African Legal Awards Shortlist

The shortlist for the African Legal Awards has been announced following a record number of entries this year despite the devastating impact of Covid-19.

This year’s event will be hosted virtually and law firms can sign up to view the announcement of the winners online for a fee of £500 for up to 10 viewers - note a table cost is usually £2400!

For this £500 they will receive a finalist logo to promote their listing and the African Legal Awards will also donate 10% of all viewer fees received to the global charity Save The Children. General Counsels and their teams will have free access.

The date of the final event is now September 17 2020 at 5pm GMT.

The awards are hosted by Law.com with Africa Legal, the Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa and Save the Children as partners. There are 31 categories for both private practice law firms and in-house legal departments.

Africa Legal co-founder Wendy Bampton said the event was a celebration of Africa’s top achieving lawyers and law firms and she was delighted to see entries from across the continent.

“Now more than ever it is so important to open up communication and build relationships between legal communities in different countries as we face a common threat and deal with its aftermath. The African Legal Awards is an opportunity to build these relationships while celebrating the remarkable excellence of law firms and individuals who have all been working in very difficult circumstances and through very hard times.”

This year the event will host a “Twitter wall” aimed at whipping up excitement and allowing for interaction between virtual ‘guests’ on the night. While participants might be sipping champagne in Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Lusaka there will still be fun to encourage participation on the big night.

Following the final announcement, a “Winner’s Package” will be made available to those who take top honours including a trophy, winner’s logo and the opportunity to host a winner’s acceptance video on the African Legal Awards website.

And those on the shortlist are:

African Law Firm of the Year – Large Practice

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Bowmans

ENSafrica

IKM Advocates (DLA Piper Africa, Kenya)

Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc.

Templars

Webber Wentzel

African Law Firm of the Year – Small Practice

BCSA Advogados (PLMJ Colab)

JLA Advogados

Maluks Attorneys & Corporate Law Advisors

Manokore Attorneys (DLA Piper Africa, Zimbabwe)

Ngeri, Omiti & Bush Advocates

Pavestones Legal

Stark Legal Solicitors

TTA Sociedade de Advogados (PLMJ Colab)

African Network/Alliance of the Year

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Dentons

LEX Africa

Linklaters/Webber Wentzel

Miranda & Associados

PLMJ

VdA Legal Partners

Alternative Service Provider of the Year

Afriwise

Capital Legacy Solutions (Pty) Ltd

Caveat Legal

Herbert Smith Freehills

Lexdot

Banking, Finance and Restructuring Team of the Year

ǼLEX

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Baker McKenzie

Bowmans

Fasken (Incorporated in South Africa as Bell Dewar Inc.)

Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc.

Templars

TNP

White & Case

Best Use of Technology

Baker McKenzie

Bowmans

Dentons

Extent Corporate Advisory

Webber Wentzel

Children's Advocate Award, supported by Save the Children

Baker McKenzie

Bowmans

Fasken

Webber Wentzel

Competition and Regulatory Team of the Year

ENSafrica

Webber Wentzel

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Bowmans

MMC ASAFO

CSR, Diversity, Transformation and Economic Empowerment Award

ǼLEX

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Baker McKenzie

Caveat Legal

Covington & Burling

DLA Piper

Lighthouse Law

LNP Attorneys Inc

Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc.

TTA Sociedade de Advogados (PLMJ Colab)

Employment Law Team of the Year

Webber Wentzel

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Kaplan & Stratton Advocates

Primera Africa Legal

ENSafrica

Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys

Lawtons Africa

Energy & Natural Resources Team of the Year

Baker McKenzie

Bowmans

Dentons

ENSafrica

Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc.

Templars

TNP

Webber Wentzel

Environmental & Renewables Team of the Year

ǼLEX

Aluko & Oyebode

Baker McKenzie

Bowmans

Fasken (Incorporated in South Africa as Bell Dewar Inc.)

Actis LLP

LNP Attorneys Inc

MMC ASAFO

Templars

General Counsel of the Year

Brandon Foot, Multichoice Group

Carina Wessels, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited

Ronald Murungi, ENCOT Foundation Ltd

Irene Robinson-Ayanwale, The Nigerian Stock Exchange

In-House Most Promising Newcomer Award

Winner to be revealed at the ceremony.

