The Legal 500

Bowman Gilfillan, which has one of the market’s largest and most successful banking practices, recently hired senior banking lawyer Joz Coetzer and real estate finance specialist Craig Whitley from DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. The firm has a leading position in leveraged and acquisition financing transactions as well as debt restructuring and refinancings, and is also rapidly developing its real estate finance
expertise. Highlights for the practice included advising AfriSam on its R25bn debt restructuring and refinancing as well as acting for senior lenders on the R5.8bn financing of Actom Proprietary’s acquisition of Savcio Holdings. Other clients include domestic banks and international investment banks. The ‘outstanding’ Lionel Shawe has ‘great business acumen’ and ‘industry knowledge’. Casper van Heerden is a leading debt capital markets specialist.

ENS (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs) always ‘adds value to a transaction’, partly through its ‘good mix of junior and senior staff’’. Clients include Absa Bank, RMB, Investec, Nedbank, and Standard Bank, as well as various pension funds and asset managers. The firm recently experienced a significant upsurge in regulatory instructions from domestic financial institutions. Department head Sean Lederman is ‘exceptional’, and other key partners are Roger Rudolph, debt capital markets expert Clinton van Loggerenberg, the ‘outstanding’ Diana Messerschmidt, and Simon Osborne.

Norton Rose South Africa (Incorporated as Deneys Reitz Inc) has a large, ‘dynamic’ team with ‘a broad range of specialisations both locally and abroad’, including on project, infrastructure and aviation financing. The firm is advising both Abengoa Solar International and the Industrial Development Corporation on a solar power project under South Africa’s Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme. Riza Moosa is ‘extremely efficient’, ‘commercial’ and ‘pragmatic’; project and infrastructure finance partner Jackie Midlane is ‘top drawer’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘a go-to person’; Bradley Harber is ‘very thorough’ and ‘hardworking’; and structured trade and commodity finance specialist Lodewyk Meyer is also recommended.

Webber Wentzel’s growing practice spans debt capital markets and project finance as well as general banking and regulatory advice. It acts for all major South African banks, including Absa, Standard Bank, Nedbank and Investec, and advised RMB as lead arranger of Exxaro’s R8bn refinancing. Johan de Lange is praised for his ‘business acumen’ and ‘industry knowledge’, and the ‘innovative’ Karen Couzyn is the ‘best debt capital markets lawyer’ in South Africa, according to one client. Johann Scholtz is recommended for regulatory advice.

DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr lost Joz Coetzer and Craig Whitley to Bowman Gilfillan, but this was balanced somewhat by the arrivals of senior debt markets specialist Jackie King from Norton Rose South Africa (Incorporated as Deneys Reitz Inc) and projects and finance partner Biddy Faber from ENS (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs). Ludwig Smith, is one of the leading banking and finance names in South Africa, and Jackie Pennington and Deon Wilken are also recommended. The firm is strong in general lending, ECA-backed financing, refinancing, debt capital markets, and regulatory matters. In 2012, it advised Absa Capital on implementing a risk transfer structure.

Werksmans Attorneys is expert in debt capital markets and project finance, and is also an acknowledged leader in securitisations and convertible bonds, areas in which Richard Roothman has a fine reputation.

New market entrant Baker & McKenzie established a strong presence through the hire of the ‘very experienced’ and ‘client-focused’ Wildu du Plessis and his team from the now defunct Dewey & LeBoeuf (PTY) Ltd. Chris Moraitis and Muhammad Sader are also recommended. The group has been particularly active in the renewable energy financing, including advising Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar and Gestamp Asetym Solar on the financing of Gestamp Mulilo Prieska solar energy development, and also completed a series of major transactions for South African institutions such as Standard Bank and RMB.

Bell Dewar merged with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, creating a leading player in project and infrastructure finance. The firm has been at the forefront of toll road PPP projects and is representing the South African Roads Agency on the financing of the Cape Town toll highway development. The team is also particularly active in representing lenders and borrowers on power and renewable energy financing. Lara Bezuidenhoudt has an outstanding reputation, and Andrew Mitchell is recommended for mining sector finance transactions.

Glyn Marais mainly focuses on leveraged and acquisition finance, with real estate finance being another key area of work. It predominately acts for borrowers but also acts for major South African banks. Past mandates include acting for Standard Bank on an R800m debt facility made available to Growthpoint Properties for its acquisition of the V&A Waterfront. Willem de Villiers is the lead partner.

White & Case LLP International Lawyers’ small team primarily advises lenders on matters such as asset-backed securities and unsecured lending transactions. It is particularly recognised for its English law capabilities and expertise on export credit work. Joshua Parbhu provides ‘valuable advice and insights’.

Brink Falcon Hume INC was set up by leading banking and finance name Johan Brink, who is well known among South African banks and recognised for his industry knowledge. Brink was formerly at Brink Cohen Le Roux, which subsequently merged with ENS (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs).

Prinsloo, Tindle & Andropoulos Inc’s Danny Andropolous is a prominent name in the banking industry, and has lengthy experience and connections with South African financial institutions.