The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Mauritius

Law Firm Directory

Browse all firms with extended profiles for Mauritius

Overview

Mauritius, like other countries, struggled with the effects of the pandemic. The closure of borders meant that export-oriented industries were significantly affected and previously thriving sectors like real estate came to a halt. However, the open economy, in which the financial services and tourism industries play a significant role, has continued to show signs of recovery following the severe economic impact of the pandemic. The country has seen an increase in foreign exchange and is seen as the main investment platform for Africa and India, allowing for particularly strong and notable connections with these jurisdictions.

The legal market in Mauritius is considered unique. Particularly notable is its hybrid legal system derived from two previous colonial powers; France and United Kingdom. Another distinguishing feature concerns the requirement for locally qualified lawyers to be Mauritian citizens which has meant that complex matters reaching the highest levels of Mauritian courts are handled by practitioners with connections to Mauritius, including dual admission. Firms and lawyers generally noted a spree in domestic M&A transactions in the latter period of COVID-19 and an increase in insurance and employment related work. There has also been a rise in queries and developments in the ESG compliance and fintech spaces including the enactment of the Virtual Asset and Initial Token Offering Act 2021 (Virtual Asset Act).

In Mauritius the differentiation between law firms and sets of barristers chambers is not as clear cut as might be the case elsewhere. Some barristers are employed by law firms while some chambers have begun to register as firms or join international law firm alliances. For this reason, the leading firms ranking continues to feature both chambers and firms because of the flexibility in the legal market structure with these practices carrying out both litigation and transactional work. The rankings feature a new section for barristers specifically handling commercial disputes, including barristers both in chambers and in firms.


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