Ian Hayes > Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr > Johannesburg, South Africa > Lawyer Profile

The ‘very practical‘ corporate team at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has ‘a deep understanding of the South African legal, regulatory and commercial landscape‘, and also garners praise for having ‘an immense amount of experience in closing M&A transactions across various jurisdictions‘. Practice head Ian Hayes handles the full gamut of corporate and commercial work, and advises a roster of blue-chip clients in the telecoms, retail and mining sectors on corporate finance, M&A, takeovers, private equity transactions and restructurings, to name a few areas of expertise. Willem Jacobs is highly regarded for his M&A expertise, and is well known for advising on complex, cross-border transactions. The ‘well-informed‘ Vivien Chaplin acts for mining sector clients, and Jaco Meyer has ‘in-depth knowledge and understanding of his field and provides insightful, expert advice‘. Dane Kruger and Roxanna Valayathum also play important roles in the practice group.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr’s mining and minerals practice ‘has a deep talent pool‘ with a ‘qualified, attentive and efficient‘ team. Department head Allan Reid ‘has many years of experience and is well respected in the mining industry.’ Vivien Chaplin has a strong reputation for assisting clients in the manganese and aluminium mining space with supply and offtake agreements – she also advises on regulatory issues. Burton Meyer is a key name for contentious matters. Ian Hayes, Fiona Leppan, and Rachel Kelly are key figures in the department.