Clyde & Co says the appointment of Lee Astfalck and Wim Cilliers as partners in its insurance practice in South Africa supports continued growth in Africa and confirms the  status of its specialist insurance offering. The duo will be based in Johannesburg.

Specialist provider

Mr Astfalck joins from Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) in Johannesburg, where he was a litigation and dispute resolution director and head of risk advisory for South Africa. Mr Cilliers joins from Gildenhuys Malatji (GMI) in Pretoria, where he was a commercial litigation and insurance law director. They respectively have 15 and 20 years' experience within the South African insurance market. Their hiring is complemented by a string of additional hires, including senior associates Erin Carlson from GMI and Megan Claassens from NRF. Additionally, Warren Hiepner, who joined Clyde & Co in 2014 as a consultant in Johannesburg, has been appointed partner as well. Tony Hardie, managing partner at Clyde & Co in South Africa, comments “Lee and Wim are both strong additions to our practice and a great fit thanks to the calibre of their experience and reputation in the market. Bringing them on board will help support our continued growth in the region and further confirms our position as the only specialist insurance law firm in South Africa.”

Steady growth

Commenting on the move to Clyde & Co, Lee Astfalck says the move will provide “the perfect platform to further its development, especially on the financial lines front.” Mr Cilliers added the move “will help create new opportunities in other South African jurisdictions and markets such as Namibia for instance” With the new additions, Clyde & Co says it is continuing a steady growth and further strengthens its position as the leading international insurance firm in South Africa, with 16 partners and over 40 experienced lawyers across its two offices. The firm is one of the largest international law firms operating on the continent, with over 100 professionals based full time in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam.