Bowman Gilfillan
Encyclopedia
Bowman Gilfillan Inc is a law firm
based in Sandton, Johannesburg
, South Africa
, with offices in Cape Town
and through its association with Coulson Harney, in Nairobi
, Kenya
. It is one of the "Big Five
" law firms in South Africa.
on its 20% acquisition by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
, the largest foreign investment to date in South Africa.
In 2009, the firm advised Bharti Airtel
, India's largest cellular services provider in their proposed acquisition of the MTN Group, the largest announced but uncompleted merger in South Africa's history with a value of $23 billion.
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
based in Sandton, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, with offices in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and through its association with Coulson Harney, in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. It is one of the "Big Five
Big Five law firms (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 largest firms based in South Africa....
" law firms in South Africa.
History
Bowman Gilfillan was formed through the merger in 1998 of three law firms – Bowman Gilfillan Hayman Godfrey (established 1902), Findlay & Tait (established 1885) and John & Kernick (established 1923).Notable alumni
- Sisi Khampepe, Constitutional Court judge
- Patrice MotsepePatrice MotsepePatrice Tlhopane Motsepe is a South African mining magnate and 'oligarch' as he was major beneficiary of the South African governments Black Economic Empowerment policies. His company, African Rainbow Minerals, has interests in gold, ferrous metals, base metals, and platinum...
, billionaire mining magnate - Kate O'ReganKate O'ReganKate O'Regan was a judge in the Constitutional Court of South Africa. She was appointed to the bench in 1994 by Nelson Mandela. She hold a B.A. and LL.B. from the University of Cape Town, an LL.M. from the University of Sydney and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics...
, Constitutional Court judge
Major deals
In 2008, the firm advised Standard BankStandard Bank of South Africa
The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited is one of South Africa's largest financial services groups. It operates in 30 countries around the world, including 17 in Africa.-History:...
on its 20% acquisition by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. is the largest bank in the world by profit and market capitalization. It is one China's 'Big Four' state-owned commercial banks .It was founded as a limited company on January 1, 1984...
, the largest foreign investment to date in South Africa.
In 2009, the firm advised Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel Limited , commonly known as Airtel, is an Indian telecommunications company that operates in 20 countries across South Asia, Africa and the Channel Islands. It operates a GSM network in all countries, providing 2G or 3G services depending upon the country of operation...
, India's largest cellular services provider in their proposed acquisition of the MTN Group, the largest announced but uncompleted merger in South Africa's history with a value of $23 billion.