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OUR ACCOLADES

We are proud of the recognition we achieve from various legal bodies and organisations around the world.

Rankings

102

Recognised Lawyers

Band 1

KENYA
Banking & Finance 
Corporate/ M&A
Intellectual Property
FinTech Legal
Projects & Energy
Real Estate

SOUTH AFRICA
Administraive & Public Law
Banking & Finance
Capital Markets: Debt
Capital Markets: Equity
Competition/ Antitrust
Corporate Investigations
Corporate/ M&A
Employment
Environment
IT & Telecommunications
Projects & Energy
Restructuring/ Insolvency
Shipping
Tax

TANZANIA
General Business Law

Band 2

AFRICA-WIDE
TMT

KENYA
Employment
Tax

MAURITIUS
Banking & Finance

NAMBIA
General Business Law

SOUTH AFRICA
Construction
Dispute Resolution
FinTech Legal

ZAMBIA
General Business Law

Band 1

KENYA
Banking & Finance 
Corporate/ M&A
Intellectual Property
FinTech Legal
Projects & Energy
Real Estate

SOUTH AFRICA
Administraive & Public Law
Banking & Finance
Capital Markets: Debt
Capital Markets: Equity
Competition/ Antitrust
Corporate Investigations
Corporate/ M&A
Employment
Environment
IT & Telecommunications
Projects & Energy
Restructuring/ Insolvency
Shipping
Tax

