A multi-practice firm in Dar es Salaam is the latest to join forces with Dentons, as the global firm expands into a country closely watched by international investors.
Dentons ’ steady campaign of expansion across Africa has continued with the addition of a firm in Tanzania. The combination with East African Law Chambers (EALC), based in Dar es Salaam, will complete later this year.
The five-partner, 13-lawyer EALC has banking and finance, competition, mergers and acquisitions, tax, real estate, technology, dispute resolution, mining, oil and gas, intellectual property and employment, among others.
“Tanzania is a priority market for our clients given its strategic importance in the region and with this combination we can connect clients to leading talent in Tanzania and around the globe," explained Elliott Portnoy , global chief executive of Dentons, in a statement.
Although Tanzania is appealing to investors and has performed well economically, the populist policies of President John Magufuli , such reducing access to international arbitration , have created some caution and brought scrutiny from the global legal community.
EALC managing partner Stella Ndikimi said: “Dentons’ global strategy matches our strategy to connect clients to leading talent not only within the region but globally.”
The international firm has been aggressively targeting the continent since establishing a new region for Africa within the firm in 2017 . It says that this approach allows it to properly integrate lawyers in those countries to the partnership and give them a say in the firm’s direction in the continent.
That strategy has since led to mergers across countries including in Morocco, Uganda, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique and Zimbabwe .
Africa chief executive Noor Kapdi commented: “EALC is a leading firm in Tanzania, enabling Dentons to, once again, maintain and improve its quality as it grows.”
In July and August, Dentons hired the former commissioner general of the Uganda Revenue Authority as a partner in Kampala, and a former German ambassador to Benin, Zimbabwe and Uganda as of counsel in Berlin . The firm promoted a Kenya-based disputes lawyer in February .
Global chairman Joe Andrew added: “Our clients are confronted with constant, accelerated change and want to work with a law firm that has the experience and confidence to help them navigate the New Dynamic wherever they are located.”Elsewhere Dentons is pursuing an expansion policy in the United States, and recently opened an office in Ireland.Consolidation within the African legal market has continued this year, despite the […]