Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr

Managing Partners: Brent Williams (South Africa) and Sammy Ndolo (Kenya)

Chairperson: Tim Fletcher

Number of partners: 140 (approximately)

Number of lawyers: 330 (approximately)

Languages: Afrikaans and English

FIRM OVERVIEW:

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) is one of the largest full-service business law firms in South Africa, with more than 350 lawyers and a track record spanning 169 years. The firm provides experienced legal support and an authentic knowledge-based legal service for clients looking to do business in key markets across Africa.

CDH’s Africa practice leverages resources and expertise of leading business law firms across the continent, tapping into a wealth of experience, particularly when it comes to acting for governments, state agencies and multinational organisations. Our Nairobi office, Kieti Law LLP, is a leading Kenyan law firm that provides personalised legal services of the highest quality in key specialist areas of practice.

The strategic network ensures an extensive African capability. The firm also partners with other professional disciplines such as audit firms, business consulting houses and corporate financial institutions to provide a seamless and integrated solution for multi-disciplinary projects. CDH focuses on a number of key sectors which are active and thriving in Africa, including M&A, competition, mining and minerals, telecommunications, construction, projects and energy, oil and gas, banking and finance, hospitality and leisure, and arbitration.

MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE

Capital Markets - Debt & Equity

12 partners, 15 fee-earners based in South Africa

Advised clients on a high proportion of the top cross-border capital markets connected to the firm’s geography

Instrumental in changing the landscape of South Africa’s Stock Exchange Market

Led work for the JSE and Luxembourg Stock Exchange, EPP N.V, on its equity raise implemented through an accelerated bookbuild process

Key Clients: 4AX, A2X Markets, Bank of China, Development Bank of Southern Africa Limited, Transnet, Echo Polska Properties N.V, BKB Limited, Pioneer Foods Limited, Quantum Foods Limited

Debt Capital Markets and Equity Capital Markets Contact:

Peter Hesseling (Equity) Jacqueline King(Debt)

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Competition

5 partners, 11 fee-earners based in South Africa

A consistently high share of local merger filings

An exceptional success rate in South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, COMESA and its member states

Advisers in a number of high-profile mergers and prohibited practice litigation

Key Clients: Coca-Cola, Walmart, Vodacom, Parmalat, Mediclinic, Sinopec Group, Remgro, Roche, and Computershare

Contact: Chris Charter

Tel: +27 11 562 1053

Email: [email protected]

Corporate & Commercial

40 partners, 115 fee-earners based in South Africa

Recognised by DealMakers as the M&A Legal DealMakers of the Decade 2010 – 2019 (Deal Flow), and winners of Deal Flow for 11 of the last 12 years

Advisers to the most impactful private equity funds in South Africa and to a number of South Africa’s top 20 largest listed companies by market capitalisation

Key Clients: Naspers, Richemont, Anglo American, FirstRand, Standard Bank, Vodacom, Sanlam, Old Mutual, Burger King, Sun International, Nedbank, ABSA Ethos, Actis, Metier and Capital works

Contact: Willem Jacobs

Tel: +27 11 562 1555

Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution

19 partners, 60 fee-earners based in South Africa

The principal focus is on commercial arbitration and high court litigation, with growth, as in the local market, into international arbitration and mediation

Trusted advisers to major corporations and financial institutions on some of their most demanding and highly sensitive disputes in the country

Key Clients: Nedbank, City of Cape Town, Sun International, Vodacom, Sasol, Astral Foods, Liquid Telecommunications, Industrial Development Corporation.

Contact: Tim Fletcher

Tel: +27 11 562 1061

Email: [email protected]

Employment

11 partners, 15 fee-earners based in South Africa

Offers equal strength in contentious and non-contentious employment law; workplace health and safety; immigration; and - unusually for law firms in South Africa - pensions

Key Clients: Uber, Coca Cola, British American Tobacco South Africa, City of Cape Town, Anglo Platinum, Old Mutual, Absa Bank, Cricket South Africa, Nedbank

Contact: Aadil Patel

Tel: +27 11 562 1107

Email: [email protected]

Finance & Banking

9 partners, 16 fee-earners based in South Africa

Exceptional client following, working with leading lenders, alternative capital providers and borrowers with substantial investments in South Africa

A strong mix of domestic and cross-border expertise, in-depth experience in guiding the leading lenders, sponsors and borrowers in their headline financings

Key Clients: Nedbank, FirstRand Bank, Standard Bank, Rand Merchant Bank, Vodacom Group, Investec Bank, Development Bank of Southern Africa Limited

Contact: Deon Wilken

Tel: +27 11 562 1096

Email: [email protected]

Mining & Minerals

14 partners, 20 fee-earners based in South Africa

One of most extensive and enduring mining client followings in South Africa

Recent landmark black economic empowerment transactions, mining mergers and acquisitions, mining sector restructurings and funding transactions.

