Lawyer Karamagi narrates rise in legal practice, shares lessons with young advocates

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Leading Ugandan lawyer Kabiito Karamagi has shared how his upbringing, early career experiences and strategic decisions shaped the rise of Ligomarc Advocates into one of the country’s respected law firms specialising in corporate practice and insolvency.

Speaking during the Judicial Service Conversations hosted by lawyer Elison Karuhanga, Karamagi narrated his journey from a childhood spent among teachers at Makerere University to becoming a key figure in Uganda’s complex insolvency and corporate litigation space.

The host of Judicial Service Conversations lawyer Elison Karuhanga speaking during the show. (Courtesy photo)

Karamagi said growing up in a household led by two teachers instilled discipline and intellectual curiosity early in his life.

“I was born and raised by two classroom teachers,” he said, noting that the environment around Makerere University exposed him to academics, debates and a culture of reading from a young age.

He said the exposure to books and discussions about justice and governance shaped his thinking long before he considered studying law.

A rebellious student with many ambitions

However, Karamagi’s path to law was far from straightforward.

At different stages in secondary school, he considered becoming a journalist or even a soldier. At one point, he adopted a Rastafarian lifestyle and doubted whether he could practise law at all.

“I thought perhaps I should join the army instead,” he recalled.

He eventually enrolled at Makerere University’s School of Law, though he admits he initially treated the programme with little seriousness. His fortunes changed when a family friend and law professor intervened after noticing he rarely attended lectures.

The professor insisted that Karamagi report to his office daily to explain what he had read.

“That forced me into the library,” he said. “When the results came out, I had done very well.”

The experience gradually transformed him from a reluctant law student into a committed one.

Turning away from the army

Even after joining legal practice, the idea of becoming a soldier lingered.

But a long conversation with a friend in the army eventually convinced him to abandon the dream.

Ugandan lawyer Kabiito Karamagi sharing his story during the Judicial Service Conversations hosted by lawyer Elison Karuhanga. (Courtesy photo)

“By the time he dropped me home at around 3am, I knew I was not going to join the army,” Karamagi said.

Instead, he focused on legal practice and joined the law firm Kalenge, Bwanika &Co Advocates, where he gained experience in litigation and creditor enforcement work for banks.

The birth of Ligomarc

The turning point came in 2003 when his colleague Ruth Sebatindira left the firm and later invited him to join her in starting a new practice, Ligomarc Advocates.

Leaving his mentors was difficult. He spent nearly a year reflecting before resigning and made sure the transition was respectful.

“I even worked an extra month after resigning to ensure a smooth transition,” he said. “And I didn’t take a single client file with me.”

Ligomarc initially planned to operate as a specialised tax law boutique. But the market had other plans.

Banks facing costly and slow debt recovery processes began turning to the young firm for help. Karamagi developed innovative approaches to creditor enforcement and insolvency work, focusing not only on legal processes but also on negotiations with debtors.

Building a niche in insolvency

Rather than treating debt recovery as purely adversarial, Karamagi emphasised dialogue with struggling borrowers.

“The debtor is already in a traumatic situation,” he said. “Instead of fighting immediately, we asked how we could work together to solve the problem.”

The approach produced strong recovery results and quickly built the firm’s reputation. As case values grew into the billions of shillings, insolvency practice became central to Ligomarc’s work.

To deepen his expertise, Karamagi later enrolled in a global insolvency programme developed by international institutions following the 2007–2008 global financial crisis. The training exposed him to insolvency systems across jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada and New Zealand.

That knowledge later proved crucial in handling complex corporate restructurings in Uganda, including cases linked to major national infrastructure and telecommunications disputes.

From small practice to institution

Karamagi said building a law firm into a lasting institution requires deliberate structure.

In the early years, Ligomarc operated informally; partners simply shared whatever revenue they generated. But as the firm expanded, it introduced formal salaries, departments and performance targets.

Ugandan lawyer Kabiito Karamagi shaking hands with lawyer Elison Karuhanga while posing for a photo after the Judicial Service Conversations. (Courtesy photo)

The firm also documented its internal procedures and pursued ISO certification, a rare step for a Ugandan law firm.

“Everything had been in our heads,” he said. “But once the firm grows, systems must replace individuals.”

The “hunter, minder, grinder” model

Asked about successful law partnerships, Karamagi outlined what he calls the “hunter, minder, grinder” model.

According to him, every successful professional firm needs three complementary roles:

• The hunter (or finder): brings in business and networks with clients
• The minder: manages the firm’s operations and people
• The grinder: focuses on technical legal work and case preparation
  
  

Few individuals possess all three skills, he noted, which makes collaboration essential.

Advice to young lawyers

With thousands of new lawyers entering the profession each year, Karamagi emphasised the importance of specialisation.

“In a situation where many lawyers are coming out, you must stand out somehow,” he said. “Choose a field, become an expert in it and grow that space until people know you for it.”

For him, insolvency law, once a relatively obscure field, became that niche.

A career built on solving problems

Today, Karamagi’s work spans insolvency, corporate litigation and public interest cases. But he says the foundation of his practice remains simple: solving problems for clients.

“The law is important,” he said. “But what clients want most is a solution.”