African Legal Awards to recognise region's talent

Jointly hosted by leading professional magazine Legal Week, and the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa (CLASA), the awards will for the first time unite the African legal and business community to celebrate excellence and innovation across Africa's legal profession at a ceremony at La Toscana Montecasino.

The awards are open to law firms and in-house legal teams operating throughout the continent, with winners chosen by a panel of independent judges comprised of top in-house counsel from across the region.

The award categories include General Counsel of the Year, Legal Department of the Year (large and small teams), Legal Counsel of the Year, Legal Team of the Year, African and International Law Firms of the Year, and will culminate with the CLASA Achievement Award. There will also be a series of sector-based awards to celebrate the achievements of law firm teams working across the continent.

Legal Week's acting editor Charlotte Edmond said: "We have been delighted by the response and enthusiasm for the inaugural African Legal Awards 2013." She continued: "We anticipate that the number of entries will exceed all expectations in this launch year, with submissions already demonstrating some impressive work across the continent."

The deadline for awards submissions at www.africanlegalawards.com has been extended to 31 August 2013.