About Our Services
GSM Law Chambers is a full service law firm, providing a full range of legal services in all fields of the legal practice. Our Firm has a wealth of experience representing clients in a broad array of practice areas.
The firm's significant growth is driven by our ambition to provide our clients with a broad range of business law services in Zimbabwe and in key jurisdictions in the world.
We offer clients an unusually rich range of legal expertise in different fields of business law. These include banking and finance, together with industry-specific practices such as financial services and insurance & re-insurance, commercial and corporate, mergers and acquisitions, competition & trade law, litigation and arbitration. Each of these areas of practice is a free-standing and often award winning practice in its own right, rather than - as with some firms - adjuncts or support services.
When their expertise is called upon as part of client transactions, their experience of acting at the cutting edge of their own fields provides clients with a rich, well-informed additional dimension.
Banking, Finance, Securities and Insurance
We advise local and foreign banks and financial institutions, as well as investment firms with their local and foreign operations.
The general areas of finance are business finance, personal finance and public finance. Finance includes saving
money and also includes lending money. Our banking and finance practice represents lenders, borrower and other players in their various roles in banking and finance. We also provide advise concerning, Banking and Financial Institution establishment, Mortgage Financing, Syndicate Loans, Debt recovery, etc. Further, we prepare and attest legal documents such as mortgage contracts, lease agreements, contracts of guarantee, assignments and the like.
Insurance and Social Security Law
Insurance and social security are one of the fast growing business industries in the region. GSM Law Chambers has
experienced specialists who are ready and able to provide consultancy service in this area in the form of advice
and legal opinion. Our experts are keen at their work with a view of protecting the interest of clients. GSM Law Chambers attends and represents its clients in courts of law, insurance tribunals and authorities. We also provide
mediation and arbitration services in this area that includes, Motor Insurance, Marine Insurance, Aviation
Insurance, Fire Insurance, Fidelity Guarantee, Life Assurance and Workmen’s Compensation.
more >
In this regard, we provide legal services on:
• Banking and financial regulation
• Domestic and international syndicated loan
agreements.
• Negotiation of bank loans and preparation of loan
agreements.
• Asset securitization
• Structuring of finance and operating lease
transactions.
• Trade finance and letters of credit.
• Guarantees and performance bonds
• Project Financing
• Insurance and re-insurance contracts and related
litigation.
Policy Drafting and Negotiation
Our lawyers frequently help underwriters to negotiate and draft policy wordings. Sometimes this entails reviewing
and adapting existing wordings; on other occasions we are called upon to produce new wordings to suit particular
needs. We are often involved where the policy raises issues of particular novelty or complexity. We have particular
experience in drafting policies to cover risks of financial institutions generally, and policies which relate to single transactions such as securitisations or construction projects. Our lawyers have reviewed and redrafted standard
wordings for financial guarantors.
Other insurance issues
We advise insurers and other institutions on a wide range of regulatory and commercial issues. Lawyers in our Harare office also have extensive experience of ART transactions and contracts to transfer risk between insurers and financial institutions.
Practice Areas and Services
• Corporate disputes
• Shareholder disputes
• Real estate issues
• Employment litigation
• Insurance and re-insurance
• Partnership disputes
• Fraud
• Insolvency
• Commercial interests
• Finance
• Energy
Where possible, we resolve disputes swiftly. We explore the core issues between the parties and the most appropriate method of resolution. We regularly participate in all forms of dispute resolution, from litigation or arbitration to dialogue, structured negotiations and formal ADR processes such as mediation.
If litigation is in the interests of our clients, our flexible internal structure, combined with our long standing experience, enables us to handle cases effectively. Where required we are able to assemble large teams early and can configure teams quickly for cross-jurisdictional disputes with the support of our well established legal contacts worldwide.
EMPLOYMENT
The firm advises both domestic and international clients on the complex regulatory and legal aspects of employment and labour law in order to enable full compliance with all the applicable laws and provisions. GSM Law Chambers is actively involved in drafting and reviewing of employment documentation and advising on a wide range of labour law related queries, including structuring of ESOPs, transfer of employees, termination, non-compete issues and the like.
The group predominantly represents companies and their management on employment related projects and litigation.
The firm advises on the following areas:
* Employment Strategy and Documentation
* Employee Benefits & Compensation Structuring
* Employee Stock Options & Share Plans
* Company Policies
* Labour Law Advisory
* Employment Termination
* HR Legal Audit
* Employment Litigation
* Transfer of Employment
* Non-Disclosure Agreements
* Confidentiality Agreements
* Employment Claims
* Employment Contracts
* Downsizing
We offer advice on tax matters and represent our clients at the Tax body, Tribunals and Courts in the following areas:
• Customs and Import Duties
• Value Added Tax
• Excise Duties
• Income Tax
• Export Taxes
• Other aspects like Waivers Exemptions, Refunds and
Dumping.
* Mining
* Oil & Gas
* Power
* Ports
* Railways / Rapid Transit Systems
* Roads, Highways & Bridges
* Urban Infrastructure – Water & Solid Waste Management.
GSM Law Chambers team has advised in some of the most prestigious and pioneering deals in the infrastructure space, has assisted government authorities and regulatory bodies, multinational corporations and multilateral institutions in projects in a wide range of matters, from conceptualization to documentation, bid process management, awarding of contracts and assistance in project management.
The services include:
Conceptualization
Drafting and vetting of Bid Documents – BOT, BOOT, BOOM, DBFOT etc.
Bid Process Management (for the Regulators)
Assisting Contractors in the Bidding Process
Conducting Due Diligence and negotiations on various stages of documentation
Drafting, vetting and advising on Concession Agreements, Off-take Agreements, Pipeline Agreements, Terminal Facility Agreements, Joint Development Agreements, Power Purchase Agreement, EPC Contracts, State Support Agreements, Fuel Supply Agreements, Production Sharing Contracts, Regasification Agreements, Gas Sale and Purchase Agreements, etc.
Legal assistance in setting up of Joint Ventures and infusion of funds in the Infrastructure sector in Zimbabwe Private & Confidential.
Advising on diverse laws governing infrastructure facilities in Zimbabwe including issues related to land acquisition and FDI Policy Assistance in obtaining various licenses, approvals and permits required for implementation of infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe from governmental authorities Advising on regulatory and legal framework on unbundling and restructuring issues of State Electricity Boards
M&A and Private Equity.
Due Diligence Entity Formation.