The Private Equity team of pan-African law firm Bowmans has won the Best Legal Service – Private Equity Award at the African Global Funds (AGF) Service Providers Awards, held in Cape Town at the end of October. According to AGF, this is the only international awards event dedicated to celebrating excellence in African fund services.

Bowmans Chairman Rob Legh, says, “This award is further endorsement of our legal team's ability to provide valued advice to our clients on their most complex transactions in Africa. Our private equity practice has been bolstered over the past year by the appointment of John Bellew, a leading South African private equity lawyer, who heads the team and James Westgate, a dedicated private equity specialist.  These additions to an already experienced and highly regarded group, including Paras Shah, who heads the team in East Africa, has been well received by our clients across Africa. It is truly gratifying that the team has been recognised internationally with this award.”

John Bellew, Bowmans head of Private Equity notes, “The creation of this focused private equity team has allowed us to consolidate expertise from various practice areas across the firm into one sector group. We now have a range of Africa-wide lawyers from different disciplines operating across the full spectrum of a private equity deal.”

Bellew says, “To further bolster the team’s offering to our clients, our South African and Kenyan offices, together with international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and leading Nigerian law firm Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, launched an inaugural African Private Equity Academy in Sandton last week. Approximately 90 delegates from across Africa attended the launch of the Academy."

The Academy is targeted primarily at junior to mid-level private equity deal executives and focuses on important legal and commercial issues that should be addressed in negotiating private equity transactions.

“The first annual event provided an opportunity for those in the private equity sector to hear from senior commercial lawyers practising in key African markets, as well as from a ‘magic circle’ London law firm. Participants left the Academy better equipped to negotiate their deals, more aware of potential pitfalls and able to make intelligent and informed use of their professional service providers,” he added.