Finalists: Aluko & Oyebode; Anjarwalla & Khanna (highly commended); MMC Africa Law; PLMJ, Law Firm (highly commended); STBB – Smith Tabatha Buchanan Boyes

The creation of a brand-new modern city in Kenya helped land Bowmans the Property and Construction Team of the Year award.

The Tatu City development, part of Kenya's Vision 2030 economic transformation programme, is designed to ease congestion and pressure on resources in the capital Nairobi, and provide industry with efficient road routes to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bowmans advised the developer Rendeavour on the project, which involved a complex series of transactions with multiple stakeholders and construction firms working on different elements of the development, such as residential and commercial property, and infrastructure. That meant drafting and negotiating various agreements, and establishing local utility companies to provide power, water and sanitation.

The firm also had to prepare documents for the sale and leasing of land in the city's industrial zone, as well as dealing with a change in the project's size, doubling from 2,500 hectares to 5,000. Bowmans' deep knowledge of Kenyan law and strong relationships with regulators and key stakeholders ensured the phases of the project progressed smoothly and on time.

"A highly complex project with high-value infrastructure investments require a highly skilled and experienced legal and project management team, as demonstrated in this project," applauded a judge.

To return to the full list of winners, click here.