Rankings
CHAMBERS & PARTNERS 2023
IFLR1000 2023
LEGAL 500 2022
75
Recognised Lawyers
Awards
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2024 - Our Tanzanian Practice was named Tanzania Law Firm of the Year.
- African Legal Awards, 2023 - We won the M&A Team of the Year Award and Paras Shah, managing partner of our Kenyan Practice, was named Partner of the Year East Africa.
- Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Africa Awards, 2023 - We were recognised for having advised on four winning matters including ESG Loan Deal of the Year, ESG Bond Deal of the Year, Metals & Mining Deal of the Year, and Renewable Energy Finance Deal of the Year.
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2023 - Our South African Practice was named South Africa Law Firm of the Year and co-founder of our Kenyan Practice, Philip Coulson, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- DealMakers Africa Awards, 2023 - We were recognised as the top legal advisor by deal flow and second by deal value in the East Africa M&A category, and second by deal value in the East Africa General Corporate Finance category. We are also recognised for having advised on the deals named East Africa Deal of the Year and East Africa Private Equity Deal of the Year.
- Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2023 - Our standout performance advising on mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions was highlighted by DealMakers. Bowmans placed first by deal value in the M&A Transactions category and was recognised for advising on the transaction named Private Equity Deal of the Year.
- IFLR Africa Awards, 2023 - We received the coveted titles of IFLR Africa Law Firm of the Year and National Law Firm of the Year: Tanzania. We also clinched two Team of the Year Awards – for Private Equity and Restructuring – and advised on the transaction named M&A Deal of the Year.
- Top 500 Best Managed South African Companies, 2023 - Bowmans was named Best Law Firm of the Year.
- Who’s Who Legal, 2023 - Bowmans was named Country Firm of the Year for South Africa.
- African Legal Awards, 2022 - We won four practice awards including Banking and Finance Team of the Year; Capital Markets Team of the Year; Tax Team of the Year and Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year.
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2022 - Our Kenyan practice was named Kenya Law Firm of the Year and our chairman and senior partner, Ezra Davids, was named South Africa Lawyer of the Year.
- Dealmakers Africa Awards, 2022 - We ranked at the top of the M&A deal tables in East Africa by deal flow and second by deal value. We also advised on the deals named East Africa Deal of the Year and East Africa Private Equity Deal of the Year.
- Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2022 - We placed first by deal flow and deal value in the Unlisted M&A Transactions category; first by deal flow and second by deal value in the General Corporate Finance category; and second by deal value and fourth by deal flow in the Listed Company M&A Transactions category.
- IFLR Africa Awards, 2022 - We received a total of six awards including overall M&A Team of The Year; Jurisdictional Firm of the Year: South Africa; Loans Firm of the Year: South Africa; M&A Firm of the Year: South Africa; and Project Finance Firm of the Year: South Africa. We also advised on the deal named M&A Deal of the Year.
- African Legal Awards, 2021 - We won awards in five categories, more than any other single firm. We were named Capital Markets Team of the Year, Environmental and Renewables Team of the Year, Restructuring Team of the Year, and Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year, and won the Crisis Management Initiative of the Year Award.
- Dealmakers Africa Awards, 2021 - We ranked first in East Africa for both deal value and deal flow, with a 52% and a 40% share of the market respectively. We also advised on the deals named East Africa Deal of the Year and East Africa Private Equity Deal of the Year.
- Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2021 - We placed first by deal flow and second by deal value in the Unlisted M&A Transactions category; first by deal flow and third by deal value in the BEE Deals category; third and fourth by value and flow respectively, in the Listed Company M&A Transactions category; and fourth by deal value and deal flow in the General Corporate Finance category.
- IFLR Africa Awards, 2021 - We received three awards including the awards for National Law Firm of the Year in both South Africa and Zambia. We were also named National Law Firm of the Year: South Africa (Project Finance) for our work on various project finance matters including the Beitbridge Border Post Modernisation Project, which was named Project Finance Deal of the Year.
- Dealmakers Africa Awards, 2020 - We ranked first for number of M&A transactions worked on in East Africa, with more than 26% of the market share of matters reported in the region. We also advised on the matter named East Africa Deal of the Year.
- Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2020 - We placed third for both transaction value and transaction volume in the General Corporate Finance Category and fourth for both deal value and deal volume in the M&A Category.
