Gisela Manhiça Sitoe is a lawyer and the Manager of the Commercial, Regulatory & Public Institutions Practice Groups. In those capacities, she provides legal advice on commercial and corporate law matters as well as administrative law questions. Her practice currently includes mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence on companies and real property; negotiating and drafting all types of commercial contracts; registration and licensing of legal entities; and, from time to time, competition merger notification filings and other anti-trust matters.
Experience includes:
- legal consultancy on anti-trust matters as well as merger notification with the Competition Regulatory Authority;
- legal consultancy to commercial companies in respect to solutions for negative equity situations;
- legal assistance to companies in the real estate sector, including consultancy on the adequate structure (including forms of capitalization) and their application;
- legal consultancy in the corporate area, namely, incorporation and amendments of companies, registration, licensing, drafting of diverse minutes and resolutions;
- legal assistance in mergers and acquisitions;
- legal assistance for licensing and registration of foreign commercial representations;
- legal assistance in legal reform;
- acting as company secretary for various commercial companies which included participating in Board of Director's meetings and preparing and drafting minutes thereof;
- legal assistance with regards to advice on land matters, including applying for DUATs, assisting in transactions involving the transfer of DUATs and drafting cession of exploration contract;
- commercial due diligences in Mozambican companies which include aspects such as the review of incorporation documents, mandatory registrations, operational licensing, corporate bodies, shareholding in other companies and intellectual property;
- legal assistance with drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial contracts, such as transportation, distribution contracts, lease agreement, agency agreements, provisions of services agreements, shareholders’ agreement and purchase and sale agreements;
- legal assistance in the drafting and review of financing contracts (including diverse guarantees);
- legal assistance with the registration of foreign exchange transactions with the Central Bank of Mozambique;
- legal assistance with drafting of legal opinions regarding financial transactions which refer to the good standing of the borrower and the enforceability of the agreements entered into;
- one month secondment in the London and Leeds offices of DLA Piper UK during April and May 2018;
- participation as speaker in the Mozambique – Norway Energy Week 2018 and in 2020, Solar Energy Workshop, addressing the legal requirements for incorporation of a company in Mozambique; and
- legal assistance with a full due diligence and the initial public offer of shares by a large energy company.
Prior Experience
- 2016, SAL & Caldeira Advogados, Lda. - Manager in the Commercial, Regulatory & Public Institutions Practice Groups
- 2013 - 2015, SAL & Caldeira Advogados, Lda. - Senior Legal Consultant in the Commercial, Regulatory & Public Institutions Practice Groups
- 2012, SAL & Caldeira Advogados, Lda. - Legal Consultant in the Commercial, Regulatory & Public Institutions Practice Groups
- 2011, SAL & Caldeira Advogados, Lda. - Junior Legal Consultant in the Commercial, Regulatory & Public Institutions Practice Group
Education
- Bachelor of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa (2008 to 2010)
- First and Second year law, UNISA (2006 to 2007)
- Clapham High School, Pretoria, South Africa (2001 to 2005)
Memberships
- Member of the Mozambique Bar Association
- Registered with the Industrial Property Institute of Mozambique as an Official Industrial Property Agent
- Member and Teacher at Ministério Evangelho em Acção (MEA)