Flag of South Africa, clipart.com 2012
South African law firm ENS has hired a three-partner team from DLA Piper's local arm, including regional corporate and commercial head Ian Hayes.
Hayes and fellow corporate and commercial partners Lydia Shadrach-Razzino and Marc Friedman will join from DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyer in September, bringing one senior associate, two associates and support staff with them.
The team will be based in Johannesburg, where Hayes will co-lead the firm's corporate and commercial division with chairman Michael Katz, director Doron Joffe and director Koos Pretorius.
Hayes said: "I believe that ENS has a flat structure and offers an approach whereby everyone is able to give input into the strategic direction which the firm takes."
Deputy chief executive Mzi Mgudlwa commented: "Having considered the market and the key players therein, it is irrefutable that Ian and his team are major players in the niche legal market that focuses on corporate transactions of a sizeable scale."
The hires come after ENS earlier this month announced it will open two new offices in the region. Desire Kamanzi, former managing partner of Kamanzi, Ntaganira & Associates, will lead ENS Africa - Rwanda, while Gilbert Nyatanyi left Mkono's local arm to head ENS Africa - Burundi. The firm plans to launch more offices later this year.
