Leading global law firm Baker McKenzie has appointed dispute resolution and litigation lawyer Mfanimpela (Fani) Moses Dingiswayo as a Partner in the Firm’s Johannesburg office, bolstering its sector-specific capabilities and heeding growing client demand for dispute resolution, litigation, and compliance and investigation expertise in post-pandemic Africa. Fani joined the Firm on 1 February 2021 and will work alongside Partner and Head of the Dispute Resolution Practice, Darryl Bernstein and Partner, John Bell.

Dingiswayo has many years of experience in corporate dispute resolution, litigation, risk management and contract law, with a focus on the Industrials, Manufacturing and Transport (IMT), Mining and Healthcare sectors. He is a graduate of the University of Fort Hare, where he received a B. Proc in 1997. Dingiswayo was admitted as an attorney in 1999 and received a Higher Diploma in Company Law from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2004. He joins the Firm from the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, where he was the General Manager: Group Legal Services, a position he has held since 2013.  He was previously a partner at VFV Mseleku law firm and a senior associate at Bowmans.                 

“Covid-19 and its effects have triggered many disputes, with litigation volumes in some jurisdictions having already doubled. Post-pandemic, compliance & investigations and disputes are expected to become more frequent and complex in Africa, as corporations and financial institutions continue to enter new markets against a backdrop of tighter regulatory scrutiny and higher accountability. Fani is a welcome new addition to our South African Dispute Resolution team, where his cross-sector experience in dispute resolution and litigation will assist our clients in Africa to minimise exposure to risks and resolve disputes efficiently when they arise,” notes Darryl Bernstein, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution at Baker McKenzie in Johannesburg.

Morne van der Merwe, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie’s Johannesburg office, adds, “We are so pleased that Fani has agreed to join our Dispute Resolution team in Johannesburg. Our team is assisted by a global team of more than 850 dispute resolution lawyers based in the major financial centres and emerging markets, with an understanding of the legal and regulatory environment, language, culture, and way of doing business wherever the Firm’s clients operate. The cross-border Disputes team has extensive industry expertise, particularly in the international trade, oil and gas, construction, mining, TMT, cybersecurity, consumer products and retail, pharmaceuticals and life sciences sectors. Fani’s  impressive dispute resolution and litigation experience and his broad sector expertise will add tremendous value to our clients in Africa as we gear up to help them overcome the challenges of competing in today's new world economic order.”