AB & David Africa has been honoured as Law Firm of the Year by the Institute for African Women in Law (IAWL) at its 10th-anniversary gala in Johannesburg.

The prestigious award acknowledges the firm’s unwavering dedication to gender equality within the legal profession. IAWL specifically commended AB & David Africa’s investment in nurturing women leaders and its consistent implementation of gender-inclusive policies throughout its African operations.

“Receiving this recognition from IAWL is significant for our entire firm. It affirms that building a law firm where women can lead, shape strategy, and drive major transactions is not an aspiration on paper. It is a daily operational priority for us,” said Isabel Boaten, Managing Partner of AB & David Africa’s Ghana office.

IAWL highlighted AB & David Africa as a leading multi-jurisdictional firm on the continent actively championing gender equality in the legal sector. This recognition comes at a crucial time, given the persistent gender imbalance in African legal circles. Research by IAWL reveals that women remain significantly underrepresented in senior roles across the bar, judiciary, and legal academia.

AB & David Africa views the award as both an honour and a call to action. The firm is committed to strengthening its internal structures and talent development programs to facilitate the advancement of more women into partnership, management, and board-level positions.

Furthermore, the firm intends to use this platform to foster greater collaboration within the profession. “We intend to use this recognition to deepen our collaboration with IAWL and peer firms,” Boaten added. “If the profession is serious about excellence in Africa’s legal services market, it must also be serious about gender equity. The two are connected.”

Beyond internal policies, AB & David Africa actively supports the IAWL Women’s Excellence in Law & Leadership Academy (WELLA). This initiative equips emerging female legal professionals across Africa with essential leadership skills, mentorship opportunities, and valuable professional networks. Through WELLA, the firm is investing in a robust ecosystem of women poised to lead in Africa’s dynamic business-law environment.

AB & David Africa is a global business law firm with a strong presence across the African continent, operating independent offices in several jurisdictions and maintaining a network spanning approximately 30 countries. The firm provides legal counsel to governments, development finance institutions, multinational corporations, and regional businesses on complex issues including infrastructure, energy, mining, telecommunications, public-private partnerships, corporate and M&A, and cross-border transactions.

IAWL is a pan-African non-profit dedicated to advancing gender equality in law through research, advocacy, training, and leadership development. The organisation collaborates with institutions across Africa and the diaspora to promote gender-inclusive legal systems.

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