The 40-partner law firm Routledge Modise was until just over a year ago allied with Eversheds but the arrangement stopped after a client conflict. Routledge will come under the Hogan Lovell brand but it will not pool profits. David Harris, co-chief executive of Hogan Lovells told The Financial Times: 'South Africa serves as an important gateway to the rest of Africa as a whole but is a significant market in its own right. Increasingly we felt that it was really important to have a presence in South Africa.' Source: FT