In 1867 Harry Escombe, who was later to become one of the leading figures in the Colony of Natal, established the firm that is today Garlicke & Bousfield. When Escombe gave up private practice to become Attorney-General and then Prime Minister in the late 19th century, the firm continued under the names of his erstwhile partner, Thomas Garlicke, and his son-in law, Henry Richings Bousfield.

One of the largest law firms in KwaZulu-Natal, Garlicke & Bousfield has been proud to provide its services to major institutions, commercial and industrial corporations, government departments and parastatal organisations throughout South Africa.

The complexity of our society and its laws calls for levels of expertise which can only result from the specialisation in defined branches of the law. Garlicke & Bousfield ensures that its clients are served by practitioners whose training and experience relate to the specific legal problems with which they deal and in this way they can offer a full range of specialised legal and related services.

The firm operates as a collective leadership, sharing ideas, debating issues, coming to conclusions and taking decisions together. The most important goal is to try to maintain a harmonious balance between serving clients with excellence, growing the firm and continuing to drive the firm’s transformation agenda.

Garlicke & Bousfield has a focused, coherent affirmative action policy, which has as its ultimate objective the accomplishment of empowerment. This policy has achieved the transformation of the composition of management structures, the promotion of black equity participation within these structures and the creation of equitable procurement practices.