Dentons has launched its previously announced combinations with two law firms in Mauritius to form Dentons Mauritius as part of its strategy to become a truly pan-African law firm.

Mardemootoo Solicitors was established in 1971 and is recognized as one of the leading and largest solicitors' firms in Mauritius. It is a multidisciplinary practice including arbitration, litigation and advisory work. Its main areas of focus are Aviation, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Commercial, Corporate, Real Estate, Tax and Telecommunications. Chambers Global ranked the firm in General Business Law and General Business Law: Dispute Resolution in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Balgobin Chambers is a set of Barristers Chambers whose origin dates back to 1940s through its first generation of lawyers. It handles both transactions and litigation, covering all areas of Civil, Commercial, Corporate, Employment, and Intellectual Property, with a strong focus on cross-border transactions and Mergers & Acquisitions. Chambers Global ranked the firm in General Business Law in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

These combinations give Dentons' clients access to the experience and talents of lawyers working in 77 countries. These combinations also uniquely position Dentons to provide high-quality legal services to clients around the world.

Earlier this month, Dentons also launched a combination with an elite law firm, Hamilton, Harrison & Matthews in Kenya.

“These combinations with elite firms in Mauritius give us an even stronger presence in Africa and furthers our strategy to become a pan-African law firm that reaches more of Africa than any of its competitors,” said Elliott Portnoy, Global CEO of Dentons. 

Mauritius has one of the largest per capita GDPs of any country in Africa. It is a gateway for investments to and from Africa into Europe, and Asia in particular, offering investors a stable economic and political environment, modern infrastructure and a solid judicial system. 

"Clients in Mauritius, and clients wanting to do business there, will benefit from high-quality legal service on a truly global scale that only Dentons can offer," said Joe Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons. "Our clients have access to the deep local knowledge that is provided by lawyers who are both in and of the communities they serve.”

Mauritius is Africa’s most sophisticated financial market and No. 1 in Top African Countries for Ease of Doing Business Index 2016. It attracts more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in China, India and South Africa.

"Our combinations in Mauritius, a country with enormous potential and a very high GDP, are two large steps forward for our Africa growth strategy," said Noor Kapdi, CEO of Dentons' Africa region and Managing Partner of Dentons South Africa.

The launch of combinations in Mauritius follow in the wake of a launch earlier this month of 
a combination with Hamilton, Harrison & Matthews, and elite firm and one of the oldest in Kenya. Dentons traces its presence in Africa to the establishment of a Cairo, Egypt, office in 1964. It also has offices in Casablanca, Morocco, and Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. These combinations will further allow Dentons to pursue its Africa strategy to become a pan-African law firm that reaches more of Africa than its competitors.