The Legal 500 Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession. In Europe, Middle East and Africa, the criteria for entry is to have been recognised by The Legal 500 as one of the elite leading lawyers for seven consecutive years. These partners are highlighted below and throughout the editorial.
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South Africa > Competition > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings
Index of tables
Competition
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1
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2
- Baker McKenzie Johannesburg
- Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
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Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc -
Nortons Inc -
Werksmans Attorneys
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3
- Fasken
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Herbert Smith Freehills South Africa LLP - Hogan Lovells (South Africa)
Hall of Fame
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1
Leading individuals
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1
- Nick Altini - Baker McKenzie Johannesburg
- Chris Charter - Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
- Derek Lotter - Bowmans
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Jean Meijer -
Herbert Smith Freehills South Africa LLP -
Anthony Norton -
Nortons Inc - Desmond Rudman - Webber Wentzel
Next generation lawyers
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1
- Wade Graaff - ENSafrica
- Rutendo Hlatshwayo - ENSafrica
- Lerisha Naidu - Baker McKenzie Johannesburg
Find out which law firms are representing which Competition clients in South Africa using The Legal 500's new comprehensive database of law firm/client relationships. Instantly search over 925,000 relationships, including over 83,000 Fortune 500, 46,000 FTSE350 and 13,000 DAX 30 relationships globally. Access is free for in-house lawyers, and by subscription for law firms. For more information, contact david.burgess@legal500.com.
Bowmans is the acknowledged leader in wider Africa and cross-border work. The firm has advised on the South African and African components of a series of global mergers. Tamara Dini, who is praised for her overseas experience and βcan be trusted with the most complex and delicate mattersβ, led the team that advised China National Chemical Corporation on the South Africa, COMESA and Kenya merger control aspects of its acquisition of Syngenta. The group also impresses in dawn raids, cartel investigations and abuse of dominance cases. Market leader Derek Lotter, the βprofessionalβ and βintuitiveβ Robert Legh and Rudolph Labuschagne are also recommended.
ENSafrica has a sizeable team covering major mergers, complaints and inquiries with considerable aplomb. It is praised for its βtechnical knowledgeβ, βstrategic thinkingβ and βproject management skillsβ. Mark Garden led the team that advised Edcon on its financial restructuring, which involved merger clearances in six African jurisdictions. It also acted for PG Group in a dawn raid by the Competition Commission. Jocelyn Katz heads the team, which includes Derushka Chetty and Natalia Lopes, who are βout of the top drawerβ and praised for βgoing above and beyond the call of dutyβ. Justin Balkin and economist Lizel Blignaut are also recommended.
Webber Wentzel has a big domestic and international reputation and is often engaged to advise on merger control filings in multiple jurisdictions. The group recently represented several banks in the Competition Commissionβs investigation into alleged price fixing by foreign currency traders. The team is βextremely professionalβ, βextremely knowledgeableβ and βexceeds expectationsβ. Desmond Rudman is a true market leader and Daryl Dingley has βa hands-on approach to problem solvingβ and βempowers juniors to attend to appropriate workβ. Martin Versfeld is βvery committed and loyal to clientsβ and βis particularly well connected with the Competition Commissionβ. Robert Wilson is also outstanding.
Baker McKenzie Johannesburg has a formidable South Africa and global competition practice. Following the departure of department head Vani Chetty, the Johannesburg team is now led by Nick Altini, who is described as βvery switched on, pragmatic and hardworkingβ and βgets his head around the most difficult issuesβ. The firm continues to impress in mergers, anti-competitive practices and litigation, for example, representing HSBC in alleged FX price fixing proceedings. The team has βoutstanding industry knowledgeβ and delivers a βgreat quality and innovative serviceβ.
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has impressed in conduct and investigations matters, while maintaining an impressive market share of mergers (including major public interest mergers) and disputes. It has a range of blue-chip and multinational clients. The team has βvery good industry knowledgeβ and βworks quickly to identify the key facts in each transactionβ. The group advised The Coca-Cola Company on exercising its call option over SABMillerβs majority stake in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. Department head Chris Charter, Andries le Grange and Natalie von Ey all impress. Lara Granville joined from Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc.
Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc is noted for big-ticket domestic and cross-border mergers and anti-competitive conduct work. Clients include Wilmar, Bridgestone and Chevron, the latter of which it defended against a Competition Commission complaint against alleged price fixing and market allocation by diesel manufacturers. Marianne Wagener heads the team, Mark Griffiths has strong connections to regulators and Rosalind Lake is also highly regarded.
Nortons Inc impresses in merger control, advisory, conduct investigations and litigation (including class actions). The team represented Sasol Polymers in a landmark excessive pricing case before the South African Competition Tribunal and the Competition Appeal Court. Anthony Norton is a market leader and Anton Roets is recommended for pharmaceutical cases, John Oxenham for class actions and Paul Russell is noted for regulatory issues, investigations and litigation.
Werksmans Attorneys has an impressive market share of cartel investigations, market inquiries, mergers, and abuse of dominance cases. TMT is a key industry for the team; it represented Media24 in an abuse of dominance case brought by the Competition Commission. The team is βresponsive, professional, dependable and committedβ and βgoes the extra mileβ. Paul Coetser is outstanding, as are key partners Ahmore Burger-Smidt and Paul Cleland. Pieter Steyn and Petra Krusche are also recommended.
Fasken continues to impress in cartel and collusion cases. The group defended ArcelorMittal in a number of cases, including alleged abuse of dominance and cartel matters, which were resolved through an overarching settlement agreement with the Competition Commission. Stephen Langbridge heads the team which includes new partner Neil Mackenzie.
Herbert Smith Freehills South Africa LLP launched an impressive competition practice with the hire of Jean Meijer from Bowmans. The new practice has already made an impression in price fixing cases and market inquiries in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Meijer is βexperienced, practical, knowledgeable and commercially astuteβ.
Hogan Lovells (South Africa) has cemented its presence in South Africa, taking on a series of high-quality engagements, including advising Bayer on its acquisition of Monsanto, which involved merger notifications in several African jurisdictions. Lesley Morphet is praised by a client for getting a deal βback on trackβ and βperhaps saving the transactionβ. Nkonzo Hlatshwayo has broad experience having had senior positions at several regulatory authorities.