Thambwe-Mwamba & Associés, a bright and inventive legal firm based in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, is led by Liliane Mubanga, a passionate, action-oriented, and energetic lawyer. 16 years ago, the cheerful visionary joined Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes as a Senior Executive to help customers seeking legal advice on how to find the silver lining in the dark clouds.
Liliane MUBANGA is a member of the Kinshasa/Gombe Bar Council in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she has served for four years.
She’s also taken courses in OHADA, hydrocarbons, public procurement, and insurance, to mention a few. Liliane Mubanga graduated from the University of Lubumbashi with a Bachelor of Laws degree in Private and Judicial Law. She also possesses a Certificate of Specialty in Insurance Law, a Certificate of Competence in Oil Rent Production Sharing Law, and a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law, among other credentials.
Thambwe-Mwamba & Associés
The firm was founded by Mr. Alexis Thambwe-Mwamba.
After finishing an internship with a supervisor, he was admitted to the bar in 1992 and founded a law firm with other attorneys. Following that, he was forced to expatriate due to a change in political power; the association was thus dissolved. When he returned in 2003, he formed an association with another lawyer, which lasted just one year, and he decided to start his own firm. So, in 2005, he reopened his law firm, this time with the intention of hiring a lawyer-manager; as a consequence, he has served as the firm’s manager since January 2005.
Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes grew to become one of the country’s most influential law firms. The company advises clients on a wide range of legal issues, including business (corporation, deed drafting, special contracts, due diligence), mining, insurance, real estate development and administration, real estate investments, labor law (both employers and employees), and family law (divorce, succession, and filiation). This law firm employs seven competent lawyers and offers a diverse variety of services. These seven people have extensive knowledge in a variety of fields. It gives the team the skills and information they need to deal with problems in a wide range of industries, including banking, general trade, construction, hotel management, mining, and many more.
Liliane says, “A vast number of people have put their faith in the team’s competence and skill.” The team distinguishes out from the competition in the marketplaces because to its great assistance and legal service.
She and Alexis Thambwe -Mwamba, the senior partner of the firm, are mining and quarrying agents according to the mining regulations in DRC.
Challenges of the Profession
“The difficulties we face are financial, economic, and cultural; Indeed, being a business firm, the general economic environment is our indicator,” says Liliane. “If, it is favorable and flourishing, our activity is affected; if it is stagnant, we also stagnate, if it is bad, we hang on. The financial benefits also follow the same rhythm.” She further adds, “Cultural because the culture of using a lawyer is not very well rooted in the popular mentality.” She mentions, some disputes drag on because the parties don’t want to use a third party, the lawyer, to help them sort it out and sometimes, even those who are in business, do not use the services of lawyers to help them in their business. “The love of the profession and the belief that the law dominates everything, so we will always need a lawyer, that’s what keeps me going,” says Liliane.
An Encouraging Workplace
There were just two lawyers when the cabin was reopened in 2005, and there are now seven. The team has had a good evolution in turnover and the number of clients with subscriptions and overseas consultations since the previous recruitment in 2018, and the team has also had a good development in turnover and the number of clients with subscriptions and international consultations. “We have a good foundation and reputation,” says Liliane.
Liliane strives to ensure that the entire staff is constantly trained, up to speed on legal material, and able to answer the firm’s clients’ demands as quickly as possible. In the market, the team is still present and competitive.
While describing the firm’s work environment, Liliane adds, “Here we are not talking about workers in the sense of the labor code, we are in a liberal profession, we are collaborators; trust and constructive exchanges remain the keys to motivation and productive work.” She further says, “You have to believe in yourself and the project you are carrying, and then, you have to build a multi-skilled and united team; you can’t do anything alone.”
Future Plans
As per Liliane, Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes’ future project is first and foremost to remain on the market by offering the best services with proven and specialized expertise. She asserts, “We are in the logic to last and also to enlarge the team and to leave the name of this firm for the future generations.”
