* Firm contributed immensely to the economy
A decade ago, an ambitious and highly hyperactive Uyapo Ndadi established Ndadi Law Firm which today has proven to be resilient in business operations that makes an impact in Botswana’s economy.
The Law Firm started with three people and the first client was Uyapo’s wife, Priscillah Ndadi who paid her legal fees upfront.
Last Saturday Ndadi Law Firm showcased its distinctiveness by expressing gratitude to its clients during its 10th-anniversary celebration.
Rather than opting for the usual extravagant five-course meals and costly beverages, the firm prioritised inspiring clients about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise.
The action-packed and educational event was held at Travel Lodge and was attended by people of different background including, the clergy, politicians, judicial officials, engineers, and poets, among others. The festivities started in the garden with all taking part in Aerobics and Zumba exercises.
Talking about what influenced his choice to have his chambers at White City - one of Gaborone’s populated areas with mainly middle to low class people, founder and owner, Uyapo Ndadi said his firm prides itself as a practice that has a track record of proving practical and effective legal solutions in a timely and cost-effective manner.
In her welcome remarks, Ndadi's wife Priscillah noted that 10 years is not to be taken for granted as it shows resilience and tenacity in business.
“That is really the hallmark of who NLF has been over the last 10 years,” she said. According to Priscilla, the firm started in 2014 with one lawyer, one client and one staff member. Today the firm’s clientele has grown 4 000 times. The staff complement has grown more than 20 times and the lawyers have grown four times.
"To me that is really what the impact is about. Of all those staff members that the firm has employed, more than 20 families are taken care of."
Turning to his clients, Ndadi revealed that it was one evening in June 2013, three months after he got married to Priscilla, that he started a rather uncomfortable conversation with her.
"I told her that I believe my days with BONELA are over. I told her that I believe that my contribution as an employee at BONELA is enough and BONELA has readied me to expand my legal acumen. I shared with her my burning desire to set up a law firm and help many people across the spectrum.
“My dream was to set up a firm that is no ordinary. I wanted a firm that could impact lives. A firm that could make a difference. A firm that could offer practical solutions in a cost-effective manner," he said.
He explained to her that his decision might mean relying on her for sustenance, particularly during the early days.
“She understood and gave me her unwavering support. In fact, she then became my first client. And she paid. At the time we had no children and we could therefore afford to take the risk."
Uyapo said he approached the Law Society for formal registration in the last quarter of 2013. The Law Firm opened its doors in January 2014.
"They seemed to have long been waiting for the moment. I started with three employees, being Taboka Dutch, then Ndadi, Tidimalo Sabone, then Masie and Ipeleng Kgosikwena."
At the beginning they operated from one plot and as operations expanded acquired a property adjacent to the initial office and combined the two.
"Our services have been widely received and we have done well in general litigation, family law, Human Rights law, advocacy and consultancy, debt collection, property transfers and bonds, Wills, trusts registrations, contract negotiations, land disputes, company secretarial services, amongst other services."
The Firm, according to Uyapo their Intellectual Property division and Debt Collection division is fast growing as they have set up a call centre that predominantly deals with soft collections.
Clientele includes individuals from all walks of life, locally and internationally. They have acted for BIUST, Botswana Post, BOPEU, Bank Gaborone, Letshego Financial Services, First National Bank, First Capital Bank,
Botswana Society for the Deaf, Botswana National Sports Council, ACHAP, BNYC, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, Forest Conservation Botswana, among others.
"We acted for communities and large groups over chieftainship and employment macers. We have success stories of Adoption of Children’s Act. We have been at the heart of cases that have changed the law (jurisprudence) of this republic.
“We do not want to sound like we are blowing our own horn, but we have lived up to our reputation. It is because of us that the Adoption of Children’s Act (the Act) has changed," he said proudly.
Their contribution has enabled the Act to now prohibit children of unwed fathers from being adopted under the Act without their consent, if they have been involved as fathers.
Ndadi states that it is through his firm that Section 3 of the Administration of Estates Act was redefined by the Court of Appeal to allow the Master to deal with estates of all Batswana.
Previously the Master could only deal with estates of Batswana who died leaving behind a Will and foreigners. "We successfully urged the court to proactively interpret the law to be more liberal," he said.
Another significant impact by the Firm was in the Customary Adoptions. It is through the Firm that customary adoptions of “go e tsaya le namane” are recognised for purposes of enabling children adopted under customary law to take their adoptive fathers’ surnames.
The adoptions were seen by various High Court judges as legal and recognisable in law. It is also through the Firm that the law allows an employee to be a member of more than one union and still be counted for purposes of recognition in all the unions they belong to.
“In this case we represented BOPEU against Botswana Meat Commission (BMC)”.
According to Uyapo, BMC refused to recognise members of BOPEU who also belonged to a different union and thus took the view that BOPEU has failed to meet the 1/3 threshold for it to be recognised at the negotiation table.
Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal held that it was wrong for BMC to do so as dual membership was perfectly legal and constitutional.
Within the Variation of Property Regime, they successfully handled the first ever case that allowed spouses to change from one property regime to another.
"Following this, we assisted many clients to change their property regime, mainly from in-community-of property to out-of-community of property.
"In Minors Travel Consent cases, we are also the first firm to handle macers dealing with travel consent of minors at the Magistrate Courts and High Courts. We have made traveling possible for our clients.
“I remember in one case a diplomat could not go back to China after coming to Botswana for Christmas because the biological father of her child refused to consent to the child’s travel. We approached court and an order enabling travel was issued."
The Firm also prides itself in giving fathers the opportunity and right to parent their children through the Fathers’ Rights.
