Banking & Finance | Global

Bowmans is a well-known law firm that undertakes a wide range of financial mandates incorporating acquisition and leveraged finance, corporate loan agreements and debt restructurings, as well as offering regulatory advice. Its diverse expertise includes sector-specific knowledge of the mining and real estate industries. The group represents a broad range of banking and financial clients across Africa, and has experience featuring in complex deals involving numerous parties.

ENS remains a prominent force in the market with broad-ranging experience in the South African and international banking and finance spaces. The firm represents clients on both the lender and borrower sides of major refinancings, syndicated credit facilities and acquisition financing. It also regularly advises on debt restructurings. The group is additionally called upon by banks and financial institutions on account of its widely regarded regulatory practice. The team possesses deep experience operating across Africa, with numerous regional offices and complementary strength in English law.

Webber Wentzel continues to operate at the upper end of this market, offering excellent full-spectrum banking and finance services. The team is active on both high-value refinancings and new loan transactions. It is known for its lender-side practice, where it acts for major banks as well as significant domestic and international financial corporations. The law firm offers impressive cross-border capabilities, enhanced by its alliance with Linklaters, enabling the representation of clients on an international scale.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has a longstanding reputation in the market, and is known for its extensive acquisition and leveraged finance experience. It frequently handles borrower-side mandates for clients in the mining and telecoms sectors in both domestic and cross-border contexts. The law firm also continues to advise major financial institutions on regulatory issues as well as on lending packages and debt restructurings that include preference share facilities.

DLA Piper is an internationally recognised law firm that has established a strong reputation for its financial capabilities in South Africa. The practice provides counsel to its clients on the full gamut of loan facilities and refinancing mandates. Its global network of offices provides access to banking and finance expertise around the world, facilitating the representation of clients both domestically and internationally. The team is increasingly representing lenders in finance transactions, while continuing to also represent borrowers. It acts for prominent South African banks, investment funds and corporations with involvement in cross-border financings.

Allen & Overy combines its robust South Africa practice with its significant global network to provide representation to a roster of domestic and international banks and financial institutions. The law firm is instructed on a broad range of domestic and cross-border financing mandates, ranging from acquisition financing to syndicated corporate loans and refinancings as well as receivables-based secured financing. The practice additionally demonstrates considerable experience in financial regulatory matters.

Werksmans Attorneys is a longstanding law firm in the banking and finance market, assisting lenders and sponsors as well as corporate and fund borrowers across a range of matters, including debt refinancing and restructuring, acquisition finance and preference share funding. It maintains client relationships with a number of the country's largest investment banks and funds.

White & Case is a well-known international law firm with a significant presence in South Africa. The practice has notable experience on cross-border transactions in the region and on the wider African continent. It has represented a variety of lenders, including institutional investors and DFIs, in loan financing and restructuring as well as acquisitions, and has also advised on real estate, transport and retail projects domestically and internationally.

CMS represents a range of borrowers and lenders, including major South African banks and international development finance institutions. The group has considerable expertise in project financing and debt restructuring, among other matters. It has additional capabilities across its network of global offices, on which the South African practice can draw.

Norton Rose Fulbright has an established reputation for project finance and corporate loan facilities, spanning both domestic and multi-jurisdictional matters, and acting for borrowers and lenders. Its South African lawyers are active on trade, commodity, property and acquisition finance, with a complementary reputation for their regulatory work. The law firm represents a broad array of local and international banks and investment firms, as well as corporations in the energy and mining sectors.