Key contacts
Chairman and Senior Partner: Ezra Davids
Quick facts
Number of lawyers
650
Total staff complement
1150
Number of countries
6
Number of offices
9
Network memberships
Lex Mundi
Alliance firm
Aman & Partners LLP (Ethiopia) and Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie (Nigeria)
Best friend relationships
Across Africa
Key practice areas
Banking and finance
Banking
Project finance
Capital markets
Capital markets : Debt
Capital markets : Equity
Financial and corporate
Corporate and M&A
M&A
M&A - Foreign
Financial and corporate - Foreign
Banking and finance - Foreign
Project finance - Foreign
Banking - Foreign
Capital markets - Foreign
Firm overview
Bowmans helps its clients manage legal complexity and unlock opportunity in Africa. Its enviable track record of providing legal services to the highest professional standards on the continent, spans corporate, finance, competition, taxation, employment, technology and dispute resolution matters.
With over 650 specialist lawyers, Bowmans draws on its unique knowledge of the business and socio-political environment in Africa to advise on a wide range of legal issues.
The firm delivers integrated legal services from nine offices (Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg, Lusaka, Moka, Nairobi, Swakopmund and Windhoek in six countries (Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia).
Everywhere it operates, Bowmans offers its clients a service that uniquely blends expertise in the law, knowledge of the local market, and an understanding of their businesses. The firm’s aim is to assist its clients to achieve their objectives as smoothly and efficiently as possible while minimising the legal and regulatory risks.
The firm works closely with its Alliance firms Aman & Partners LLP in Ethiopia and Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie in Nigeria. Bowmans has special relationships with firms in Mozambique and Uganda; a non-exclusive co-operation agreement with French international law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel that provides access to lawyers in francophone west and north Africa; regularly works with other leading independent law firms across the rest of Africa; and is a representative of Lex Mundi, a global association of independent law firms in more than 125 countries.
Clients include domestic and foreign corporates, multinationals, funds and financial institutions, across a range of industry sectors, as well as state-owned enterprises and governments.
With over 650 specialist lawyers, Bowmans draws on its unique knowledge of the business and socio-political environment in Africa to advise on a wide range of legal issues.
The firm delivers integrated legal services from nine offices (Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg, Lusaka, Moka, Nairobi, Swakopmund and Windhoek in six countries (Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia).
Everywhere it operates, Bowmans offers its clients a service that uniquely blends expertise in the law, knowledge of the local market, and an understanding of their businesses. The firm’s aim is to assist its clients to achieve their objectives as smoothly and efficiently as possible while minimising the legal and regulatory risks.
The firm works closely with its Alliance firms Aman & Partners LLP in Ethiopia and Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie in Nigeria. Bowmans has special relationships with firms in Mozambique and Uganda; a non-exclusive co-operation agreement with French international law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel that provides access to lawyers in francophone west and north Africa; regularly works with other leading independent law firms across the rest of Africa; and is a representative of Lex Mundi, a global association of independent law firms in more than 125 countries.
Clients include domestic and foreign corporates, multinationals, funds and financial institutions, across a range of industry sectors, as well as state-owned enterprises and governments.
Awards
- IFLR Africa Awards, 2026: African Firm of the Year
- African Legal Awards, 2026: Transportation and Infrastructure Team of the Year
- African Legal Awards, 2026: Partner of the Year – Southern Africa (Ezra Davids)
- African Legal Awards, 2026: Partner of the Year – East Africa (Richard Harney SC)
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2025: Law Firm of the Year: South Africa
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2025: Law Firm of the Year: Kenya
- Chambers Africa Awards, 2025: Law Firm of the Year: Tanzania
Connect with us
Sector expertise
- The firm has specialist expertise in a range of sectors. Click here for further detail.
