Big Five ( Law firms ) in South Africa - Wikipedia Big Five ( Law firms ) in South Africa Location of South Africa The Big Five law firms is a term informally used in South Africa to refer to those law firms which, collectively, are perceived to be the leading law firms based in South Africa. The following firms are usually seen as comprising the `` Big Five '' ( listed alphabetically ) : Name Founded ( South Africa ) No. of offices No. of attorneys ( South Africa ) Bowmans 1885 Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg ( 3 ) 262 ( 2017 ) Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr 1853 Cape Town and Johannesburg ( 2 ) ( 2017 ) 224 ( 2017 ) Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, trading as ENSafrica 1905 14 ( including two pro bono offices ) ( 2017 ) 400 ( 2017 ) Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa 1922 Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg ( 3 ) ( 2017 ) 188 ( 2017 ) Webber Wentzel in alliance with Linklaters 1868 Cape Town and Johannesburg ( 2 ) ( 2017 ) 393 ( 2017 ) Note : Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr was formerly allied with DLA Piper. Its affiliation with DLA Piper ended at the end of August 2015. Note : On 1 June 2011, Deneys Reitz Inc joined UK based firm Norton Rose. Note : Webber Wentzel is an associate of ALN. On 1 February 2013, the firm entered into a collaborative alliance with global law firm Linklaters. Contents 1 Rankings 1.1 Chambers and Partners Global Rankings 1.2 Who 's Who Legal Global 100 1.3 Who 's Who Legal South African Law firm of the year 1.4 Mergermarket M&A Awards : Legal Advisor of the Year - Sub-Saharan Africa 2 Other major law firms 3 See also 4 References Rankings Chambers and Partners Global Rankings Chambers and Partners Global Rankings of the number of lawyers recognised as leaders in their respective fields. Rank Name 2012 2013 2014 Webber Wentzel 38 40 46 ENSafrica 25 37 45 Bowmans 26 27 31 Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr 21 23 25 Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa 16 21 26 Note : No individual ranking is available for Norton Rose South Africa. Thus, not all South African ranked attorneys may be part of Norton Rose South Africa, but are part of Norton Rose Global. Who 's Who Legal Global 100 Law firms included in the Global 100 are n't assigned a specific ranking. Year Firm 2013 ENSafrica 2013, 2014 Webber Wentzel Note : firms listed alphabetically Who 's Who Legal South African Law firm of the year Year Firm 2016 Bowmans 2015 Webber Wentzel 2013 Webber Wentzel 2012 Webber Wentzel 2011 Webber Wentzel Mergermarket M&A Awards : Legal Advisor of the Year - Sub-Saharan Africa Other major Law firms Firms with more than 50 attorneys are generally viewed as midsize law firms. Name Founded ( South Africa ) No. of offices ( South Africa ) No. of attorneys ( South Africa ) Adams & Adams 1908 4 ( 14 associated offices in the rest of Africa ) ( January 2017 ) 151 ( 2017 ) Baker McKenzie 2012 1 ( 2017 ) 58 ( 2017 ) Fasken Martineau South Africa ( formerly Bell Dewar ) 1901 1 ( 2017 ) 59 ( 2017 ) Hogan Lovells South Africa ( formerly Routledge Modise ) 1892 1 ( 2017 ) 125 ( 2017 ) Shepstone & Wylie 1872 6 ( 2017 ) 70 ( 2017 ) Spoor & Fisher 1920 4 ( 2017 ) 59 ( 2017 ) STBB - Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes 1900 11 ( 2017 ) 66 ( 2017 ) Werksmans 1917 4 ( 2017 ) 201 ( 2017 ) Note : Baker & McKenzie opened its office in South Africa with lawyers, staff and partners from Dewey & LeBoeuf 's defunct Johannesburg office following that firm 's bankruptcy. Note : Routledge Modise was formerly part of Eversheds from 2008 to 2012. See also List of law firms in Uganda Magic Circle ( law ) Silver Circle ( law ) White shoe firm Seven Sisters ( law firms ) Big Six law firms Red Circle Big Four law firms ( Japan ) References Jump up ^ Law Firms of South Africa : Webber Wentzel, Bowman Gilfillan, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs ( ENSafrica ). Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2011. Big Five Law Firms Jump up ^ `` Africa 's top Corporate Lawyers Retrieved 4 March 2010 ''. Africanbusinessreview.co.za. Jump up ^ `` Assets '' ( PDF ). Dnaeconomics.com. Jump up ^ `` Contact Us - Bowmans ''. Bowmanslaw.com. ^ Jump up to : `` South Africa Best Lawyers and Law Firms - Global Guide - Chambers and Partners ''. Chambersandpartners.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ `` Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc. - Cape Town, South Africa Office Information ''. Martindale.com. Jump up ^ `` Contact us - Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr ''. Cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 06. Jump up ^ `` ENS Retrieved 6 March 2011 ''. Hrfuture.net. Jump up ^ `` Office Locations & Contact Info ''. Ensafrica.com. Jump up ^ `` Norton Rose Fulbright - London - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners ''. Chambersandpartners.com. Jump up ^ `` The Firm : a Biography of Webber Wentzel Bowens '' ( PDF ). Sabar.co.za. Retrieved 31 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010. CS1 maint : Archived copy as title ( link ) Webber Wentzel Retrieved 31 December 2010 Jump up ^ Michael West ( 2015 - 08 - 07 ). `` DLA Piper ends South African alliance as it eyes Jo'burg launch for first foray into Africa ''. Legal Business. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2010. CS1 maint : Archived copy as title ( link ) Ogilvy Renault and Deneys Reitz to join Norton Rose Group Retrieved 31 December 2010 Jump up ^ `` Webber Wentzel ''. Webberwentzel.com. Jump up ^ `` Webber Wentzel ''. Webberwentzel.com. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Webber Wentzel Retrieved 21 March 2012 Jump up ^ `` Webber Wentzel Retrieved 27 May 2013 ''. Chambersandpartners.com. Jump up ^ `` Webber Wentzel Retrieved 26 March 2014 - updated 5 November 2014 ''. Chambersandpartners.com. ^ Jump up to : `` ENSafrica - Johannesburg - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners ''. Chambersandpartners.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Bowmans - Johannesburg - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners ''. Chambersandpartners.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr - Sandton - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners ''. Chambersandpartners.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Werksmans Attorneys - Johannesburg - Law Firm Profile - Global Guide 2018 - Chambers and Partners ''. Chambersandpartners.com. Jump up ^ `` The Latest Legal News, Research and Legal Profiles - Who 's Who Legal ''. Whoswholegal.com. Jump up ^ `` Who 's Who Legal : 100 - The Latest Legal Community News, Research and Legal Profiles - Who 's Who Legal ''. Whoswholegal.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Country Awards - The Latest Legal News and Law Firm Information - Who 's Who Legal ''. Whoswholegal.com. Retrieved 2018 - 07 - 18. Jump up ^ `` Accolades - Bowmans ''. Bowmanslaw.com. Jump up ^ `` Webber Wentzel ''. Webberwentzel.com. ^ Jump up to : `` Cambrient Contentsuite Login ''. Webberwentzel.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018. Jump up ^ Michael H. Trotter, Profit and the Practice of Law : What 's Happened to the Legal Profession ( Athens, GA : University of Georgia Press, 1997 ), 46. Jump up ^ `` THE 2010 MIDSIZE HOT LIST - National Law Journal ''. Law.com. Jump up ^ `` History Retrieved 6 March 2011 ''. Adamsadams.com. Jump up ^ ( 2 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Baker & McKenzie launches Johannesburg base with Dewey team -- The Lawyer - Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs ''. Thelawyer.com. 29 May 2012. Jump up ^ `` Our History Retrieved 6 March 2011 ''. Belldewar.com. Jump up ^ `` Contact Retrieved 6 March 2011 ''. Belldewar.com. Jump up ^ `` Law Firm Office Information for Routledge Modise Attorneys ''. Martindale.com. Jump up ^ `` Johannesburg ''. Hoganlovells.com. Jump up ^ `` Expert Guides - Page moved ''. Expert Guides. Jump up ^ `` Contact us Updated 7 January 2017 ''. Wylie.co.za. Jump up ^ `` History of Spoor & Fisher Retrieved 6 March 2011 ''. Spoor.com. Jump up ^ `` Our offices Updated 7 January 2017 ''. Spoor.com. Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Jump up ^ ( 4 ) Jump up ^ ( 5 ) Jump up ^ ( 6 ) Jump up ^ `` General Enquiries - Werksmans Attorneys ''. Werksman.com. Jump up ^ `` Eversheds parts company with South African ally over conflicts -- The Lawyer - Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs ''. Thelawyer.com. 22 October 2012. Law firms of South Africa Law of South Africa Economy of South Africa Law firms Big Five Bowman Gilfillan Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Webber Wentzel Other Adams & Adams Fasken Martineau Routledge Modise Shepstone & Wylie Spoor & Fisher Werksmans Other resources Department of Justice and Constitutional Development Legal Resources Centre Legal education in South Africa List of law schools in South Africa Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Five_(law_firms)_in_South_Africa&oldid=851145624 '' Categories : Law firms of South Africa Lists of law firms Law firms of Africa Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Archived copy as title All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from July 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles with dead external links from July 2018 Use dmy dates from August 2012 Use South African English from August 2012 All Wikipedia articles written in South African English Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 20 July 2018, at 11 : 14 ( UTC ). 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Question: the big 5 law firms in south africa
Answer: Bowmans