In-House Rising Star

Haruperi Mumbengegwi, African Legal Support Facility

Lindo Khuzwayo, Anglo American

Zion Adeoye, Centurion Law Group

Simon Peter Lukwiya Nyero, KTA Advocates

Alma Ruth Purcell, South African Medical Research Council

Dean Benn, South African Reserve Bank

Shruti Singh, Sun International (South Africa) Limited

Nkemakonam Isiozor, The Nigerian Stock Exchange

Innovation Award - Client/External

Afriwise

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

DIYlaw Technologies Limited

Hogan Lovells

LNP Attorneys Inc

TripleOKLaw LLP

Velma Solicitors

Mylaw.ng

Innovation Award - Firm

Bowmans

Caveat Legal

J Fember Attorneys

Lighthouse Law

Sun International (South Africa) Limited

International Law Firm of the Year

Baker McKenzie

Centurion Law Group

Dentons

DLA Piper

Giambrone Cabinet Juridique International

PLMJ

White & Case

IP Team of the Year

ǼLEX

ENSafrica - IP Team of the Year

Bowmans

TTA Sociedade de Advogados (PLMJ Colab)

Legal Department of the Year - Large Team

Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited

Development Bank of Southern Africa Limited

Interswitch Limited

Liberty Group

The Nigerian Stock Exchange

Capital Legacy Solutions (Pty) Ltd

Sun International (South Africa) Limited

Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Aluko & Oyebode

Dentons

Rupert Candy Attorneys Inc.

Strachan Partners

TNP

Webber Wentzel

White & Case

M&A Team of the Year

ǼLEX

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Clyde & Co

Dentons

ENSAfrica

Dowuona and Company

Templars

M&A Team of the Year - ECM

Baker McKenzie

Bowmans

Couto, Graça e Associados

Elias & Co.

Webber Wentzel

Partner of the Year - Female

Lerisha Naidu, Baker McKenzie

Angeli Arora, Dentons

Josèlynn Fember, J Fember Attorneys

Zara Jamal, JLA Advogados

Laura Alakija, Primera Africa Legal

Partner of the Year - Male

Adeleke Alex-Adedipe, Duale, Ovia and Alex-Adedipe

Kenneth Muhangi, KTA Advocates

Joseph Maluleke, Maluks Attorneys & Corporate Law Advisors

Olajide Oyewole LLP

Tomás Timbane, PLMJ

Ian Mutibwa, Signum Advocates

Baba Alokolaro, TNP

John Morris Ohaga, TripleOKLaw LLP

Private Practice Most Promising Newcomer Award

Naomi Uwem Ekop, ǼLEX

Rui Lopes, Baker McKenzie

Matthew Arrumm, ENSafrica

Grace Muthoni Njoroge, Growthshield Africa & Grace Muthoni & Co Advocates

Ivan Ojakol, KTA Advocates

Mutugi Mutegi, MMC ASAFO

Nicholas Gordon, Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa

Racheal Kemera Kembabazi, SIGNUM ADVOCATES

Efemena Iluezi-Ogbaudu, Strachan Partners

Dintwa Serumula, Webber Wentzel

Private Practice Rising Star Award

Onyinyechi Iwuoha, ǼLEX

Chukwunonso Henry Nkamuke, Primera Africa Legal

Ashlin Perumall, Baker McKenzie

Mercy Odu, Bowmans

Onyeka Ojogbo, Centurion Law Group

Okechukwu Okoro, G. Elias & Co.

Phetheni Nkuna, Lawtons Africa

Property and Construction Team of the Year

ǼLEX

Bowmans

MMC ASAFO

Templars

Tiefenthaler Attorneys Inc.

Lawtons Africa

Specialist Law Firm of the Year

Capital Legacy Solutions (Pty) Ltd

Clyde & Co

FB Attorneys

Primera Africa Legal

Kiptinness & Odhiambo Associates

LNP Attorneys Inc

RBMM Solicitors

Spoor & Fisher

Tiefenthaler Attorneys Inc.

TMT Team of the Year

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Bowmans

DLA Piper

Kiptinness & Odhiambo Associates

MTN

Lighthouse Law

LNP Attorneys Inc

MMC ASAFO

TripleOKLaw LLP

Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year

Allen & Overy LLP

ALN Kenya|Anjarwalla & Khanna (A&K)

Aluko & Oyebode

Bowmans

Kaplan & Stratton Advocates

Kiptinness & Odhiambo Associates

LNP Attorneys Inc

Templars

Webber Wentzel

This year we are partnering with Law.com to conduct the Africa Top 50 survey. The results from this survey will determine the ranking of the Top 50 African law firms based on footprint. Find out more here

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