CMS makes the biggest leap in Law.com's 2026 Africa Top 30

Johannesburg, 6 November 2026 – CMS has made the biggest leap in this year's Law.com Africa Top 30, climbing six places to 12th in the ranking of the continent's largest law firms by headcount. It is now the third-largest international law firm in Africa by number of lawyers.

The timing makes the result all the more notable Law.com's 2026 table, published on 8 October, shows a legal market in the middle of a shift. Only seven international firms made this year's list, down from ten in 2025 and the fewest in seven years, as several have withdrawn from the continent or restructured their African operations. African-headquartered firms now hold 23 of the 30 places.

CMS is moving in the other direction. Rather than pulling back, it has deepened its African practice through member firms that are leaders in their own markets and part of a global organisation. Today, through this gateway and corridor footprint within key investment hubs, CMS is positioned where African capital is structured, investment is scaled, projects are delivered, and Africa connects with global markets through our 7 offices in Angola, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa and Mauritius and specialist teams in the UK, Portugal and France. The team advises on energy and natural resources, precious metals and minerals, infrastructure, banking and finance, corporate transactions, tax, real estate, employment and disputes.

The result supports the firm's ambition to achieve top rankings in all of CMS's markets.

For Pedro Couto, Chairman of CMS Africa and Chairman of Couto, Graça e Associados (CGA), the CMS member firm in Mozambique, the climb reflects the people and the model behind it:

"Moving from 18th to 12th in a single year is a big step for CMS in Africa, and it belongs to our people across the continent and specialist teams. Our growth has been built on local excellence: firms with deep roots in their own markets, working as one with colleagues across CMS. Clients investing in Africa need advisers who understand each market from the inside and can connect them to the rest of the world. That is exactly where CMS sits, and this ranking shows that our model is working."

That model also shows how CMS wants to work across its global firm. Its clients increasingly do business across borders, and Africa's progress demonstrates what close collaboration between offices can deliver for them.

Stephen Millar, Executive Partner of CMS, said: "Our ambition is to be the leading global relationship law firm, and Africa is an important part of that story. Many of our clients operate across several jurisdictions, and they want advice that joins up wherever they do business. Our African firms are in key investment hubs, that share knowledge openly and support each other and colleagues across CMS.  This strengthens our position in every market. Working together on complex cross-border matters is also one of the best ways to develop our people. Africa shows what that collaboration can achieve."

For CMS, growth is only part of the picture. Its strategy puts depth and quality at the heart of the firm's next phase, so that clients receive the same standard of advice in Maputo as they would in Paris or London.

Pierre-Sébastien Thill, Chairman of CMS, said: "Clients expect the same quality of advice wherever they do business. CMS acts as one firm, with shared values, real respect for local culture and consistent standards. Our African firms and teams bring outstanding local knowledge and combine technical excellence with pragmatic, commercial advice. As many firms narrow their focus, our full-service approach gives us the flexibility to grow where our clients need us. This year's ranking shows the strength of our African platform and the role it plays in our global ambitions."