TANZANIA
General Business Law

Band 2

AFRICA-WIDE
TMT

KENYA
Employment
Tax

MAURITIUS
Banking & Finance

NAMBIA
General Business Law

SOUTH AFRICA
Construction
Dispute Resolution
FinTech Legal

ZAMBIA
General Business Law

Awards

  • Chambers Africa Awards, 2026 - Our chairman and senior partner, Ezra Davids, won a special Outstanding Contribution Award.
  • IFLR Africa Awards, 2026 - We won the prestigious African Firm of the Year Award and were named South African Law firm of the Year. We also received the Team of the Year M&A: Regional Award and were recognised for advising on two M&A Deals of the Year, the Capital Markets: Equity and the Capital Markets: Debt Deal of the Year. Our chairman and senior partner won the Lawyer of the Year: South Africa Award.
  • African Legal Awards, 2025 - We won the African Legal Award for Property and Construction Team of the Year.
  • Chambers Africa Awards, 2025 - Our practice in Kenya was named Kenya Full-Service Law Firm of the Year: Transactional, our practice in South Africa was named South Africa Full-Service Law Firm of the Year: Transactional and our Tanzanian practice was named Tanzania Law Firm of the Year.
  • Dealmakers, 2025 - We placed first by deal value and first by deal flow in the M&A Unlisted Deals category, second by transaction value and second by transaction flow in the General Corporate Finance category and were recognised for advising on the Deal of the Year.
  • IFLR Awards, 2025 - We received the coveted titles of IFLR Africa Firm of the Year and advised on the transactions named Impact M&A Deal of the Year and Loans Deal of the Year.
  • African Legal Awards, 2024 - We won seven prestigious awards including the coveted African Law Firm of the Year Award. Other awards include Banking & Finance Team of the Year; Restructuring Team of the Year; Private Equity Team of the Year; and Property and Construction Team of the Year. In addition, Ryan Wessels was named Partner of the Year – Southern Africa and Ariana Issaias won the Private Practice Rising Star Award. 
  • Dealmakers, 2024 - We placed first by deal value and first by deal flow in the M&A Unlisted Deals category, second by transaction value and second by transaction flow in the General Corporate Finance category and were recognised for advising on the Deal of the Year.
  • EAVCA Awards, 2024 - Outstanding Legal Advisor, 2024
  • IFLR Awards, 2024 - We received the coveted titles of IFLR Africa Law Firm of the Year and National Law Firm of the Year: Tanzania. We also clinched two Team of the Year Awards – for Private Equity and Restructuring – and advised on the transaction named M&A Deal of the Year (Allianz/Sanlam joint venture).
  • Managing IP Awards EMEA, 2024 - Kenya Law Firm of the Year, 2024
  • Nairobi Legal Awards, 2023 & 2024 - Large Law Firm of the Year Kenya, 2023 and 2024
  • African Legal Awards, 2023 - We won the M&A Team of the Year Award and Paras Shah, managing partner of our Kenyan Practice, was named Partner of the Year East Africa.
  • Chambers Africa Awards, 2023 - Our South African Practice was named South Africa Law Firm of the Year and co-founder of our Kenyan Practice, Philip Coulson, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • DealMakers Africa Awards, 2023 - We were recognised as the top legal advisor by deal flow and second by deal value in the East Africa M&A category, and second by deal value in the East Africa General Corporate Finance category. We are also recognised for having advised on the deals named East Africa Deal of the Year and East Africa Private Equity Deal of the Year.
  • Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2023 - Our standout performance advising on mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions was highlighted by DealMakers. Bowmans placed first by deal value in the M&A Transactions category and was recognised for advising on the transaction named Private Equity Deal of the Year.
  • IFLR Africa Awards, 2023 - National Law Firm of the year: Tanzania, 2023
  • Nairobi Legal Awards, 2023 & 2024 - Large Law Firm of the Year Kenya, 2023 and 2024
  • Who’s Who Legal, 2022 and 2023 - Country Firm of the Year: South Africa, 2022 and 2023
  • Who’s Who Legal, 2023 - Bowmans was named Country Firm of the Year for South Africa.
  • Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association Awards, 2022 - Outstanding Legal Advisor, 2022
  • African Legal Awards, 2022 - We won four practice awards including Banking and Finance Team of the Year; Capital Markets Team of the Year; Tax Team of the Year and Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year.
  • Chambers Africa Awards, 2022 - Our Kenyan practice was named Kenya Law Firm of the Year and our chairman and senior partner, Ezra Davids, was named South Africa Lawyer of the Year.
  • Chambers Africa Awards, 2022 - Kenya Law Firm of the Year, 2022
  • Dealmakers Africa Awards, 2022 - We ranked at the top of the M&A deal tables in East Africa by deal flow and second by deal value. We also advised on the deals named East Africa Deal of the Year and East Africa Private Equity Deal of the Year.
  • Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2022 - We placed first by deal flow and deal value in the Unlisted M&A Transactions category; first by deal flow and second by deal value in the General Corporate Finance category; and second by deal value and fourth by deal flow in the Listed Company M&A Transactions category.
  • IFLR Africa Awards, 2022 - We received a total of six awards including overall M&A Team of The Year; Jurisdictional Firm of the Year: South Africa; Loans Firm of the Year: South Africa; M&A Firm of the Year: South Africa; and Project Finance Firm of the Year: South Africa. We also advised on the deal named M&A Deal of the Year.
  • IFLR Africa Awards, 2022 - Jurisdictional Firm of the Year: South Africa, 2022
  • Who’s Who Legal, 2022 and 2023 - Country Firm of the Year: South Africa, 2022 and 2023
  • African Legal Awards, 2021 - We won awards in five categories, more than any other single firm. We were named Capital Markets Team of the Year, Environmental and Renewables Team of the Year, Restructuring Team of the Year, and Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year, and won the Crisis Management Initiative of the Year Award.
  • Dealmakers Africa Awards, 2021 - We ranked first in East Africa for both deal value and deal flow, with a 52% and a 40% share of the market respectively. We also advised on the deals named East Africa Deal of the Year and East Africa Private Equity Deal of the Year.
  • Dealmakers South Africa Awards, 2021 - We placed first by deal flow and second by deal value in the Unlisted M&A Transactions category; first by deal flow and third by deal value in the BEE Deals category; third and fourth by value and flow respectively, in the Listed Company M&A Transactions category; and fourth by deal value and deal flow in the General Corporate Finance category.
  • IFLR Africa Awards, 2021 - We received three awards including the awards for National Law Firm of the Year in both South Africa and Zambia. We were also named National Law Firm of the Year: South Africa (Project Finance) for our work on various project finance matters including the Beitbridge Border Post Modernisation Project, which was named Project Finance Deal of the Year.
  • IFLR Africa Awards, 2021 - National Law Firm of the Year: South Africa, 2021
  • IFLR1000 Africa Awards, 2020 - We received 10 awards across four jurisdictions confirming our leadership when it comes to advising on multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions in Africa. We were named Tanzania Firm of the Year, Uganda Firm of the Year, and were recognised as the overall M&A Team of the Year. We were also acknowledged for: advising on the Domestic Deal of the Year (Commercial Bank of Africa and NIC Bank transaction) in four jurisdictions: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda; advising on the M&A Deal of the Year (American Tower Corporation and Eaton Towers Africa transaction) in two jurisdictions: Kenya and Uganda; and being the M&A Firm of the Year in South Africa.

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