John Gillmer > Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr > Cape Town, South Africa > Lawyer Profile

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr
11 BUITENGRACHT STREET
CAPE TOWN 8001
South Africa

Work Department

Corporate and Commercial. Private Equity

Position

John is a Director in our Corporate & Commercial practice and Joint Sector Head for the Private Equity sector. He specialises in the formation of investment funds and structuring of financial products. John has advised and acted for local and international financial institutions, including banks, private equity and hedge fund managers, long term insurers and investors seeking to invest in various investment funds. His expertise in investment funds includes advising on fund and product structuring and related regulatory aspects including the Banks Act, the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, the Pension Funds Act, the Long-Term Insurance Act, the Financial Markets Act and exchange control regulations.

Career

John is an experienced corporate and financial services lawyer having advised clients on establishing investment funds, structuring of financial products, acquisitions and disposals (private and public), legal due diligences and equity capital raisings in Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom.

John began his career in 1998 at Deneys Reitz. He moved to London in 2001 and joined Slaughter & May (where he worked in the corporate team as an Associate for two years). In 2003 John returned to Deneys Reitz in their Cape Town office as a Senior Associate and was appointed a Director in 2006. He moved to Australia and worked at Minter Ellison in their corporate department in Brisbane as a senior foreign lawyer in 2009. John re-joined Deneys Reitz (now Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa) in 2010 as a Director.

He was appointed Director at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr in 2016.

Languages

English

Memberships

  • Member of the Legal and Risk Committee of the South African Venture Capital Association (SAVCA).

Education

  • B Com (Economics), University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • LLB (summa cum laude), University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 2000
  • Enrolled with the Legal Practice Council

Lawyer Rankings

South Africa > Investment funds

At Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, the investment funds team has established strength in advising managers and investors on fund formation, investments, structuring matters and regulatory issues. Department head John Gillmer is ‘a highly experienced attorney who offers efficient, pragmatic and legally sound advice; he is always available and an effective communicator.’ Gillmer has a solid track record in assisting international and domestic financial institutions with the formation of investment funds, which is also a key area of expertise for Wayne Murray. Structuring mandates are prominent in Nuhaa Amardien‘s workload.