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Aadil Patel
Aadil Patel
Aadil Patel is the Head of our Employment Law practice. A thought leader in his field, he is recognised for his in-depth expertise in employment law and has acted extensively for various employers in both the public and private sector. Aadil has worked across multiple jurisdictions in Africa and globally. He has presented on a wide array of legal topics to different audiences and is featured regularly in published articles. Recognised by both his peers and his clients for his proficiency in employment law, Aadil's track record includes having successfully advised and represented a number of state-owned enterprises as well as companies listed on the JSE and other employers.
Amore Carstens
Amore Carstens
Amore Carstens is a Senior Associate in our Corporate & Commercial practice. Amore assists clients with, ­inter alia, contract law advice, general corporate and commercial advice, corporate governance, including advice on commercial issues, company law and regulatory considerations, negotiating terms of agreement, drafting and reviewing commercial agreements. Amore works closely with local and international oil companies, national oil companies (NOC’s), oilfield service providers and government regulatory authorities within the upstream petroleum sector.
Andre de Lange
Andre de Lange
Andre is a Director in our Corporate & Commercial practice and Head of the Agriculture, Aquaculture & Fishing sector. Andre specialises in corporate law, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions. He also provides general commercial law-related services  and  advice. For a number of years André served on the executive committee of the  Johannesburg Attorneys Association, (holding the office of Vice Chairman and Treasurer) and served as a Councillor of the Cape Law Society. André currently serves on the Audit and Risk Committee of the Law Society of South Africa. He and his family relocated from Johannesburg to Cape Town at the end of 2006.
Andrew van Niekerk
Andrew van Niekerk
Andrew van Niekerk is a Director in our Banking, Finance & Projects practice, and Head of our Projects & Energy  sector. Andrew provides specialist EPC / PPP / IPP related legal services in the infrastructure, energy, mining and resources, transport and real estate domains. Andrew has advised clients on projects in multiple jurisdictions including Botswana, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Jordan, Kenya, Kuala Lumpur, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Anita Moolman
Anita Moolman
Anita is a Director in our Corporate & Commercial practice and has experience in consumer protection matters, public sector procurement, project finance and public private partnerships, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate and commercial law advisory services. Anita has been extensively involved in due diligence work in respect of a range of investments and other transactions, for both domestic and international clients. She was a member of the legal team that undertook a large scale due diligence investigation of a local parastatal. Anita has been involved in all aspects of the legal due diligence process, from setting up of data rooms and the supervision of the due diligence process until the final closing of the transactions. More recently, she has also conducted due diligence investigations in the aviation, tourism and leisure sectors.
Brent Williams
Brent Williams
Brent Williams has been the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Partner of Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr since April 2011. He has been responsible for leading Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr’s strategic direction, rebranding, repositioning in the corporate legal services market and the firm’s day to day management since he took office. At the time of his appointment he was the first black legal professional to be appointed the Managing Partner of a major national corporate law firm in the history of the legal profession in South Africa. Law Firm Management Experience Managing Partner: Y Ebrahim & Co Inc: 1997 to 2003 Management Committee Member: Cliffe Dekker: 2004 to 2008 Executive Committee Member: Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc: 2008 to present CEO/Managing Partner:Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc: 2011 to present
Chris Charter
Chris Charter
Chris is a Director and Head of our Competition Law practice. Chris’ practice covers all aspects of the discipline from merger control to prohibited practices. On the prohibited practices side, bringing and defending complaints, writing opinions, corporate leniency and compliance work are all covered. Chris has advised in mergers involving major South African listed companies and has advised a number of global companies in obtaining South African and African regulatory clearance in respect of multinational transactions. He and his team have extensive experience in a number of African jurisdictions including COMESA.
Clem Daniel
Clem Daniel
Clem Daniel is a Director of our Corporate & Commercial practice, has an unusually broad range of experience as a lawyer and has extensive experience in negotiating and drafting a wide range of commercial transactions and arrangements. His experience includes litigation and major commercial transaction experience, the latter primarily in mergers, acquisitions, funding transactions, corporate affairs, private equity and outsourcing. He has been recognised internationally by Chambers as a leading lawyer with the ability to "pull together…knowledge and the ability to draft well with absolute willingness."
Dries Hoek
Dries Hoek
Dries Hoek is a Director in our Tax & Exchange Control practice. He is an expert in all aspects of tax law with a particular interest in the tax issues that flow from mergers and acquisitions, with over ten years' experience advising South African and international companies on domestic and cross-border transactions. Dries has extensive experience in conducting due diligence reviews, the appraisal of acquisition and disposal transactions, financial modelling and providing clients with general corporate tax planning and advisory.
