Arrival of Pieter van Welzen a ‘strong expression’ of the kind of firm Thomson Wilks continues to build

The knowledge new consultant attorney Dr Pieter van Welzen brings to Thomson Wilks of both common law and civil law systems, together with his ability to work in English, Dutch, French, Portuguese, and German, adds further depth to its African and international offering, says the innovative South Africa-headquartered law firm. 

“Thomson Wilks was built for senior lawyers whose experience crosses borders, legal systems and conventional practice structures,” says the firm. “Pieter van Welzen is exactly that kind of practitioner. We are pleased to announce that Pieter has joined the firm as a Consultant Attorney in our Banking and Finance practice.”

Pieter is a Dutch (advocaat) and English (solicitor) qualified lawyer with over 35 years experience in structured finance, banking law, and trade finance. He spent most of the first thirty years of his career - many of them as a partner and senior leader - with global law firms Clifford Chance and Freshfields, in Amsterdam and London. 

He also has a passion for public international law, in particular the law of the sea and wildlife conservation law. Most recently, Pieter spent the past six years as a Senior Consultant at CMS South Africa. He is currently serving as a Committee Member on Protections of Persons at Sea with the International Law Association, and a 2026-2029 term on the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law. 

He also served for nine years as the Honorary Counsel for São Tomé and Príncipe in The Netherlands. In 2024, he obtained his doctorate from the University of Hamburg, with a dissertation entitled “IUU Fishing and the Obligations of Vessel Owner States: A West African Perspective”. 

On social media this morning, Pieter paid tribute to his “enjoyable, inspiring, and rewarding time” at CMS South Africa, as he embarked on his new chapter in his career, joining Thomson Wilks. He will continue to be based in Johannesburg. 

“I am grateful to my current and former colleagues at CMS South Africa for their support, friendship, and collaboration over the years,” shared Pieter. “I am equally excited to begin this new journey and look forward to working with my new colleagues at Thomson Wilks and to the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Pieter’s appointment is particularly significant, says Thomson Wilks, due to the alignment between his practice and the way the firm has chosen to grow - “through experienced specialists, integrated teams and practical cross-border capability built around the client rather than the limitations of a traditional law-firm model”.

His experience in public international law, the law of the sea, and maritime-related work also strengthens the multidisciplinary perspective Thomson Wilks brings to infrastructure, development finance and complex commercial transactions.

“Pieter’s arrival is more than an addition to the team. It is a strong expression of the kind of firm Thomson Wilks continues to build,” said the firm, which as previously reported by Africa Legal has added significant legal talent over the past 18 months 

In May, the firm added leading South African corporate and M&A lawyer Roux van der Merwe as a Director in its Corporate and Commercial team. In January it added to its already ‘formidable team’ by merging with the former Durban office of global firm Eversheds Sutherland. In December, it scooped up mining, health and safety, ESG and corporate governance expert Stephen Thibedi Nthite, who has three decades of experience, including at the Constitutional Court and top-level governance roles in both the public and private sectors, as a Senior Consultant.

Earlier in 2025 it built its medico-legal expertise with the hiring of Director Julia Penn and associate Justine Paries, and further bolstered its top-level talent with insolvency specialist Zanele Macalagh joining as a Director in its Sandton office.

Thomson Wilks also has an exclusive alliance with the London-based DWF Group, a leading global provider of integrated legal and business services.