Dentons, a global law firm, has furthered its expansion into the African legal market by forming a partnership with Namibian firm Brockerhoff and Associates, to establish a new practice known as Dentons Brockerhoff.
The new venture, which was unveiled in August, is managed by Trevor Brockerhoff, the founder of Brockerhoff and Associates LP.
Dentons Africa CEO, Noor Kapdi, said the launch of Dentons Brockerhoff in Namibia continues the firm’s momentum in building the leading Pan-African law firm, owned and controlled by Africans. “As the first global law firm in Namibia, Dentons is well positioned to help our local and global clients unlock the opportunities locally and around the world,” he stated.
In an interview with Africa Legal, Trevor Brockerhoff, whose legal career spans 15 years, described this new partnership as a daunting yet exciting challenge.
He emphasised the benefits of being part of one of the world’s largest law firms, with access to extensive legal resources and boundless possibilities.
As an experienced litigator, Brockerhoff’s work often involves administrative tasks, public procurement, commercial transactions and energy law. He’s particularly passionate about public procurement cases because of their significance in promoting due process, economic growth and the development of the country.
“That itself gives you the fulfilment that you are able to participate in the formation of strong systems,” he explained.
Brockerhoff recounted a notable case from 2022, where his firm successfully challenged the awarding of a multibillion-dollar contract. “There were some irregularities in the awarding of the contract. We successfully challenged it, and the decision to award the contract was cancelled in favour of my client,” he proudly stated.
Addressing concerns about the Dentons partnership potentially diluting his firm’s identity and focus, Brockerhoff is confident that won’t happen.
“One good thing about Dentons is that it is polycentric and there is no centralised headquarters. The model that works in Namibia will not work in Singapore. It is country specific. I don’t think by joining Dentons, we’ll lose our identity,” he affirmed.
Regarding his aspirations, Brockerhoff pointed out that mergers such as this provide an opportunity to participate in significant commercial and corporate work that is typically reserved for a privileged few.
“Dentons provides that platform for us to grow exponentially,” he said, adding that they could now achieve growth that might have taken ten years in just three.
The Namibian lawyer also spoke on Africa’s transition to clean energy. “Are we going to have a proportionate contribution to the energy transition because we have minimally contributed to global warming?” he queried.
Brockerhoff expressed his intent to address specific energy needs in future, leveraging Dentons’ global presence.
With Dentons Brockerhoff now firmly established, Brockerhoff says there will be no need for the Namibian government and stakeholders to spend scarce forex on seeking world-class legal representation as they can now get those services locally.
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