South Africa, March 31 -- In a statement, the firm said, "The Deneys name holds deep weight in South African law, predating the firm's time within the Norton Rose Fulbright verein by decades. Reclaiming it signals both a respect for that heritage and a clear intention to evolve it independently in tune with a changing world."

Chief executive officer Brent Botha said the firm's capacity to navigate change has always defined it: "For more than a century our firm has adapted through political shifts, market cycles and technological disruption. The ability to navigate strategic change is in our DNA, and this next chapter is no different."

On what independence means for the firm's future, Botha added: "By anchoring our next chapter in a cent...