Webber Wentzel and global Magic Circle law firm Linklaters have announced that they will conclude their formal alliance with effect from 1 November 2026, ending a relationship that has defined cross-border legal work between the firms for more than a decade. The decision brings to a close an alliance that was first formalised in 2012 and launched in 2013 after the firms had worked together for more than 40 years.
The firms described the separation as a mutual decision driven by their evolving strategic priorities. Despite ending the alliance, both stressed that they expect to continue working together where it is in clients’ interests and that their long-standing relationship remains strong.
The announcement marks another chapter in the reshaping of the South African legal market. Over the past two years, several international law firms have reconsidered how they approach the African market, moving away from exclusive alliances and, in some instances, exiting formal relationships altogether.
Unlike a merger or office closure, the alliance was never an integrated business. Webber Wentzel and Linklaters remained separate firms with independent ownership, finances and management. However, the alliance created a preferred relationship that enabled the firms to deliver seamless advice on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters, particularly across Africa. It also gave Webber Wentzel access to Linklaters’ global client base while providing Linklaters with an established on-the-ground African partner.
For Linklaters, the change means it will have greater flexibility to instruct different South African firms depending on the transaction, practice area or potential conflicts of interest. For Webber Wentzel, it opens the opportunity to strengthen relationships with a wider range of international firms that may previously have viewed the alliance as limiting collaboration. At the same time, the firm will no longer automatically benefit from referrals originating through Linklaters’ global network.
The end of the Webber Wentzel-Linklaters alliance closes an important chapter in South African legal history. For 13 years, it represented one of the most prominent examples of collaboration between a leading African law firm and a member of the Magic Circle.
