The globalization of legal business has generally come in waves, moving from one country to the next. In the late 1990s, U.S. and U.K. firms flocked to Germany. Intense law firm activity has also been seen in recent years in Hong Kong, China, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Most recently, Australia and Canada have dominated the headlines.
The signs are that it may now be Africa’s turn. The eyes of the international legal elite seem to be increasingly fixed on the region, attracted by an economy that is one of the worlds fastest growing, with gross domestic product still rising at almost 5 percent per year.
Last week, Baker & McKenzie became the latest firm to launch on the continent, establishing an office in South Africa with the hire of a 31-lawyer team from Dewey & LeBoeufone of the now-bankrupt firms last remaining outposts. Wildu du Plessis, who joined Baker alongside fellow comanaging partner Morne van der Merwe and six other partners, says that the specialist energy, mining, and projects group was approached by several firms, but that Bakers unmatched global platform clinched the deal. Baker, highest-ranked firm by revenue on the The Am Law 100, now has 70 offices in 43 countries.
