Driven to leave the profession better than she found it: Michelle David re-elected Chair of Deneys

Being re-elected this week to Chair leading African law firm Deneys for another four years is not a platform, but a responsibility to the people across regions, to Deneys clients, and to a legal profession that she and her colleagues intend to leave better than they found it, says Michelle David, who helped guide Deneys through its recent transition to independence. 

A pioneering African firm that's built on more than a century of South African practice, Deneys entered a new a new, future-focused chapter, evolving independently in tune with a changing world, with the full launch of its new brand identity on 30 March. 

A Director at Deneys and specialist in financial services regulation, Michelle joined the firm in 2012, and has been Chair for the past four years. Michelle advises pension funds, medical schemes and financial services providers. She combines her practice with the leadership of the board, and has been a director of the firm for more than a decade. Her new term as Chair will run from 30 September 2026 to 29 September. 

“It is a privilege to be trusted with this role again," says Michelle. "My focus for this term is simple: strong governance, opportunity that reaches everyone in the firm, and a firm our clients can rely on for the long term.” 

Deneys CEO Brent Botha praised Michelle's leadership and for chairing the firm "through a period in which we asked a great deal of our people". Stability at the top of a law firm is a commercial asset, he said, and Michelle had led with rigour and care. "Her re-election gives our clients, our people and the market certainty about how this firm is governed as we build to 2030," he added. The re-election forms part of the firm’s regular governance cycle.

Talking with Africa Legal ahead of the firm's transition earlier this year, Michelle shared that what excited her most was what independence meant for Deneys' people, the freedom to build a firm that reflects their ambition and their values. “Deneys is a platform for the next generation of great African lawyers, and I could not be prouder of what this team has built."

Seen as a leader in gender empowerment throughout her career, Michelle has previously been a partner at two global law firms, served as President of the Pension Lawyers Association in South Africa, and been a finalist in the Top Women in Business Awards multiple times.