominent member of The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies in London, Uganda Registration Services Bureau Intellectual Property Users’ Forum, Uganda Law Society Intellectual Property Law Cluster and The International Trademarks Association (INTA), where he serves on the Anti-Counterfeiting sub-committee. He is a member of The Industrial Court User’s committee. He is the External Counsel of Uganda’s National Examinations Board (UNEB) since 1997 and is an external Examiner at the Law Development Centre (Bar Course) in Uganda.

• Advocate, High Court of Uganda
• Member, Uganda Law Society
• Member, East Africa Law Society

• LL.M (Corporate and Commercial Law), University of London, England
• LL.B (Hons), Makerere University, Uganda

2005 – Date: Partner, MMAKS Advocates

2001- 2005: Partner, Mugerwa & Masembe Advocates

1996 – 2001: Associate, Mugerwa & Masembe Advocates

• Acting for Marvel Characters, a renowned entertainment company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter regarding their well-known X-MEN brand.
• Acting for Cipla Quality Chemical Industries, a multinational pharmaceutical company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter, regarding their EFAVIR trademark.
• Acting for Total SA, a multinational oil and gas company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter, regarding their Effimax trademark.
• Acting for World Wrestling Entertainment, a media and entertainment company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter regarding their well-known WWE trademark.
• Acting for NBA Properties in connection with a trademark opposition regarding their Chicago Bulls trademark.
• Acting for Wal-Mart Stores, a multinational retail corporation, in connection with a trademark infringement and passing off suit regarding their Wal-Mart brand.
• Acting for the Chevron Corporation, a multinational energy company, in connection with a trademark cancellation regarding their Delo and Havoline engine oil trademarks.
• Acting for Colgate Palmolive, a consumer products company, in connection with a trademark infringement and passing off matter regarding their well-known COLGATE brand.
• Acting for Beiersdorf Ag, a multinational personal care company, in connection with a trademark opposition, infringement and passing of matters regarding their well-known NIVEA
• Acting for Weetabix, a multinational food processing company, in connection with trademark infringement and passing off matter regarding their well-known WEETABIX
• Acting for Nintendo Co., a multinational consumer electronics and video game company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter regarding their well-known POKÉMON trademark.
• Acting for DC Comics., a renowned comic book publishing company, in connection with a trademark cancellation and removal matter regarding their famous comics and well-known SUPERMAN brand.
• Acting for Liberty Group, a multinational insurance, property and financial services company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter regarding their primary and well-known LIBERTY trademark.
• Acting for Monster Energy Company, a multinational non-alcoholic beverages company, in connection with a trademark opposition matter regarding their renowned M Claw trademark.
• Acting for WM Wrigley Jr. Company, a chewing gum company, in connection with a trademark cancellation and removal matter regarding their well-known Big G trademark.
• Acting for Centenary Rural Development Bank in connection with a copyright infringement suit regarding their corporate logo and registered trademark.
• Acting for Africa FM in connection with a trademark opposition matter regarding their renowned Ekigunda Kyo’Mwaka trademark.
• Acting for Uganda National Bureau of Standards as retained external counsel in connection with various suits involving importation of counterfeit and substandard goods into Uganda.
• Acting for Uganda National Examinations Board as retained external counsel in connection with various suits involving examination malpractice, falsification of results and defending actions of Judicial Review.