Team size: 15

What are the most significant cases and transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

My team has been involved in a lot of M&A transactions, including the closing of the Sanlam Allianz transaction, whereby Sanlam and Allianz concluded a joint venture to operate their business jointly on the African continent, excluding South Africa.

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in South Africa over the next five-ten years?

I see the role of general counsel changing over the next five to ten years to be that of a business enabler, ensuring that it is a role of a trusted advisor to the business, enabling it to conduct its operations a legally compliant manner.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?

The matter management systems with AI, which makes contract drafting and reviewing extremely easy and save lots of time, enabling lawyers to use their time effectively and efficiently. We are currently running an RFP process to find a right partner for a matter management system that uses AI.