Global law firm Clyde & Co has today announced the appointment of Deon Francis and Reshana Pillay as Partners in its leading insurance practice in South Africa. They will be based in Johannesburg.

Deon and Reshana both join from Hogan Lovells, where they have built successful self-standing practices in its insurance group, with Deon having headed up its insurance team in South Africa since 2014.

Deon and Reshana form a close-knit and reputable team of lawyers that is the product of having worked together for 13 years within the South African insurance market.

Their practices encompass non-contentious policy wordings development and advice as well as a broad range of professional indemnity, general liability and medical malpractice defence litigation work. Their client group comprises specialist South African market and international insurers.

Tony Hardie, Managing Partner at Clyde & Co in South Africa, comments:  "We're delighted to have respected specialists such Deon and Reshana joining the firm, both of whom are leading insurance lawyers in South Africa. Clients in the insurance sector are continually looking for better ways to resolve disputes and having them on board will further strengthen our insurance capacity and representation in the market. With this latest expansion, we are confirming our position as the only specialist insurance law firm in South Africa."

Reshana Pillay says: "I'm thrilled to join one of the largest insurance law firms in the world, and the only international firm in Africa that operates as a single global partnership. Clyde & Co has an impressive level of dedication and service towards the interest of South African and international insurers and I look forward to being part of the team."

Deon Francis says: "The insurance market in South Africa continues to mature, and I think this is the perfect time to develop a more comprehensive offering. Clyde & Co is bringing over a top team of insurance practitioners and I'm convinced the synergies between our practices will help us service clients' increasingly sophisticated needs at all levels."

Deon and Reshana are complemented by a string of additional hires, including associates Tarryn Venter and Esilhle Kobese, also from Hogan Lovells, associate Christopher Webster from Andrew Miller & Associates, and consultant Lisa Baird from Excappa Consulting Services.

With the new additions, Clyde & Co continues its steady growth and further strengthens its position as the leading international insurance firm in South Africa, with 16 partners and a total of 40 experienced lawyers across its two offices. Since opening its first local offices in 2014, the firm has attracted a significant number of insurance specialists from the major law firms in the region, who chose to contribute to Clyde and Co's strong and unique positioning.

The South Africa team advises domestic and international clients, including insurers, reinsurers, brokers, underwriting managers, banks and insureds, across all lines of insurance and reinsurance business. The hires also confirm the firm's commitment to diversity and transformation, with women accounting for more than 40% of the firms' lawyers in South Africa.

Clyde & Co is one of the largest international law firms to operate its own offices in Africa, including South Africa (Johannesburg and Cape Town) and Tanzania (Dar es Salaam).

The firm has been active in the region for over 20 years and has experience of working on complex multi-jurisdictional transactions in the vast majority of countries across the continent. Clyde & Co offers both local and cross-border legal services with the necessary resources and depth of experience to handle the largest and most complex transactions and disputes in Sub-Saharan Africa.