Pre-eminent African law firm Bowmans has announced that Hugo Meyer van den Berg has joined the firm as a partner in its Windhoek office.
The appointment comes at a critical time in the development of Bowmans Namibia. Having been established when Bowmans and Koep & Partners joined forces almost three years ago, the practice has shown good growth and is now ready to expand.
‘We are delighted to welcome Meyer to our commercial team in Namibia. He joins us at a critical time in the growth trajectory of Bowmans Namibia with a skills set that will benefit our clients not only in Namibia but further afield on the continent,’ says Ezra Davids, Bowmans chairman and senior partner.
van den Berg’s commercial legal skills are well matched with the growth nodes in the Namibian economy, including mining, oil and gas and energy. He is recognised for the depth of his experience in these sectors, as well as for his expertise in M&A, financing and regulation. van den Berg, who is also an admitted notary, a court-appointed mediator and the only person with a doctorate in law in private practice in Namibia, also has extensive experience in competition, environmental, banking and project finance law.
Complementing his 16 years in private practice are his exceptional academic credentials. He has an LLB from Stellenbosch University, an LLM in mining law and a PhD in oil and gas law both from the University of Cape Town where he serves as an adjunct professor of Mineral Law in Africa.
In joining Bowmans, Meyer will be renewing ties with former colleagues and clients. Not only did he complete his candidate attorneyship at Koep & Partners he also spent almost 11 of his 16 years in private practice with Koep & Partners, including as a partner and consultant.
‘Meyer’s skills and experience, and the many synergies he shares with Bowmans, will be invaluable as we continue expanding our capacity in those sectors that will contribute most to development in Africa.’
