Big Five (law firms) in South Africa

Location of South Africa

The Big Five law firms is a term informally used in South Africa to refer to those law firms which, collectively, are perceived to be the leading law firms based in South Africa.

The following firms are usually seen as comprising the "Big Five" (listed alphabetically):[1][2][3]

Name Founded (South Africa) No. of offices No. of attorneys (South Africa)
Bowmans 1885 Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg (3)[4] 262 (2017) [5]
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr1 1853[6] Cape Town and Johannesburg (2) (2017)[7] 224(2017) [5]
Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, trading as ENSafrica 1905[8] 14 (including two pro bono offices) (2017)[9] 400 (2017)[5]
Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa2 1922 Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg (3) (2017) 188 (2017)[10]
Webber Wentzel in alliance with Linklaters3 1868 [11] Cape Town and Johannesburg (2) (2017)[12] 393 (2017)[5]

Note1: Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr was formerly allied with DLA Piper. Its affiliation with DLA Piper ended at the end of August 2015.[13]

Note2: On 1 June 2011, Deneys Reitz Inc joined UK based firm Norton Rose.[14]

Note3: Webber Wentzel is an associate of ALN.[15] On 1 February 2013, the firm entered into a collaborative alliance with global law firm Linklaters.[16]

Rankings

Chambers and Partners Global Rankings

Chambers and Partners Global Rankings of the number of lawyers recognised as leaders in their respective fields.

Rank Name 2012 2013 2014
1 Webber Wentzel 38[17] 40[18] 46[19]
2 ENSafrica 25 37[20] 45[20]
3 Bowmans 26 27[21] 31[21]
4 Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr 21 23[22] 25[22]
5 Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa1 16 21[23] 26[23]

Note1: No individual ranking is available for Norton Rose South Africa. Thus, not all South African ranked attorneys may be part of Norton Rose South Africa, but are part of Norton Rose Global.

Law firms included in the Global 100 aren't assigned a specific ranking.

Year Firm3
2013 ENSafrica[24]
2013, 2014[25] Webber Wentzel[26]

Note3: firms listed alphabetically

Year Firm
2016 Bowmans [27]
2015 Webber Wentzel[26][28][26]
2013 Webber Wentzel
2012 Webber Wentzel[29]
2011 Webber Wentzel[29]

Other major law firms

Firms with more than 50 attorneys are generally viewed as midsize law firms.[30][31]

Name Founded (South Africa) No. of offices (South Africa) No. of attorneys (South Africa)
Adams & Adams 1908[32] 4 (14 associated offices in the rest of Africa) (January 2017)[33] 151 (2017)[5]
Baker McKenzie1 2012 [34] 1 (2017) 58 (2017)[5]
Fasken Martineau South Africa (formerly Bell Dewar) 1901 [35] 1 (2017)[36] 59 (2017)[5]
Hogan Lovells South Africa (formerly Routledge Modise)2 1892[37] 1 (2017)[38] 125 (2017)[5]
Shepstone & Wylie 1872[39] 6 (2017)[40] 70 (2017)[5]
Spoor & Fisher 1920[41] 4 (2017)[42] 59 (2017)[5]
STBB - Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes 1900[43] 11 (2017)[44] 66 (2017)[45]
Werksmans 1917[46] 4 (2017)[47] 201 (2017)[5]

Note1: Baker & McKenzie opened its office in South Africa with lawyers, staff and partners from Dewey & LeBoeuf’s defunct Johannesburg office following that firm's bankruptcy.[34]

Note2: Routledge Modise was formerly part of Eversheds from 2008 to 2012.[48]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Law Firms of South Africa: Webber Wentzel, Bowman Gilfillan, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs (ENSafrica). Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2011. Big Five Law Firms
  2. ↑ "Africa's top Corporate Lawyers Retrieved 4 March 2010". Africanbusinessreview.co.za.
  3. ↑ "Assets" (PDF). Dnaeconomics.com.
  4. ↑ "Contact Us - Bowmans". Bowmanslaw.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "South Africa Best Lawyers and Law Firms - Global Guide - Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc. - Cape Town, South Africa Office Information". Martindale.com.
  7. ↑ "Contact us - Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr". Cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  8. ↑ "ENS Retrieved 6 March 2011". Hrfuture.net.
  9. ↑ "Office Locations & Contact Info". Ensafrica.com.
  10. ↑ "Norton Rose Fulbright - London - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com.
  11. ↑ "The Firm: a Biography of Webber Wentzel Bowens" (PDF). Sabar.co.za. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010. Webber Wentzel Retrieved 31 December 2010
  13. ↑ Michael West (2015-08-07). "DLA Piper ends South African alliance as it eyes Jo'burg launch for first foray into Africa". Legal Business. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  14. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010. Ogilvy Renault and Deneys Reitz to join Norton Rose Group Retrieved 31 December 2010
  15. ↑ "Webber Wentzel". Webberwentzel.com.
  16. ↑ "Webber Wentzel". Webberwentzel.com.
  17. ↑ Webber Wentzel Retrieved 21 March 2012
  18. ↑ "Webber Wentzel Retrieved 27 May 2013". Chambersandpartners.com.
  19. ↑ "Webber Wentzel Retrieved 26 March 2014 - updated 5 November 2014". Chambersandpartners.com.
  20. 1 2 "ENSafrica - Johannesburg - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com.
  21. 1 2 "Bowmans - Johannesburg - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com.
  22. 1 2 "Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr - Sandton - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com.
  23. 1 2 "Werksmans Attorneys - Johannesburg - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners". Chambersandpartners.com.
  24. ↑ "The Latest Legal News, Research and Legal Profiles - Who's Who Legal". Whoswholegal.com.
  25. ↑ "Who's Who Legal: 100 - The Latest Legal Community News, Research and Legal Profiles - Who's Who Legal". Whoswholegal.com.
  26. 1 2 3 "Country Awards - The Latest Legal News and Law Firm Information - Who's Who Legal". Whoswholegal.com. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  27. ↑ "Accolades - Bowmans". Bowmanslaw.com.
  28. ↑ "Webber Wentzel". Webberwentzel.com.
  29. 1 2 "Cambrient Contentsuite Login". Webberwentzel.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  30. ↑ Michael H. Trotter, Profit and the Practice of Law: What's Happened to the Legal Profession (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1997), 46.
  31. ↑ "THE 2010 MIDSIZE HOT LIST - National Law Journal". Law.com.
  32. ↑ "History Retrieved 6 March 2011". Adamsadams.com.
  33. ↑
  34. 1 2 "Baker & McKenzie launches Johannesburg base with Dewey team – The Lawyer - Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs". Thelawyer.com. 29 May 2012.
  35. ↑ "Our History Retrieved 6 March 2011". Belldewar.com.
  36. ↑ "Contact Retrieved 6 March 2011". Belldewar.com.
  37. ↑ "Law Firm Office Information for Routledge Modise Attorneys". Martindale.com.
  38. ↑ "Johannesburg". Hoganlovells.com.
  39. ↑ "Expert Guides - Page moved". Expert Guides.
  40. ↑ "Contact us Updated 7 January 2017". Wylie.co.za.
  41. ↑ "History of Spoor & Fisher Retrieved 6 March 2011". Spoor.com.
  42. ↑ "Our offices Updated 7 January 2017". Spoor.com.
  43. ↑
  44. ↑
  45. ↑
  46. ↑
  47. ↑ "General Enquiries - Werksmans Attorneys". Werksman.com.
  48. ↑ "Eversheds parts company with South African ally over conflicts – The Lawyer - Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs". Thelawyer.com. 22 October 2012.
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