The African Legal Awards launched today with a call for the continent's top law firms, deal teams and legal departments to submit entries.

The awards, which are in their third year, are hosted jointly by Legal Week and the Corporate Lawyers Association of South Africa (CLASA).

There are two new team categories this year – Employment Law Team of the Year and IP Team of the Year – while the African Law Firm of the Year category has been divided into two, with a new 'small practice' category designed to encourage smaller firms to enter.

The deadline for submissions is 31 July and the awards will take place on 16 October at The Wanderers Club in Sandton, Johannesburg.

Last year Eversheds, Linklaters alliance firm Webber Wentzel and GE were among the big winners, securing International Law Firm of the Year, African Law Firm of the Year and Legal Department of the Year respectively.

Kurt Drieselmann, group legal officer for Aspen Pharmacare, was named General Counsel of the Year, while Anglo-American's Bridget van der Bijl took the Legal Counsel of the Year prize.

The CLASA Achievement Award went to leading South African human rights lawyer George Bizos, who spent a lifetime campaigning against apartheid and was part of the legal team that represented former South African president Nelson Mandela at his 1964 trial.

There are a total of 21 awards this year, of which 10 are devoted to private practice teams advising on M&A; banking, finance and restructuring; litigation and dispute resolution and a range of other disciplines.

Full details of the awards, the criteria and how to enter can be found at africanlegalawards.com.