Bowman Gilfillan, Cliffe Dekker and Webber Wentzel among talent shortlisted for inaugural African Legal Awards
Bowman Gilfillan, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr and Webber Wentzel are among the leading firms to be shortlisted for the first-ever African Legal Awards. The trio will compete for the accolade of African Law Firm of the Year, with the winner to be announced at a glittering awards ceremony taking place in Johannesburg on Thursday 24 October 2013.
Jointly hosted by leading UK publisher Legal Week and the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa (CLASA), the awards will for the first time unite the African legal and business community to celebrate excellence and innovation across Africa’s legal profession at a glittering ceremony at La Toscana Montecasino.
The awards are open to law firms and in-house legal teams operating throughout the continent, with winners chosen by a panel of independent judges comprised of top in-house counsel from across the region.
Among the other short-listed firms are Werksmans, which will compete for the Corporate Team of the Year award alongside Cliffe Dekker, Gabinete Legal Moçambique, Herbert Smith Freehills, Norton Rose Fulbright, Slaughter and May and Webber Wentzel. ENS meanwhile will fight it out against firms including Allen & Overy, Baker & McKenzie, Bowman Gilfillan, Dentons, Norton Rose, Orrick and Slaughters for the Banking, Finance and Restructuring Team of the Year award.
The in-house awards see Josie Lyon from Virgin Active South Africa, Luche Joubert, British American Tobacco South Africa, Madeleine Truter, Growthpoint Properties and Willie Du Plessis, Eskom running for the General Counsel of the Year award while Aspen Pharmacare, Eskom, Siemens and The Anglo American Group are all in contention for the Large In-House Team of the Year Award.
There are also a series of sector-based awards to celebrate the achievements of law firm teams working across the continent with the evening culminating with the CLASA Achievement Award recognising the outstanding contribution of an individual to the region’s legal market.
Legal Week’s acting editor Charlotte Edmond said: “It has been fantastic to see such a large number of high-quality entries in the first year of this event and I don’t envy the judges trying to decide between them.” She continued: “We look forward to establishing The African Legal Awards as a key annual fixture in the legal calendar.”
The African Legal Awards Shortlist
International Law Firm of the Year
Allen & Overy
Baker & McKenzie
Clifford Chance
Dentons
DLA Piper
Miranda Correia Amendoeira
Norton Rose Fulbright
White & Case
African Law Firm of the Year
Anjarwalla & Khanna
Bowman Gilfillan
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Daly & Figgis
Oxford & Beaumont
Webber Wentzel
General Counsel of the Year – sponsored by Bowman Gilfillan
Josie Lyon, Virgin Active South Africa
Luche Joubert, British American Tobacco South Africa
Madeleine Truter, Growthpoint Properties
Willie Du Plessis, Eskom
Legal Counsel of the Year – sponsored by Winston & Strawn
Alison Wixley, Bidvest Panalpina Logistics
Johann Koenn, Absa Financial Services
Vickie Govender, Eskom
Legal Department of the Year – Large team
Aspen Pharmacare
Eskom
Siemens
The Anglo American Group
Legal Department of the Year – Small team
Afgri
Bidvest Panalpina Logistics
Life Healthcare
Virgin Active South Africa
Innovation Award
Fairbridges
Growthpoint Properties
International Lawyers for Africa
LIPCO
The Anglo American Group
Webber Wentzel
Whipping the Cat
CSR Award
Allen & Overy
Bowman Gilfillan
DLA Piper
Eskom
Gabinete Legal Moçambique/PLMJ
Corporate Team of the Year
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Gabinete Legal Moçambique
Herbert Smith Freehills
Norton Rose Fulbright
Slaughter and May
Webber Wentzel
Werksmans
Banking, Finance & Restructuring Team of the Year
Allen & Overy
Baker & McKenzie
Bowman Gilfillan
Dentons
ENS
Norton Rose Fulbright
Orrick
Slaughter and May
Litigation & Dispute Resolution Team of the Year
Allen & Overy
ENS
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Herbert Smith Freehills
Mourant Ozannes
Orrick
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Property & Construction Team of the Year
Bowman Gilfillan
ENS
Norton Rose Fulbright
TMT Team of the Year
Dentons
ENS
Norton Rose Fulbright
Energy & Natural Resources Team of the Year
Akin Gump
Gabinete Legal Moçambique
Herbert Smith Freehills
McCarthy Tetrault
Norton Rose Fulbright
Oxford & Beaumont
Siemens
Slaughter and May
Webber Wentzel
Transportation & Infrastructure Team of the Year
ENS
Hogan Lovells
Norton Rose Fulbright
Webber Wentzel
The full awards shortlist has been published at www.africanlegalawards.com
