Linklaters, Webber Wentzel alliance

A rumour has been circling for months in legal circles that Linklaters wanted to further entrench its African platform and a tie-up with a local firm was widely expected.

Law firms are in a competitive race to get lucrative and growing merger and acquisition work in Africa. A number of mergers‚ equity partnerships‚ head-hunting of corporate teams and preferred-partner alliances have taken place this year‚ with SA increasingly seen as a springboard by law firms into the continent.

Linklaters' Africa practice is currently working on over 200 matters relating to Africa.

The aim of the alliance with Linklaters‚ which will be launched on February next year‚ is to provide clients with "an advantage in Africa through the firms' combined experience and international resources".

"The alliance is consistent with our strategy of helping clients wherever they do business in Africa. It is also vote of confidence in SA and Africa and a strong endorsement for the reputation Webber Wentzel has built over the years‚" said Webber Wentzel senior partner David Lancaster.

Linklaters has 4‚500 employees working in 28 offices around the globe.