Insight

The Best Lawyers in South Africa™ 2023

Best Lawyers proudly announces lawyers recognized in South Africa for 2023.

Published: November 16, 2022

The Best Lawyers in South Africa™ Awards

For the 14th edition of The Best Lawyers in South Africa™ for 2023, we are excited to award 888 lawyers in 60 practice areas across four metropolitan areas. Johannesburg is the metropolitan area with the most listed lawyers.

We also awarded 46 "Lawyer of the Year" recipients. "Lawyer of the Year" honors are awarded annually to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers, making it an exceptional distinction.

Among the 60 practice areas with awarded lawyers in South Africa, the top 10 with the most recognized lawyers include:Corporate Law, Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Labor and Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Banking and Finance Law, Competition / Antitrust Law, Construction Law, Real Estate Law and Insurance Law.

Clients in South Africa are seeking legal talent searched for lawyers on www.bestlawyers.com most often in these 10 practice areas: Corporate Law, Litigation, Real Estate Law, Construction Law, Banking and Finance Law, Competition / Antitrust Law, Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Arbitration and Mediation and Labor and Employment Law.

A Brief History of Best Lawyers

More than 40 years ago, Best Lawyers was launched and sought to offer the most distinguished legal talent in an accessible source. Through decades of advancement and our trusted Purely Pure Review™ process, we now share our awards in 22 global markets.

Awards are determined by a nomination and peer review voting method, in which currently recognized lawyers in Best Lawyers offer their unbiased feedback on nominees. Best Lawyers continues to award only the top lawyers across worldwide legal markets.

"Law Firm of the Year" Awards

"Law Firm of the Year" awards recognize a single top firm for its work in a specific legal practice area nationwide. Awards are determined based on a handful of factors including lawyer feedback, the number of lawyers included in Best Lawyers for that firm and practice area, the number of office locations a firm has, historical analysis of the firm's "Lawyer of the Year" awards, materials submitted by firms, and the firm's overall scope and areas of expertise.

The 2023 "Law Firm of the Year" recipients in South Africa are:

Adams & Adams
Intellectual Property Law

Bowmans
Corporate Law

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Cox Yeats Attorneys
Insurance Law
Real Estate Law

ENSafrica
Banking and Finance Law
Tax Law

Falcon & Hume
Mining Law

Fasken
Labor and Employment Law

Pinsent Masons
Construction Law
Project Finance and Development Practice

Webber Wentzel
Litigation

Werksmans Attorneys
Competition / Antitrust Law

Showcasing Your Award

Best Lawyers offers several options to showcase awards through impactful marketing.

Please contact sales@bestlawyers.com to learn more about how you can highlight individual lawyer and firm awards through your website, social media channels, Best Lawyers Profile Suite packages and commemorative items.

Interested in seeing the honorees? Use our Find a Lawyer in South Africa tool to search by location and specialty. Use our Find a Lawyer tool to connect with experienced lawyers worldwide.

Headline Image: iStock/hudiemm

Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio

Jeffrey R. Wahl

JRW Esquire LTD

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Corporate Law

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Recognized since 2023 in

Jeffrey R. Wahl

Jeffrey R. Wahl is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Jeffrey R., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

 
Jeffrey R. Wahl
  Website    Email    Address    Phone Number

Todd Long

Eastman & Smith LTD

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense: White-Collar

Recognized since 2026 in

Todd Long

Part of the White Collar Crime and Investigations Practice Group, Mr. Long has represented businesses, business professionals, public officials, medical professionals and educators in matters involving fraud, embezzlement, tax controversies, public corruption, regulatory enforcement matters and business litigation. He manages matters in both federal and state courts as well as before government regulatory entities. His experience includes dealing with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Fed...

Todd Long

Dennis E. Horvath

Wolinetz, Horvath & Brown LLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Family Law

Recognized since 2018 in

Dennis E. Horvath

Dennis E. Horvath is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Dennis E., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dennis E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

 
Dennis E. Horvath
  Website    Email    Address

Joseph A. Nigh

The Nigh Law Group LLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Family Law

Recognized since 2020 in

Joseph A. Nigh

Joseph A. Nigh is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Joseph A., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

 
Joseph A. Nigh
  Email    Address    Phone Number

Joseph M. Patchen

Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Banking and Finance Law

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Construction Law

Recognized since 2024 in

Joseph M. Patchen

Joseph M. Patchen is a Partner at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP, representing businesses, financial institutions, owners, and professionals in business and real estate matters. His business law practice emphasizes corporation and limited liability company formation, mergers, and succession planning. His commercial real estate representation focuses on finance, construction, leasing, and acquisition. Joe joined CPM in June 1987. He serves as Chair of CPM’s Real Estate Practice Group.

Joseph M. Patchen

Matthew R. Wilson

Meyer Wilson Werning

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs

Recognized since 2021 in

Matthew R. Wilson

Matthew R. Wilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. Matthew R., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Matthew R. Wilson

Courtney A. Zollars

The Nigh Law Group LLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Family Law

Recognized since 2026 in

Courtney A. Zollars

Courtney A. Zollars is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Courtney A., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Courtney A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Courtney A. Zollars

Joseph R. Durham

Eastman & Smith LTD

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Environmental Law

Litigation - Environmental

Recognized since 2018 in

Joseph R. Durham

Joseph R. Durham is a member of Eastman & Smith and has represented cities, counties, local health districts, solid waste management districts, townships and villages in environmental law and litigation and public health law. Mr. Durham has represented clients before the Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Review Appeals Commission, Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio Board of Pharmacy, Ohio Real Estate Commission, county boards of revision (real e...

Joseph R. Durham

Sarah M. Benoit

Taft

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Recognized since 2024 in

Sarah M. Benoit

Sarah M. Benoit is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Sarah M., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sarah M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sarah M. Benoit

Robert M. Robenalt

Fisher Phillips LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

Recognized since 2007 in

Robert M. Robenalt

Bob Robenalt is a partner in the firm's Columbus office. He represents management in a variety of labor and employment issues, including workers' compensation, employment litigation and traditional labor matters. Bob has defended numerous wrongful discharge, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), workers' compensation and employment discrimination actions in state and federal courts, and has argued in defense of employment actions before the 4th and 6th Circuit Federal Courts. He ha...

Robert M. Robenalt

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