Results from the 2016 Europe, Middle East and Africa Guide released yesterday (13 April) by Legal 500 reaffirm Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group’s position as a leading Pan-African legal services provider.

Nine practice areas were recognised in the top tier, with a further 10 practice areas being recommended. In addition, eight lawyers were recognised as elite ‘leading lawyers’ and a further 49 lawyers were recommended in a variety of practice areas.

Chairman, Rob Legh, notes, “Demand for specialist legal knowledge on the continent is strong. Investors are seeking advice and guidance to negotiate the disparate legal and regulatory frameworks that govern investment in Africa. The fact that our rankings by respected global research organisations are consistently high means that our clients can rest assured that they are working with some of best legal experts on the continent."

The group’s Coulson Harney office in Kenya was recommended as a top tier firm in three practice areas, namely Banking & Finance; Commercial, Corporate & M&A; and Real Estate & Construction.  Its South African office was recommended as a top tier firm across six practice areas including Commercial, Corporate & M&A; Competition; Construction, Labour & Employment; Projects & Infrastructure; and Shipping & Transport.

The Legal 500 rankings are based on feedback from 250 000 in-house lawyers, as well as the research company’s own access to law firms’ deals and confidential matters, which are independently assessed by their researchers.  

The research is conducted annually, providing a detailed qualitative assessment of various factors including work conducted by law firms over the past 12 months and historically; experience and depth of teams; specialisms and ancillary services; and, importantly, opinions of law firms’ clients.

According to the guide, the Bowman Gilfillan Africa Group has “amassed a deep bench of senior talent”, has “a long history of advising multinationals and are noted for its, “cross-border capabilities, including transactions involving multiple African jurisdictions”.

Clients point out that the firm is “professional”, “on top of the latest cases” and that its lawyers think, “creatively and critically about the law”.

Last month, the firm announced that 57 of its lawyers and 17 practice areas from across Africa were recognised by leading international legal research organisation, Chambers & Partners.

Submitted by Bowman Gilfillan