"Some now enjoy custody rights. We have seen grandparents fight for custody with their grandchildren’s fathers after the death of their mothers."
The Law Firm started with three people and the first client was Uyapo’s wife, Priscillah Ndadi who paid her legal fees upfront.
Last Saturday Ndadi Law Firm showcased its distinctiveness by expressing gratitude to its clients during its 10th-anniversary celebration.
Rather than opting for the usual extravagant five-course meals and costly beverages, the firm prioritised inspiring clients about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise.
The action-packed and educational event was held at Travel Lodge and was attended by people of different background including, the clergy, politicians, judicial officials, engineers, and poets, among others. The festivities started in the garden with all taking part in Aerobics and Zumba exercises.
Talking about what influenced his choice to have his chambers at White City - one of Gaborone’s populated areas with mainly middle to low class people, founder and owner, Uyapo Ndadi said his firm prides itself as a practice that has a track record of proving practical and effective legal solutions in a timely and cost-effective manner.
In her welcome remarks, Ndadi's wife Priscillah noted that 10 years is not to be taken for granted as it shows resilience and tenacity in business.
“That is really the hallmark of who NLF has been over the last 10 years,” she said. According to Priscilla, the firm started in 2014 with one lawyer, one client and one staff member. Today the firm’s clientele has grown 4 000 times. The staff complement has grown more than 20 times and the lawyers have grown four times.
"To me that is really what the impact is about. Of all those staff members that the firm has employed, more than 20 families are taken care of."
Turning to his clients, Ndadi revealed that it was one evening in June 2013, three months after he got married to Priscilla, that he started a rather uncomfortable conversation with her.
"I told her that I believe my days with BONELA are over. I told her that I believe that my contribution as an employee at BONELA is enough and BONELA has readied me to expand my legal acumen. I shared with her my burning desire to set up a law firm and help many people across the spectrum.
“My dream was to set up a firm that is no ordinary. I wanted a firm that could impact lives. A firm that could make a difference. A firm that could offer practical solutions in a cost-effective manner," he said.
He explained to her that his decision might mean relying on her for sustenance, particularly during the early days.
“She understood and gave me her unwavering support. In fact, she then became my first client. And she paid. At the time we had no children and we could therefore afford to take the risk."
Uyapo said he approached the Law Society for formal registration in the last quarter of 2013. The Law Firm opened its doors in January 2014.
"They seemed to have long been waiting for the moment. I started with three employees, being Taboka Dutch, then Ndadi, Tidimalo Sabone, then Masie and Ipeleng Kgosikwena."
At the beginning they operated from one plot and as operations expanded acquired a property adjacent to the initial office and combined the two.
"Our services have been widely received and we have done well in general litigation, family law, Human Rights law, advocacy and consultancy, debt collection, property transfers and bonds, Wills, trusts registrations, contract negotiations, land disputes, company secretarial services, amongst other services."
The Firm, according to Uyapo their Intellectual Property division and Debt Collection division is fast growing as they have set up a call centre that predominantly deals with soft collections.
Clientele includes individuals from all walks of life, locally and internationally. They have acted for BIUST, Botswana Post, BOPEU, Bank Gaborone, Letshego Financial Services, First National Bank, First Capital Bank,
Botswana Society for the Deaf, Botswana National Sports Council, ACHAP, BNYC, International Treatment Preparedness Coalition, Forest Conservation Botswana, among others.
"We acted for communities and large groups over chieftainship and employment macers. We have success stories of Adoption of Children’s Act. We have been at the heart of cases that have changed the law (jurisprudence) of this republic.
“We do not want to sound like we are blowing our own horn, but we have lived up to our reputation. It is because of us that the Adoption of Children’s Act (the Act) has changed," he said proudly.
Their contribution has enabled the Act to now prohibit children of unwed fathers from being adopted under the Act without their consent, if they have been involved as fathers.
Ndadi states that it is through his firm that Section 3 of the Administration of Estates Act was redefined by the Court of Appeal to allow the Master to deal with estates of all Batswana.
Previously the Master could only deal with estates of Batswana who died leaving behind a Will and foreigners. "We successfully urged the court to proactively interpret the law to be more liberal," he said.
Another significant impact by the Firm was in the Customary Adoptions. It is through the Firm that customary adoptions of “go e tsaya le namane” are recognised for purposes of enabling children adopted under customary law to take their adoptive fathers’ surnames.
The adoptions were seen by various High Court judges as legal and recognisable in law. It is also through the Firm that the law allows an employee to be a member of more than one union and still be counted for purposes of recognition in all the unions they belong to.
“In this case we represented BOPEU against Botswana Meat Commission (BMC)”.
According to Uyapo, BMC refused to recognise members of BOPEU who also belonged to a different union and thus took the view that BOPEU has failed to meet the 1/3 threshold for it to be recognised at the negotiation table.
Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal held that it was wrong for BMC to do so as dual membership was perfectly legal and constitutional.
Within the Variation of Property Regime, they successfully handled the first ever case that allowed spouses to change from one property regime to another.
"Following this, we assisted many clients to change their property regime, mainly from in-community-of property to out-of-community of property.
"In Minors Travel Consent cases, we are also the first firm to handle macers dealing with travel consent of minors at the Magistrate Courts and High Courts. We have made traveling possible for our clients.
“I remember in one case a diplomat could not go back to China after coming to Botswana for Christmas because the biological father of her child refused to consent to the child’s travel. We approached court and an order enabling travel was issued."
The Firm also prides itself in giving fathers the opportunity and right to parent their children through the Fathers’ Rights.
"Some now enjoy custody rights. We have seen grandparents fight for custody with their grandchildren’s fathers after the death of their mothers."
