Big Five (law firms) in South Africa
The Big Five law firms is a term informally used in South Africa to refer to those law firms which, collectively, are perceived to be the leading law firms based in South Africa.
The following firms are usually seen as comprising the "Big Five" (listed alphabetically):
| Name | Date founded | Offices | Lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowmans | 1885 | Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg, Kampala, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Moka, Nairobi (9) (July 2020) | 400+ (July 2020) |
| Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr1 | 1853 | Cape Town, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch (3) (July 2020) | 350+ (July 2020) |
| Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, trading as ENSafrica | 1905 | Accra, Alexandra (pro bono office), Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Mitchells Plain (pro bono office), Nairobi, Port Louis, Stellenbosch, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Windhoek (14) | 600+ (July 2020) |
| Webber Wentzel in alliance with Linklaters2 | 1868 | Cape Town, Johannesburg (2) (July 2020) | 450+ (July 2020) |
| Werksmans3 | 1917 | Cape Town, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch (3) (July 2020) | 175+ (July 2020) |
Note1: Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr was formerly allied with DLA Piper. Its affiliation with DLA Piper ended at the end of August 2015.
Note2: On 1 February 2013, the firm entered into a collaborative alliance with global law firm Linklaters.
Note3: Deneys Reitz Inc, and then Norton Rose Fulbright, was formerly considered to form part of the big five law firms. Due to its decline, Werksmans, which was not part of the big five law firms, took its place.
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