Leading African law firm, Bowmans, received three awards at the online IFLR Africa Awards ceremony held earlier today (9 September). These include the awards for National Law Firm of the Year in both South Africa and Zambia.

Bowmans was also the winner in the National Law Firm of the Year: South Africa (Project Finance) category for its work on various project finance matters in the past year including the Beitbridge Border Post Modernisation Project, which was named Project Finance Deal of the Year.

Deputy chairperson, Ezra Davids, says, ‘This recognition is testament to our commitment to excellence in our client focus across our African footprint and to the great collaborative relationships that we have built within our teams and with our clients.’

Returning for their second year to ‘celebrate the most innovative transactions of 2020 and the teams and lawyers behind them’, IFLR says that the awards provide, ‘an unrivalled opportunity to celebrate firms and individuals who have performed exceptionally at both local and national levels’.

According to IFLR, the awards ‘focus on legal innovation in cross-border deal making’, and ‘showcase transactions that break new legal ground, set precedents and develop the legal environment for cross-border corporate finance’.

Deputy chairperson, David F.K. Mpanga says, ‘I’m very happy to see our colleagues in Zambia doing so well in such a short space of time. Since opening its doors for business in June last year the team has gained excellent traction in the market. It’s good to see their efforts being acknowledged in this way.’

The awards come shortly after the release of IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide for 2021/2022, where 19 practices across Bowmans’ entire geographical footprint were ranked and 41 of its lawyers were recognised. Its Zambian practice (where it operates as B&M Legal Practitioners) entered the rankings as ‘Other Notable’ in two categories - Financial and Corporate, and Project Development.

The news comes less than a week after the announcement that Bowmans had won African Legal Awards in five practice areas, more than any other single law firm.

Across the continent, Bowmans’ alliance firm, Aman Assefa and Associates Law Office, was named National Law Firm of the Year in Ethiopia.