With only a few days left before the door is locked at A&O Shearman Johannesburg, some lawyers are still in last-minute hiring talks with prospective employers, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The global firm is winding down operations in the country by the end of December as part of its post-merger changes targeted at shedding 10% of its global partnership and shutting down its consulting business.

Bowmans had earlier announced hiring 14 of the 32 lawyers affected, including A&O Shearman’s South Africa managing partner Gerhard Rudolph and seven other partners. One of those partners has since backed out and returned to ENS. Bowmans and Rudolph say the deal is still intact, however, and the new joiners will resume work in the first week of January.

Sources familiar with the Bowmans’ deal have also said that the number of lawyers might increase with the firm delaying the announcement of associates and senior associates until the new year.

Not every of the junior lawyers will be joining Bowmans, however. Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr and ENS will be taking a few, according to a senior partner at an international firm trying to hire one of the lawyers.

“We are also in discussion with one person that we’re comfortable with but I must tell you that most of those people have been absorbed in other firms,” they said, requesting anonymity.

One recruiter feared that some of these negotiations may spill into January as both parties may not want to rush things. CDH and ENS declined to comment.

Pressure to Return to Old Firms 

Before the curtain is drawn, there may be pressure on some lawyers to return to their previous local firms.

“It is a very small market amongst those leading firms,” said a Johannesburg-based recruiter who expressed surprise at Bowmans’ deal. “They (local firms) can take it when one moves overseas, in-house or to an International firm, but they don’t like it when one of their guys goes to a direct competitor.”

Deborah Carmichael said her decision to return to ENS instead of resuming at Bowmans was personal, however.

A&O Shearman’s global managing partner Hervé Ekué has conveyed the firm’s appreciation to outgoing members, “We are very grateful to the partners who will be leaving the firm, as well as to our teams in Johannesburg.”