Emil Brincker
Emil Brincker
Professor Emil Brincker is a Director and Head of our Tax & Exchange Control practice. Emil’s experience includes the areas of corporate finance, corporate reorganisation and restructuring, exchange control, export finance, funding, general banking and commercial including derivative transactions, empowerment transactions, notional vendor funding, rulings, transfer pricing and tax law including income tax, tax controversy, VAT, securities transfer tax, PAYE, capital gains tax (CGT) and other fiscal statutes.
Fiona Leppan
Fiona Leppan
Fiona Leppan is a Director in our Employment Law practice. She has extensive experience in the field of employee relations both from a litigation perspective and in terms of strategic planning. Training and development in this field has been a focal point. Fiona has actively trained clients on how to deal with internal disputes and to conduct enquiries and arbitrations. Fiona previously served as Joint Head of the Mining & Minerals sector. She has also established entire dispute resolution processes for a number of mining houses where disputes were dealt with by way of private conciliation and arbitration. Fiona works in various industries including mining, metals, engineering, retail, broadcasting, financial services and the commercial distributive trade. She has also been involved in occupational health and safety work. Fiona's sector specialities include Employment litigation, individual labour law, collective bargaining law and strategic planning and Occupational Health & Safety in Mining & Minerals.
Francis Newham
Francis Newham
Francis is an Executive Consultant in our Corporate & Commercial practice and has been involved in corporate and commercial matters for more than 30 years. Francis’ clients comprise large listed and unlisted companies and financial institutions as well as a number of other commercial clients engaged in various sectors of the South African economy. He has advised in a number of stock exchange listings (IPOs) and de-listings. His main focus and areas of expertise are in respect of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and the formation, structuring and restructuring of business entities.
Gerhard Badenhorst
Gerhard Badenhorst
Gerhard Badenhorst is a Director in our Tax & Exchange Control practice. He is a chartered accountant and specialises in value-added tax (VAT) matters in various industries, including the financial services, mining and property industries. Gerhard acts for various private, public and multinational corporations and non-profit organisations. He is a guest lecturer on VAT at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand and serves as a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants VAT sub-committee, and was an ad hoc member of the VAT sub-committee of the Davis Tax Committee.
Imraan Mahomed
Imraan Mahomed
Imraan Mahomed is a Director in our Employment Law practice. Imraan joined the practice in late 2020 having led a lateral team move. With almost 20 years’ experience, Imraan advises on all aspects of employment law ranging from transactions, litigation, regulatory to compliance matters impacting employment.  His input is also sought  regularly  by  the  media  on current labour law issues. He has acted as a judge of the Labour Court on various occassions. Imraan has vast experience in dealing with issues affecting employers in contentious and non-contentious matters and provides strategies at collective and individual level. He also advises across the continent and has been the lead attorney in various precedent setting cases.
Jacquie Cassette
Jacquie Cassette
Jacquie is a Director and Head of our Pro Bono & Human Rights practice. Jacquie is responsible for the management of the firm's pro bono and human rights practice, both with regard to its existing projects and individual matters, as well as the identification of future projects. She practiced as an advocate at the Johannesburg Bar for a number of years before she joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. At the bar she practiced mostly in the fields of constitutional and administrative law (public law), pension fund law as well as general commercial law. She also has experience in the advertising industry, having acted as the Chair of the Advertising Industry Tribunal for a few years.
Jerome Brink
Jerome Brink
Jerome Brink is a Director in our Tax & Exchange Control practice. He specialises in corporate  tax, international tax and tax dispute resolution. He provides tax advice (and fiscal statute interpretation and application) on a wide variety of commercial transactions and business activities, including financing, corporate reorganisations and restructurings, disposals and acquisitions, empowerment transactions, projects and energy, and share incentive schemes. With reference to international tax, Jerome advises various clients on inward/ outward investments, tax residency, controlled foreign company rules, double tax treaties, transfer pricing and other cross-border tax issues. Jerome's specialisation includes tax controversy / tax dispute resolution and he also advises clients on tax incentives, taxation of REITs / property, employees’ tax (PAYE), value-added tax (VAT) and the taxation of trusts.
Joe Whittle
Joe Whittle
Joe Whittle is a Director in our Dispute Resolution practice and a member of our Construction sector. Joe specialises in construction dispute resolution including mediation, adjudication, arbitration and litigation, and has experience in FIDIC, NEC 3, JBCC Series 2000, GCC and other forms of construction and engineering contracts, both in representing parties to disputes involving such contracts and in the negotiation of the terms thereof. Joe also has a wide range of experience in general commercial litigation, litigation pertaining to medical aid schemes and insolvencies.
