Business
- Cox Yeats has been named Restructuring Team of the Year at the 2026 African Legal Awards, recognising the strength and commercial impact of its Business Rescue, Restructuring, Insolvency and Insurance team.
- The award follows a strong showing for the firm, with its BRI practice securing nominations in all three categories for which Cox Yeats was shortlisted.
- The recognition highlights the team’s expertise in complex restructuring, insolvency and dispute resolution matters, including landmark cross-border insolvency work before South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal.
Cox Yeats’ Business Rescue, Restructuring, Insolvency and Insurance (BRI) team has been named Restructuring Team of the Year at the 2026 African Legal Awards, recognising the strength, depth and commercial focus of its specialist practice.
The award follows an exceptional showing for the BRI practice, which accounted for all three of Cox Yeats’ shortlisted categories this year: Restructuring Team of the Year, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year, and Partner of the Year – Southern Africa for BRI Practice Head Gareth Cremen.
Led by Gareth Cremen, the BRI team brings together specialist restructuring, insolvency and litigation expertise to advise on complex, high-stakes matters. Its strength lies in combining technical legal capability with commercial judgement, strategic thinking and a collaborative, partner-led approach focused on achieving practical outcomes for clients.
The calibre of the practice is also reflected in its recent landmark cross-border insolvency work. In Scheer v Wagner N.O. & Others, the team secured a complete victory before the Supreme Court of Appeal in a matter involving parallel insolvency proceedings in South Africa and Austria.
The judgment provided important clarity on the interaction between section 116 of the Insolvency Act and the common-law principle of international comity, establishing a significant precedent for future cross-border insolvency matters in South Africa.
The team’s ability to move seamlessly between restructuring strategy, insolvency law and complex litigation is central to its success, enabling it to respond to distressed situations with solutions that are both legally robust and commercially effective.
Cremen said the award reflects the strength of the practice and the team’s focus on delivering meaningful outcomes for clients.
“This recognition is a significant achievement and reflects the strength of the practice we have built. Our team handles some of the most complex restructuring and insolvency matters in the market, with a clear focus on delivering commercially effective solutions, preserving value and achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients. I’m incredibly proud of what we continue to achieve together.”
Commenting on the achievement, Andrew Clark, Managing Partner of Cox Yeats, said, “This award reflects the depth of expertise within our BRI practice and the team’s ability to combine exceptional technical capability with strong commercial judgement to deliver meaningful outcomes for clients.”
The recognition further strengthens Cox Yeats’ position in the South African restructuring and insolvency market and highlights the depth of specialist expertise within a team increasingly recognised for complex restructuring, insolvency and dispute resolution work.
A.I
Sept. 8, 2026
Tags: Anele Mncube Cox Yeats Gareth Cremen