Top-tier SA firm launches City branch
Leading South African law firm Webber Wentzel Bowens is to launch in London next month after hiring UK corporate partner Vaughn Harrison from rival Werksmans.
October 24, 2007 at 11:15 PM
2 minute read
Leading South African law firm Webber Wentzel Bowens is to launch in London next month after hiring UK corporate partner Vaughn Harrison from rival Werksmans.
Harrison, who was a partner at Werksmans for 23 years and ran the firm's London branch for several years, will be Webber's sole partner in the City. The firm hopes to recruit several junior lawyers for the office.
As well as nurturing contacts with London financial institutions that want to do work in Africa, the firm will also use the outpost to monitor its referral relationships with UK firms and as a recruitment point for South African lawyers working in the UK.
"There are a lot of South African lawyers working in London and when they want to go home there is an opportunity for us to pick up some talented lawyers," commented Webber managing partner David Lancaster.
The firm maintains referral links with a number of City firms, notably Slaughter and May and Linklaters, where it also seconds lawyers to.
Lancaster commented: "We would like to recruit a couple of junior lawyers but growth in London will be organic and we have no ambitions to have a large presence."
He added: "We have no further plans to open more offices but we are looking at setting up a number of alliances across Africa."
Other recent additions for the firm include former Lovells Asia managing partner Roddy McKean, who joined the firm's Johannesburg arm in July.
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