Pinsent Masons is expanding its Johannesburg office with the hire of 17 lawyers from local boutique firm Tabacks, effective December 1.

According to the head of Pinsent Masons’ Johannesburg office, Junaid Banoobhai, the rationale behind the Tabacks hires is to fill gaps in the firm’s portfolio of offerings in areas such as commercial and M&A law, employment and competition law, and commercial dispute resolution.