Pinsent Masons to launch new infrastructure practice in South Africa
The firm is taking its first step into the African legal market.
Pinsent Masons has announced that it will be opening a new office in Johannesburg to focus on infrastructure work in the region. The new office will launch early next year with two partners picked up from local firm Bowman Gilfillan – head of construction Rob Morson and disputes partner Shane Voigt – and plans to add four more partners to the team ahead of the launch. Though Johannesburg will be Pinsent Masons’ first office in Africa, the firm currently has at least 40 partners and 150 lawyers working on Africa-related matters in its offices around the globe. ‘Africa is a fast-growing market with a clear infrastructure need. It’s a market where we are already doing significant business for Chinese organisations, European contractors, investors and funds,’ said Pinsent Masons senior partner Richard Foley, describing the Johannesburg launch to Legal Business as a ‘natural and necessary next step’ in the firm’s growth strategy.