Key Clients: Northam Platinum, Anglo American, Sibanye Gold, De Beers, Lonmin, Platinum Group Metals, Africa Rainbow Minerals

Contact: Allan Reid and Fiona Leppan

Tel: +27 11 562 1222

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Pro Bono & Human Rights

1 partner, 6 fee-earners based in South Africa

Committed to facilitating access to justice for the disadvantaged and vulnerable and providing legal services to NPOs

Key Clients: Anglo American, Sibanye Stillwater, De Beers, Harmony Gold, Trafigura, Platinum Group Metals, Africa Rainbow Minerals, South32, Samancor

Contact: Jacquie Cassette

Tel: +27 11 562 1036

Email: [email protected]

Projects & Energy

7 partner

The leading role on many of the most significant, high-profile energy and infrastructure projects, across the African continent.

Renowned for its work on large-scale power generation projects and specialised embedded generation projects.

Key Clients: Exxaro Energy (Pty) Ltd, Busamed (Pty) Ltd, Newcastle Energy (Pty) Ltd, Vutomi Energy (Pty) Ltd, Red Rocket (Pty) Ltd, Industrial Development Corporation, Lead EPC (Pty) Ltd, FATA EPC, Nedbank.

Contact: Andrew van Niekerk

Tel: +27 21 481 6491

Email: [email protected]

Real Estate

9 partners, 31 fee earners based in South Africa

Pioneered the development of residential property ownership on the basis of a long-term lease basis

At the forefront of Real Estate Investment Schemes (REITS) assisting clients in reaping tax benefits through the conversion of property companies into REITS

Handled some of the largest and most high-profile deals in the real estate sector in South Africa, involving a wide range of challenging real estate financings, demanding, highly technical structured finance and securitisation techniques

Leaders in the field of commercial and residential property Shariah financing

Key Clients: Standard Bank, Investec, Nedbank, Absa, HBZ Bank, Albaraka Bank, Balwin Properties, Firstrand, Mia Group, Equites Property Fund, Attacq, Transcend and SA Corporate Real Estate Limited, Texton Property Fund, Galencia Properties

Contact: Muhammad Gattoo

Tel: +27 11 562 1174

Email: [email protected]

Tax & Exchange Control

9 partners, 17 fee-earners based in South Africa

First choice tax counsel of market leaders across all of the most active sectors of the South African economy

Equal strength in both contentious and non-contentious representation at the highest levels

Key Clients: Confidential

Contact: Emil Brincker

Tel: +27 11 562 1063

Email: [email protected]

Technology, Media & Telecommunications:

3 partners, 6 fee-earners based in South Africa

Advisers to major South African corporates including ICT service providers and customers of ICT services

Choice counsel for major technology projects in highly regulated sectors, such as banking and insurance

Market-leading advisers to the financial services and telecoms sectors in South Africa

Advise major South African corporates and international clients on complex data protection issues.

Advise on corporate & commercial transactions in the ICT sector.

Key Clients: Old Mutual, Absa Bank, Capitec Bank, Vodacom, Wesbank

Contact: Preeta Bhagattjee

Email: [email protected]

OFFICES

JOHANNESBURG

Tel. +27 (0)11 562 1000

Fax. +27 (0)11 562 1111

Email. [email protected]

1 Protea Place, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2196

CAPE TOWN

Tel. +27 (0)21 481 6300

Fax. +27 (0)21 481 6388

Email. [email protected]

11 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, 8001

STELLENBOSCH

Tel. +27 (0)21 481 6400

Email. [email protected]

14 Louw Street, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, 7600

NAIROBI

Tel. +254 710 560114

Email. [email protected]

Merchant Square, 3rd floor, Block D, Riverside Drive, Kilimani, Nairobi