Pan-African law firm Bowmans has been named DealMakers leading legal adviser in Africa (in relation to both deal value and deal flow) for the third year in a row at a gala event held in Johannesburg last night.

The Dealmakers league tables show that the deals attributed to Bowmans in Africa were collectively valued at USD 4 640 million, constituting 13.4 % market share by deal value and 25.8% market share by deal flow.

Chairman of Bowmans Corporate/ M&A Department, Ezra Davids, says, “A combination of African-led and international cross-border acquisitions are fuelling regional M&A activity as African businesses grow in self-confidence. While the global volume of African M&A has slowed, we are expecting inbound and outbound M&A to increase in the years ahead as regulatory uncertainty and global political events stabilise.

“The geographical source of foreign direct investment also appears to be expanding. We are seeing lively interest in Africa from North America, China, Western Europe, Japan and India to name a few.”

Bowmans was also recently recognised by MergerMarket in the African and Middle East league tables as the No 1 ranked legal firm by deal count in 2016.

The firm’s expertise is frequently recognised by independent research organisations, including IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide, Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, which each rank Bowmans Corporate M&A practice group as top tier.