Hamilton Harrison & Mathews Advocates (HH&M), one of the largest law firms in Kenya, has merged with Dentons, the largest law firm in the world. The launch of the merger follows the finalisation and the requisite regulatory approvals of the combination which was proposed earlier this year in Kenya.
Hamilton Harrison & Mathews (HH&M) will now be known as Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews. The combination means that HH&M – which was founded in 1902 and one of the oldest firms in Africa – is now part of Dentons which enables the firm to offer its clients with the depth and expertise from across 76 countries.
Commenting on the development, Adil Khawaja, Managing Partner Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews said: “Through this combination, we will be able to provide our clients high quality legal services by enhancing our resource capacity exponentially.” He added: “With over 9,000 lawyers in more than 167 locations, we are now part of a group that is able to provide client business solutions globally in an efficient and effective manner.”
The combination will solidify the local entity’s relationship with Dentons which spans more than 10 years. Equally, the leadership of the local firm will not change since the agreement seeks a harmonization of operations not a unification.
Noor Kapdi, CEO of Dentons’ Africa region and Managing Partner of Dentons South Africa, said: “Our expansion in Kenya with one of the largest firms there will help us build on our East Africa presence, as well as our pan-Africa presence. We see the region which is home to 280 million citizens with a combined GDP of US$225 billion as a key hub for our operations in the continent.”
HH&M has expertise in Banking and Finance, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate and TMT (Telecommunications, Media and Technology) sectors. Clients and international legal directories have consistently rated the firm as one of the top-tier firms in Kenya. Chambers Global, a global ranking service for lawyers and law firms ranks the Kenyan firm at Band 1 in the Dispute Resolution, Employment and Real Estate Sectors, and Band 2 in the Corporate/Commercial and Banking and Finance Sectors. Lawyers are ranked in bands 1-6 with Band 1 as the best. The ranking assesses technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commercial astuteness, diligence, commitment, and other qualities most valued by the clients.
Speaking about the launch, Richard Omwela, a Senior Partner of Dentons Hamilton Harrison & Mathews said: “Each firm is proud of its reputation for helping clients achieve their business objectives. Building on outstanding practices, each firm will offer even greater value by providing a more robust legal platform in the markets that clients conduct business whilst maintaining the personal connection and commitment of the lawyer each client knows and trust.”
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Both HH&M and Dentons have handled landmark corporate and commercial transactions in the market including mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, privatisations, corporate restructurings and financing projects. Both firms have been involved in many high profile commercial litigation cases both in Kenya and overseas. With the combination clients should look forward to an even better offering and experience in the days ahead.
