No. of attorneys over 600 (2016) Date founded 1905 Founded 1905 | No. of employees 1020+ (2014) Number of employees 1,020 | |
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No. of offices 15 (including two pro bono offices) Major practice areas law, tax, forensics and IP Key people Michael Katz (Chairman), Mzi Mgudlwa (Chief executive) Subsidiaries De Comarmond & Koenig, ENSafrica | Tanzania Profiles | ||
ENSafrica (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs) is Africa's largest law firm. ENSafrica currently has over 620 practitioners and was established over 100 years ago. The firm specialises in all commercial areas of law, tax, forensics and IP. The firm is a level 2 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) contributor. ENSafrica is one of the traditional "Big Five" law firms in South Africa. The firm was formed after a 2006 merger between Cape Town based law firm Sonnenberg Hoffmann & Golombik (formed in 1936), and the Johannesburg based law firm Edward Nathan & Friedland (formed in 1905).
Offices
In August 2012 ENSafrica became the first African headquartered law firm with fully integrated offices across different African jurisdictions, with the opening of offices in Rwanda and Burundi. This was shortly followed by another office opening in the Ugandan capital of Kampala in December 2012. In December 2013 ENSafrica announced a merger with Mauritius’ largest and oldest firm, De Comarmond & Koenig.
On 1 November 2014 the firm announced the opening of two offices in the Namibian capital and town of Windhoek and Swakopmund respectively, with a third Namibian office, in Walvis Bay, opening soon. This was done through a merger with local Namibian law firm Lorentz Angula, adding a further nine directors to ENSafrica.
Former CEO, Piet Faber, is quoted (31 March 2014) as saying that ENSafrica will open offices in at least six other African jurisdictions over the next two years.
On 1 May 2015 the firm announced the opening of its 13th office on the African continent, following a merger with local Tanzanian law firm, Rex Attorneys.
In 2015, ENSafrica closed its Burundi office.
The most recent office to come online was formed through a merger with local Ghanaian firm Oxford & Beaumont Solicitors, and formally opened as ENSafrica Ghana on 1 December 2015. Oxford & Beaumont Solicitors was the first Ghanaian firm to open offices in London.
The company has offices in several countries and cities: