JOE ANDREW, NOOR KAPDI AND ELLIOTT PORTNOY Dentons will create jobs, support a transformation in the legal services industry and transfer an international skill-set that can contribute towards the local economy
Global law firm Dentons is opening its second office in South Africa, which makes Dentons the first global law firm to be a broad-based black economic- empowerment Level 1 firm in South Africa.
“Our expansion in South Africa underscores our commitment to bringing clients comprehensive solutions and talent from diverse backgrounds and countries, with local knowledge and deep experience in every legal tradition in the world,” says Dentons global chairperson Joe Andrew.
Dentons’ Cape Town office opened in April 2014, when it merged with local law firm KapdiTwala, led by managing partner Noor Kapdi.
“The Johannesburg opening and expansion in South Africa truly showcases Dentons’ commitment to Africa and its clients,” says Kapdi.
His team is regularly listed among the most prominent oil and gas lawyers in South Africa and the continent at large.
“We anticipate growth in the energy, infrastructure and transport industries. The new Johannesburg office will buttress Dentons’ renowned global energy practice, position the firm for significant developments on the continent and provide us with an opportunity to tailor our local offering,” notes Kapdi.
By expanding the firm’s capabilities and reach across South Africa, Dentons clients – from Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, the UK and the US – will have an unrivalled access point for legal services in a vibrant continental economy.
The firm is 100% owned by local partners and Dentons’ expansion demonstrates its polycentric positioning to provide expert and diverse local and international advice.
“As part of Dentons’ commitment to serve the communities in which it operates, the firm will create jobs, support transformation in the legal services industry and transfer an international skills set that can contribute towards the local economy,” says Andrew.
Through its relationship with the Black Lawyers Association, Dentons will be offering five bursaries in Polokwane, East London, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
The grants will allow trainee attorneys to complete a six-month professional legal training course, specifically assisting graduates who were unable to complete the two years of articles required before they can be admitted as an attorney, thereby reducing the period of articles of clerkship to one year.
Foreign investment in African economies reached a record high in 2014, with countries including the US, Italy, France, Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, China, India and Brazil driving growth, according to a 2014 report by the African Development Trade Group.
Dentons is a global law firm driven to give clients a competitive edge in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. The firm partnered with Chinese law firm Da Chung early in February and the two firms will combine to form the largest law firm in the world.