End of an era for top South African law firm

Webber Wentzel and Linklaters announced that they have jointly agreed to end their formal alliance, effective from 1 November 2026.

Webber Wentzel is one of South Africa’s premier law firms. Its history dates back to 1868 when two attorneys, Edward Solomon and Thomas Thomson, joined forces.

They owned a practice in Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape. However, the discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand in 1888 took them to Johannesburg.

They partnered with Charles Wentzel and Frank Dumat to form a mining-focused firm, Solomon Hull Webber & Wentzel.

Solomon and Hull retired following a squabble in the firm. Over the next few decades, there were many mergers and partners coming and going.

In 1994, Webber Wentzel merged with Bowen, Sessel & Goudvis to become Webber Wentzel Bowens.

In 2008, Webber Wentzel Bowens merged with the Cape Town firm Mallinicks to become Webber Wentzel.

On 1 February 2013, Webber Wentzel entered into a collaborative alliance with global law firm Linklaters.

This partnership has enabled Webber Wentzel to bring an international perspective to our clients through our alliance with a global firm.

Today, Webber Wentzel provides legal and tax services throughout Africa. It has worked with the most transformative and significant matters on the African continent.

On Tuesday, 28 July 2026, Webber Wentzel and Linklaters announced that they have agreed to end their formal alliance with effect from 1 November 2026.

“Since the alliance was established in 2013, Africa’s legal and commercial landscape has changed significantly,” Webber Wentzel said.

“Our clients now operate across increasingly sophisticated and interconnected markets, and we have grown alongside our clients on the continent.”

Consequently, the firms have decided to return to the more informal structure that characterised our collaboration before the alliance.

“This reflects the natural progression of our respective strategies and the changing dynamics of the African legal market over the past 13 years,” it said.

While the formal alliance is ending, the two firms will continue to work together on cross-border matters whenever it serves their clients’ best interests.