Kakuru & Co. Advocates in the Age of Disruption
The ULS 6th Annual Law Conference 2023 brought together legal luminaries, practitioners, and thought leaders to explore the theme of “Re-defining Legal Practice in the Age of Disruption”. The event spanned two days i.e., from the 24th of August 2023 to the 25th of August 2023. Advocates that attended the conference were guided on how to be resilient in the age of disruption. At the heart of this transformative event, key speakers such as the Attorney General of Uganda, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, stood out with their noteworthy remarks and made it easy for the audience to latch onto the theme.
Considering the conference, disruption may simply be defined as a change that is rapid, often unexpected and deeply impactful – one that changes the status quo and forces people to deeply question the long-standing norms.
Kakuru & Co. Advocates, established in 1987 by the founding partner the late Hon. Justice Kenneth Kakuru, has witnessed various disruptive forces over the years for example technological advancements, demographic changes, climate change, globalisation, legislative flux, gender equality, the Covid-19 pandemic etc. Because of this, we have adapted to the demands of the modern world by embracing the following trends:
1. Digital communication
If there’s one thing that the Covid-19 pandemic taught businesses, it’s that tech is the way to go (not that it never was) when “business as usual” is disrupted. During the pandemic, many businesses were able through tech to maintain client connections and visibility online. We were one of those businesses. The use of digital communication platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google Meet, WhatsApp etc., allowed (and still is) us to serve our clients seamlessly while prioritising safety, accountability, and transparency.
2. Value addition
We are committed to putting our clients first and this is deeply rooted in our Mission which is, “Kakuru & Co. Advocates is committed to understanding our clients’ needs and objectives by working closely with them to achieve effective results”. We understand that every client is unique, each with specific needs and goals. We thus listen attentively to our clients, understand their individual requirements and as a result tailor legal services to address their distinct challenges, hence adding tremendous value to our clients.
As part of our value addition approach, we regularly provide legal updates to our clients through email newsletters. In addition, we keep our clients informed about the progress of their individual cases by way of a phone call and by regularly sending activity updates to their email addresses. This ensures that our clients are well-informed about their respective cases and about any new laws, regulations, or changes in the legal landscape that may impact their affairs, hence allowing them to make informed decisions. Notably, some of these newsletters are also available as articles in the “Blogs” section of our website.
Our value addition approach has also allowed us to be available beyond the traditional working hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm. Our lawyers can be contacted by phone, email or in person at our offices between 8:00am and 6:00pm on weekdays and between 9:00am and 12:30pm on Saturdays.
3. Digital record keeping
We have integrated the Smartcase Manager into our daily operations. Smartcase Manager is a customized web application that automates legal business processes. Through the Smartcase Manager, we have digitalized our files, documents, activities done on a file, requisitions, payments made on a file, calendaring, event notification, payroll etc.
Our approach to digitalizing our records not only enhances efficiency and accessibility but also aligns with our commitment to protecting the environment and preserving natural resources, including trees. By reducing on our reliance on paper and embracing a paperless office, Kakuru & Co. Advocates is contributing to the conservation of Uganda’s forests and the mitigation of climate change. It is a win-win, benefiting both our clients and the planet.
4. Adaptability to Government Electronic Systems
The Government is slowly but steadily moving away from analog practices. For example, in or around 2021, the Judiciary introduced an electronic system known as the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS), to ease the process of lodging legal claims in courts of law. As for companies and the like, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) recently introduced the Online Business Registration System (OBRS), to ease the processes of incorporation and post-incorporation work. We, just like any other resilient law firm, have adopted these government systems and other similar ones.
8. Protection of Data against Cyber-attacks
As tech has evolved over the years, it has brought with it a proliferation of cyber threats such as malware, phishing etc. If cyber threats are left unchecked, they can escalate into full-blown cyber-attacks causing financial harm or unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.
As such, we understand the importance of safeguarding our clients’ data in this digital age. To protect our clients’ data, we, with the assistance of cybersecurity experts (ethical hackers), conduct among others quarterly cybersecurity training sessions to ensure that we stay informed about the latest cyber threats and best practices.
Conclusion
Our dedication to evolving with the times is deeply rooted in our Vision which is, “To continuously evolve by investing our time and resources in building valuable and timely legal services with integrity”.
By translating our Vision into action, we ensure that our evolution is not just a response to a change but a deliberate and forward-thinking strategy, that benefits our clients, the country’s legal system, and the world at large.