- IFLR1000 Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa, 2020 - We received 10 awards across four jurisdictions confirming our leadership when it comes to advising on multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions in Africa. We were named Tanzania Firm of the Year, Uganda Firm of the Year, and were recognised as the overall M&A Team of the Year. We were also acknowledged for: advising on the Domestic Deal of the Year (Commercial Bank of Africa and NIC Bank transaction) in four jurisdictions: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda; advising on the M&A Deal of the Year (American Tower Corporation and Eaton Towers Africa transaction) in two jurisdictions: Kenya and Uganda; and being the M&A Firm of the Year in South Africa.
- Mergermarket Rankings, 2020 - We were identified in Mergermarket’s African and Middle East league tables as the top ranked legal firm by number of completed deals in 2020.
- African Legal Awards, 2019 - We received awards for Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year and TMT Team of the Year.
- Dealmakers East Africa Awards 2019, held in 2020 - We received awards in in three out of four categories: top legal adviser in the M&A Category for both deal flow and value and advised on the Deal of the Year (the NIC/CBA merger).
- Dealmakers South Africa Awards 2018, held in 2019 - We were placed first for deal flow and third for deal value in the General Corporate Finance category, and third for deal value and fourth for deal flow in the M&A category.
- Dealmakers South Africa Awards 2019, held in 2020 - We were placed third for deal value in the M&A Category and advised on the Deal of the Year (PepsiCo’s acquisition of Pioneer Foods) and the BEE Deal of the Year (Isanti Glass’ acquisition of Nampak Glass).
- World Trademark Review 1000, 2019 - IP Award - Gold Band.
- Africa Investor Award, 2018 - Legal Advisor of the Year.
- African Legal Awards, 2018 - We were named African Law Firm of the Year (Large Practice). We were also one of only two firms that took home three practice awards - for Property and Construction Team of the Year, Energy and Natural Resources Team of the Year and TMT Team of the Year.
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2018 - South African Law Firm of the Year.
- Dealmakers Awards, 2018 - We were identified as the leading legal adviser in Africa by volume. This is the fourth consecutive year we have been recognised in this way.
- Dealmakers East Africa Awards 2018, held in 2019 - We received awards in in five out of six categories: top legal adviser in M&A for both deal flow and value, top legal adviser in General Corporate Finance for both transaction flow and value, and advised on the Deal of the Year (the Rubis Energie takeover of KenolKobil).
- Mergermarket League Tables, 2018 - We were ranked first by deal value and second by deal count in the Africa league tables for legal advisors, and third by deal count in the Middle East & Africa league table for legal advisors.
- Private Equity Africa Award, 2018 - Single Deal Advisor (Legal) Award for the second consecutive year. This award was for acting as lead counsel to Capitalworks in relation to its acquisition of Aon plc’s shareholding in insurance brokerage and employee benefit operations in 10 African jurisdictions.
- Private Equity Africa Awards, 2019 - We were named Local Legal Advisor of the Year and Single Deal Local Legal Advisor of the Year.
- South African Professional Services Awards, 2018 - Law Firm of the Year.
- World Trademark Review 1000, 2018 - IP Award - Gold Band.
- African Global Funds Service Providers Awards, 2017 - Best Legal Service – Private Equity.
- African Legal Awards, 2017 - We won the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Team of the Year Award. The firm was also 'highly commended' in the African Law Firm of the Year - Large Practice and Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year categories.
- Dealmakers Awards, 2017 - We have been identified as the leading legal adviser in Africa by both deal value and number of transactions. This is the third consecutive year we have been recognised in this way. We were also recognised in the South African M&A awards by deal value and deal flow and in the Corporate Finance awards by deal flow.
- India Business Law Journal, 2017 - We were named as one of the leading international law firms for India work.
- IP Award, 2017 - Tier 1, Trademark/Copyright: Managing Intellectual Property, Tier 2, Patent: Managing Intellectual Property.
- Law Digest Africa Awards, 2017 - M&A Team of the Year, Capital Market Team of the Year, IP & Technology Team of the Year (Kenya).
- Private Equity Africa Award, 2017 - Single Deal Advisor (Legal)Award for our representation of Rockwood Fund I in connection with its disposal of Tsebo Holdings and Local Legal Advisor of the Year Award.
- World Trademark Review 1000, 2017 - IP Award - Gold Band.
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