Six lawyers at Baker McKenzie in South Africa have been named as Next Generation Lawyers according to the Legal 500 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Guide, released this week. Bridgett Majola (Banking & Finance), Callum O’Connor (Dispute Resolution), Gary Anderson (Banking & Finance), Lerisha Naidu (Competition) Nikita Shaw (Employment) and Seraj Haroun (Corporate) were all listed as the next generation of lawyers to watch in the EMEA jurisdiction.  In addition, partners Wildu du Plessis (Banking & Finance) and Nick Altini (Competition) were named as Leading Lawyers in the Guide.

Baker McKenzie’s Johannesburg office received nine practice area rankings, including a tier 1 ranking in Construction and tier 2 rankings in Banking & Finance, Competition, and Projects & Infrastructure. In addition, the firm’s Cairo office received seven tier one rankings and the Casablanca office was ranked tier two in two practice areas.

The EMEA guide provides annually researched coverage of 81 countries and over 2,700 ranked law firms. The research provides a detailed qualitative assessment of various factors including work conducted; experience and depth of teams; specialisms and ancillary services; and opinions of law firms’ clients.

Co-Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg, Morne van der Merwe says, “The fact that two of our partners are named as leading lawyers and six of senior associates are listed as stars of the next generation, points to our expertise in the African legal sector and the sustainability of our service offering.  In addition, being ranked in nine practice areas in South Africa (as well as receiving seven rankings in Cairo and two in Casablanca) is further proof of our exceptional legal expertise and ability to advise our clients in complex cross border transactions across Africa.”

Last month, ten lawyers from Baker McKenzie South Africa and nine of its practice areas were recognised by in the 2017 Chambers Global Guide.