Big Five (law firms) in 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 leading law firms based in South Africa.
The following firms are usually seen as comprising the "Big Five" (listed alphabetically):
| Name | Date founded | Offices | Lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowmans | 1885 | Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Durban, Johannesburg, Kampala, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Moka, Nairobi (9) (July 2020) | 400+ (July 2020) |
| Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr | 1853 | Cape Town, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch (3) (July 2020) | 350+ (July 2020) |
| Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs | 1905 | Accra, Alexandra (pro bono office), Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Mitchells Plain (pro bono office), Nairobi, Port Louis, Stellenbosch, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Windhoek (14) | 600+ (July 2020) |
| Webber Wentzel in alliance with Linklaters | 1868 | Cape Town, Johannesburg (2) (July 2020) | 450+ (July 2020) |
| Werksmans | 1917 | Cape Town, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch (3) (July 2020) | 175+ (July 2020) |