Daphine holds a first class Bachelor of Laws (Honours), LL.B (Hons.) from the University of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. She attended Sir John Cass and Redcoat Church of England School, London, United Kingdom having earlier attended Peterhouse Girls’ School, Marondera, Zimbabwe.

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Upon her return to Zimbabwe Daphine worked as a Manager at Mooridge Enterprises. She was responsible, amongst other things, for the company secretarial portfolio,  statutory compliance, labour relations and general legal practice. She thereafter moved to Speybay, a company she helped setup and attended to its legal and statutory compliance matters.

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Daphine commenced her career in the practice of the law in March 2012 as an intern at Scanlen & Holderness Legal Practitioners, one of Zimbabwe's oldest and most established law practices. She  gained an excellent grounding on the proper conduct and ethics of a well reputed firm.   Her duties involved conducting legal research, drafting contracts and pleadings, sitting in on client consultations, drafting letters for and on behalf of clients after the consultations and shadowing associates.

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In May 2012 Daphine joined Mawere & Sibanda Legal Practitioners as  Professional Associate. Mawere & Sibanda is a well-established and reputable firm specialising in commercial and corporate law.  Working with this firm, she handled various client portfolios under the supervision of a senior partner and gained invaluable knowledge and skill in the litigation and arbitration (case assessment, drafting pleadings, questioning and preparing witnesses, negotiating with the opposite party,  making court appearances and presenting oral arguments), drafting, negotiating and reviewing contracts with a focus on foreseeing and avoiding potential areas of conflict, rendering legal advice and opinions.

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Daphine moved to the Bar in May 2015. She initially kept rooms at The Chambers - Advocates of Zimbabwe. She was part of a group of advocates that founded the  Advocates Rooms’ at The Temple Bar and founded the Zimbabwe Inns of Court, a voluntary and self-regulating Bar Association inspired by and modelled along the lines of the Inns of Court in England and the United States.  

 

Daphine's practice is centred around all aspects of litigation in the High, Supreme and Constitutional Courts of Zimbabwe; Arbitration and Disciplinary Hearings. Her  main areas of focus are constitutional law and civil liberties, corporate and commercial law, contract law,  mining law and  the law of persons and the family. Daphine is also available for criminal defence and for appointment as an arbitrator and conciliator.

 

She is on the Zimbabwe Inns of Court's  Pupilage and Continuous Professional Development   Committee. She is presently responsible for the supervision of a legal and research intern. She has previously supervised another law graduate who has now gone into private practice.

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Skills summary

 

• Considerable experience in courtroom litigation with particular emphasis on trial advocacy and motion proceedings.   Substantial experience in Arbitration matters and Disciplinary Hearings;

 

• Possess sound knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law and have acquired the ability to synthesize complex legal and factual materials utilizing analytical and logical reasoning abilities;

 

• Exceptional management and organisational skills as well as the ability to multi task, developed through working in high demand environments;

 

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy acquired through working in a legal framework where acuteness and thoroughness is a necessity in all work carried out;

 

 

Achievements and interests

 

• President of the Rotary Club of Borrowdale Brooke (2017/2018)

• Board Member of With Love Foundation and Hamilton Insurance (Private) Limited

• Current Treasurer of the Temple Bar as well as the  Zimbabwe Inns of Court

• Voted President of the University of Bedfordshire Student Law Society (2007/2008).

• Mooting:  Received the Knowles Benning prize for Best Individual Mooter.

• Avid hockey player. 

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