Established as a partnership in April 2008, DESTONE & CO. is a modern and well-established Malawian law firm. Since its establishment it has consistently been one of the most prominent full service law firms constantly evolving and adapting to the competitive legal market requirements and our client's needs.
We provide legal services in Malawi and abroad to all kind of clients including local and multi national corporations, individuals, public and private organisations. Our top quality legal support and original solutions on complex legal issues, are served by applying innovative methods and creative thinking in a way that creates added value for our clients.
"To exceed our clients expectation every day by providing the highest calibre of legal counsel and advice which is efficient, cost effective and of sustained value to our client's business or personal lives, to meaningfully contribute to the legal profession, to develop and maintain a tradition of public and community service and to provide our people with outstanding and challenging career"
Malawi Law Society (MLS)
American Society of International Law (ASIL)
Mauritius International arbitration Centre (MIAC).
Over the years, we have contributed to legal developments through involvement in transaction work and major litigation. We have participated in over 500 cases to judgement level at the Labour Relations Court, High Court and The Supreme Court of Malawi. Most of the judgements are reported in the Malawi Law Reports.
At the Annual General Meeting of the Malawi Law Society held on 23rd February, 2019, our Managing Partner, Patrick Gray Mpaka was elected by a 72% majority of professional members as Vice Chairperson of the Malawi Law Society (MLS) Executive Committee, 2019-2021 thereby entrusted by fellow professionals to run a statutory organ created to oversee professionalism in law practice. In 2021, Patrick Gray Mpaka was elected President of the Malawi Law Society till 2023.
Fees for legal services are regulated by law and are subject to agreement between a client and the firm. The primary regulation is in section 40 of the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners. It says a Legal Practitioner and his client may, before, after or in the course of any contentious business make arrangement in writing fixing the amount of the Legal Practitioners remuneration. The Legal Practitioners (Scale and Minimum Charges) Rules prescribe the minimum remuneration for any type of service provided at DESTONE & CO. The overall guideline where there is no prescribed charges is set out in Part III of the Legal Practitioners (Scale and Minimum Charges) Rules. It requires that the charges must be “reasonable and fair having regard to all the circumstances of the case” in issue. These are the basic guidelines on which legal fees for legal services at DESTONE & CO. are determined and agreed. The agreement can be on case by case basis or on retainer basis with the clients.