Nikita Lalla

Practice Areas

Construction (Contentious and non-contentious)

Career

Nikita Lalla serves as the Chief Executive of LNP Beyond Legal. She is a highly acclaimed construction lawyer, recognised with multiple awards for her specialised expertise in the energy, natural resources, and infrastructure sectors. Nikita collaborates with numerous local and international companies on large-scale projects, providing comprehensive legal support from concept to completion, while respecting clients' time and budget constraints.

Her exceptional skills have earned her recognition as a leading construction lawyer by prestigious international rating agencies, including Chambers and Partners, Who’s Who Legal, Legal 500, and IFLR1000.

In addition to her professional practice, Nikita lectures at the Nelson Mandela Institute, part of the University of Witwatersrand Law School, where she teaches a short course in Construction and Engineering Law, and was a fellow of the International Academy of Construction Lawyers (IACL) from 2022 to 2024.

She holds an LLB degree from the University of Witwatersrand and is an admitted attorney of the High Court.

Professional Memberships

Member of the Legal Practice Council, South Africa

Clients

Key clients include Eskom, Lucara, PPC Zimbabwe, GED Africa, Nordex South Africa, Yellow Door Energy and Transnet.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

South Africa, Botswana, China, DRC, Mauritius, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Work Highlights

Advising GED Africa on the US$200m Kasomeno-Mwenda Toll Road Project from the DRC to Zambia (The Winner Award, FIDIC Contract User Awards 2024).

Acted as legal and transaction advisor to the newly formed National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA), in relation to the legal and commercial close of South Africa's first two private utility-scale battery energy storage projects. These projects fall under Round 1 of the Energy Storage Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (ESIPPPP). This milestone achievement marks a turning point in South Africa’s energy landscape, featuring several firsts: The first utility-scale battery storage programme of its kind in South Africa. • The first standalone, grid-scale, private sector battery projects in the country. • The first programme to deploy specialised battery storage technology on a grid scale. • The first transaction under the programme closed by NTCSA, as the Buyer under the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). • The first transaction of its kind signed off by the new Ministry of Electricity and Energy. With a combined capacity of 180 MW/720 MWh and a total investment of R5.3 billion, these projects will store energy during low-demand periods and release it during peak demand—offering an innovative solution to South Africa’s energy crisis.

Acted as transaction advisor to Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd in relation to REIPPP Round 6, helping secure 4200 MW of new renewable energy capacity, including 3200 MW from wind and 1000 MW from solar.

Awards