Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr best large law firm
Brent Williams, CEO of Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, says that they have always been focused on developing best practice in key practice areas of the firm. "Our strategy requires that we remain active and visible and continue to offer well-priced capabilities and competencies, in the markets and service areas that remain traditional differentiators and indicators for leading large law firms, namely mergers and acquisitions (M&A), mining, capital markets, tax, finance and banking, commercial dispute resolution and arbitration and, projects and infrastructure, construction, technology and employment law.
"Achieving and sustaining internal operational efficiency and maintaining strategic awareness and consideration of the implications of the burgeoning globalisation of the South African corporate legal services market, have also been key focus areas," Williams says.
Most M&A deals
In February and for the fifth year in a row, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has advised on more M&A deals than any other law firm in South Africa. The firm has taken top honours in the DealMakers Awards for M&A deal flow since 2009. The firm advised on 96 M&A deals in 2013, which was 21.8% of market share. The firm was also top of the legal advisors table for deal value in 2013. The value of the deals advised by the firm was more than R46bn.
In addition, the firm was voted as the number one law firm in Africa in the recent Legal Week Client Satisfaction Survey. The firm, which is a member of the DLA Piper Africa Group, has to date been involved in many significant transactions in a range of sectors on the continent. Very often the deals involve partnering with the other members of the DLA Piper Africa Group and working together for South African and international clients who benefit from in-depth local knowledge, South African specialist sector expertise and DLA Piper international expertise.
