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'Proudly African': next chapter begins for Webber Wentzel as alliance with Linklaters ends
After operating in a formal alliance for 13 years, leading South African firm Webber Wentzel and British multinational law firm Linklaters have announced they will return to a more informal relationship that operated for decades before their alliance
The return to a more informal relationship following a 13-year formal alliance between Webber Wentzel, one of Africa’s oldest and most respected law firms, and London-headquartered Linklaters, marks the next chapter “as a proudly African firm with deep South African roots and a track record of advising on the continent's most significant matters”, says Gareth Driver, Senior Partner of Webber Wentzel.
The two leading law firms, which have worked closely together in various ways for several decades, announced yesterday that they have mutually agreed to end their alliance in November 2026. “Our relationship with Linklaters spans more than half a century, and we hold the firm and its people in the highest regard,” says Driver.
Each firm has been serving clients for more than 150 years.
Webber Wentzel traces its legal ancestry to 1868 in the Western Cape, and Linklaters was originally founded as Dods & Linklater in London in 1838.
They also share a deep history and understanding of the African market.
As their respective strategies have evolved, said the firms in a media release, they have now jointly agreed they can best serve their respective clients by returning to the more informal structure that characterised their relationship before the alliance.
Under the alliance, the two firms retained independence while sharing high-value cross-border mandates, providing each other access to their African and international networks, conducting secondments and joint training, and co-advising on landmark African transactions.
“I’d like to thank Gareth and the Webber Wentzel team for their partnership,” says Aedamar Comiskey, Senior Partner and Chair of Linklaters. “Our alliance is ending but our commitment to supporting clients on their most complex, cross border matters remains unchanged. We look forward to continuing to serve our clients in Africa, drawing on the strength of our global platform and the depth of our relationships, market knowledge and experience across the continent.”
While the two firms’ formal alliance will conclude in November, Webber Wentzel said it looks forward to continuing to work together with Linklaters on cross-border matters whenever it serves the best interests of the African firm’s clients. The dissolution of the formal alliance provides both firms, which have each been experiencing strong growth, greater flexibility in an evolving legal marketplace.
Last week, Linklaters reported its highest-ever pre-tax profit of £1.2 billion (up 11.6%, three straight years of double-digit growth), and an 11.4% increase in profit per equity partner (PEP) to £2.5 million. Its US and Asian businesses played a key role, each reporting more than 35% growth. Linklaters has doubled revenue and quadrupled profit in the US over the past five years. During the 2026 financial year, it also added 12 partners globally as lateral hires, along with 37 internal promotions to partner.
Webber Wentzel has likewise seen strong growth in its partnership.
Since Driver took the baton from longtime Senior Partner Christo Els last March - alongside Safiyya Patel stepping into the Managing Partner role held for a decade by Sally Hutton - the firm made 13 partnership promotions in 2025, ranging across its Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance, Employment, and Tax practices, and another eight partner promotions (six of them women) in April 2026.
Seven of those eight 2026 partner promotions began with the firm as Candidate Attorneys, underlining what Driver and Patel shared with Africa Legal last year about continuing the work of their predecessors to transform Webber Wentzel to be more representative, while embracing a world full of fast-evolving challenges, enabling client success, and nurturing the “lifeblood of the firm” in their rising legal talent.
“We are custodians,” shared Patel with Africa Legal, as she became the first black female Managing Partner in Webber Wentzel’s prestigious 150+ year history. “The next generation is absolutely crucial to the legacy of others who’ve gone before.”
As it looks to the future, Webber Wentzel is set to begin a new chapter. “We look forward to continued growth alongside our clients across the continent,” says Driver.