Baker McKenzie and South African 'big five' firm Bowmans were among the big winners at the 2018 African Legal Awards, held in Johannesburg last Friday (7 September).

Bowmans won four awards, including African Law Firm of the Year – Large Practice, while Bakers was named International Law Firm of the Year for the second year in a row, with Johannesburg managing partner Morne van der Merwe (pictured) collecting the award.

The Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa (CCASA) Lifetime Achievement Award went to Justice Edwin Cameron, a former South African constitutional court judge and gay rights campaigner who Nelson Mandela called "one of South Africa's new heroes". Cameron received a standing ovation from the crowd as he made his way to the stage.

In his acceptance speech, Cameron said: "I am lucky – I am filled with a great sense of good fortune. I came out as a gay man in a time of great horror and repression for LGBTI people, and I don't say that for a self-indulgent reason – I say that because outside of our cocoon in South Africa there are still problems for people who are LGBTI."

He told the audience there are still significant problems within the South African social landscape, citing crime, corruption, rising racial temperatures, greater sensitivity and social media as key issues, but added: "I have not lost any of my optimism or any of my belief that we as South Africans can tackle those problems."

Bowmans' other accolades included Property and Construction Team of the Year and Energy & Natural Resources Team of the Year.

ENSAfrica and Linklaters alliance firm Webber Wentzel won three awards apiece, with Webber Wentzel pro bono partner Moray Hathorn winning Partner of the Year.

Accolades for in-house lawyers and legal teams included General Counsel of the Year, which went to Tinuade Awe of The Nigerian Stock Exchange, while Legal Department of the Year – Large Team went to the African Legal Support Facility, which is affiliated with the African Development Bank and helps African governments negotiate commercial transactions.

The event was joinly hosted by CCASA and Legal Week, and was attended by nearly 300 lawyers from in-house legal departments and law firms.

The ceremony took place the day after Corporate Counsel Forum Africa 2018, which saw 150 in-house counsel come together to discuss topical issues such as constantly changing regulations and the impact of artificial intelligence on the sector.