Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

And legal growth in Africa continues to flourish.  Expanding on last year’s entry of a number of prominent global firms, this week Eversheds and Norton Rose Fulbright amplified their reach in Africa by signing strategic alliances in South Africa, and Uganda and Zimbabwe.

As reported by The Lawyer, “Eversheds’ latest tie-up is with Cape Town-based Walkers, a full-service firm that counts EY, Investec, Hyprop Investments, Nedbank, Old Mutual, RGA Reinsurance, Standard Bank, and Woolworths among its clients.”

At the same time, Norton Rose has struck strategic alliances with best friends Shonubi Musoke & Co Advocates in Uganda and Gill Godlonton & Gerrans in Zimbabwe. In turn, Shonubi Musoke & Co also has an association with Burundi firm Gilbert & Partners.

The associated African firms will continue to operate under their own brands and take advantage of new opportunities employing the cache of their global partners.

Eversheds’ Africa operations include offices in Casablanca, Johannesburg, Mauritius, Morocco, Tangier and Tunis. The firm opened its eighth office in Africa through an affiliation with Durban-based Knight Turner, now known as Eversheds KZN, in June 2014.

“The firm launched its Africa Law Institute, a network of independent firms from across the continent, which currently incorporates 37 offices across Africa in October 2013 (1 October 2013).”

Norton Rose first merged with South African firm Deneys Reitz in November 2010, and now operates offices in Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Casablanca.

As reported in The Lawyer, “ ‘Global chief executive Peter Martyr said in Africa the firm saw opportunities “energy and infrastructure, mining and commodities” while “investment into other sectors is also gaining pace, particularly in financial institutions, technology and agriculture.’”