The South African firm will now revert back to using its trading name of Routledge Modise.
The Lawyer newspaper reports that Eversheds had previously fought to change the name of the firm since it became a member of Eversheds International in April 2008.
Routledge operated under the banner ‘Routledge Modise in association with Eversheds’ until July 2009, when the name was officially changed to Eversheds.

Rule breach

The Law Society of the Northern Provinces then claimed the firm had broken the Attorneys Act and its own rules, and ordered a name reversal. However, Eversheds contested the claims, labelling the Law Society’s move ‘uncompetitive’. In February last year, the firm won its fight to use its own branding, but from January the South African firm will resume using its trading name of Routledge Modise

‘Recently Eversheds and Eversheds South Africa found ourselves in an impossible situation where the best interests of two of our respective prominent clients in different jurisdictions could not be fully represented,’ said the firm’s chief executive, Bryan Hughes. ‘With client service being at the heart of our collective ethos the joint decision was made that our South African firm would leave Eversheds.
‘The two firms will continue to work together in the region and on-going client work in South Africa will be unaffected. Eversheds remains committed to developing the many relationships and opportunities that it has established in Africa over the years.’