Johan  de Lange
Johan de Lange
Johan de Lange is the Deputy Practice Head of our Finance & Banking practice. He is also Director in Projects & Infrastructure and in the Corporate & Commercial practice. Johan is a banking and finance lawyer with years of experience in the domestic and international debt markets where he practiced as a leading transacting lawyer with preeminent commercial law firms in London and Johannesburg. His field of specialisation includes acquisition and leveraged finance, private equity fund financings, project and infrastructure finance, commercial real estate finance, asset and structured finance, general syndicated debt and capital restructure transactions where he has worked on several of market-leading transactions in these areas.
John Gillmer
John Gillmer
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.
Kgodisho Phashe
Kgodisho Phashe
Kgodisho Phashe is a Senior Associate in our Employment Law practice. Kgodisho has experience in various aspects of litigation concerning Employment and Labour Law in forums such as the CCMA, BCCEI, MEIBC, NBCCI; Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court. He further has experience of providing up to date and relevant opinions to clients. Kgodisho's sector specialities include employment litigation, individual labour law, collective bargaining, and Occupational Health and Safety in Mining and Minerals.
Khaya  Mantengu
Khaya Mantengu
Khaya Mantengu is a Director in our Dispute Resolution practice and the Construction & Engineering sector. He has extensive experience in providing advice and assisting clients in mediation, adjudication and arbitration in construction disputes. Khaya's areas of experience includes disputes involving the construction of: power stations; dams; roads; student accommodation; mines; train stations; schools; hospitals; water and sanitation facilities; government head offices; and smelters throughout the African continent. He has acted for employers, contractors, engineers, architects and insurers. Khaya has been appointed by the Construction Adjudication Association of South Africa to serve as an adjudicator.
Megan Rodgers
Megan Rodgers
Megan Rodgers is a director in the Corporate & Commercial Practice and the Sector Head of Oil & Gas sector. She holds a LLB degree and LLM degree (cum laude) from the University of the Western Cape. She is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) and Women in Oil and Energy South Africa. In 2008 Megan joined one of the leading commercial law firm and oil and gas practices in South Africa. By 2012, Megan joined a niche oil and gas practice in Cape Town and in April 2015 Megan joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr to start the oil and gas practice.
Mohammed Saib
Mohammed Saib
Mohammed Saib is a Director in our Banking, Finance & Projects practice. He has extensive experience acting as transactional counsel in various local and cross-border transactions for jurisdictions including Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, and Lesotho advising on, inter alia, programme establishments/updates, notes issuances, amendment and restatements (which include noteholder consent processes) and debt restructurings. His experience also spans across the leverage finance desk to the extent that there are secured programmes and/or distressed lending transactions. Mohammed has advised South African state-owned entities and municipalities in relation to borrowings in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Insurance Act and the Solvency Assessment and Management requirements. Mohammed has also advised on the issuance of regulatory capital issued under the requirements of the Banks Act.
Peter Hesseling
Peter Hesseling
Peter is a Director of our Corporate & Commercial practice and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Peter has extensive experience in capital markets transactions, local and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, private equity transactions, company law, REITs, corporate restructuring, transaction structuring, black economic empowerment, the investment industry (including the design and implementation of fund structures for various asset classes), various types of financing, selected areas of tax law, and insolvency law.
Phetheni Nkuna
Phetheni Nkuna
Phetheni Nkuna is a Director in our Employment Law practice. She focuses on employment law and has represented clients (both employers and employees) across different industries in various disputes ranging from dismissal related to misconduct, incapacity and operational requirements; restraints of trade; unfair labour practice; and employment equity. Phetheni also provides advisory and strategic support to clients and has conducted training on different aspects of conflict management and dispute resolution. She represents clients in the CCMA, bargaining councils, and the Labour Court. In addition to the practice of law, Phetheni has given commentary on topical issues across radio and television platforms.
Sentebale Makara
Sentebale Makara
Sentebale Makara is a Director in our Dispute Resolution practice and the Construction & Engineering sector.  He is a qualified mediator in Missouri (USA), with a focus on sectors such as construction, engineering, mining, energy and transport. He specialises in dispute resolution and is well versed in arbitration, commercial litigation, investigations, procurement, reputation management and alternative dispute resolution. Sentebale's clientele includes prominent domestic and international firms in construction, mining, renewable energy, telecommunications and high net worth individuals. His work involves dealing with forensic investigations, disciplinary actions, inquiries, and disputes. Additionally, Sentebale has led workshops, seminars, and talks on resolving disputes.
Tim Fletcher
Tim Fletcher
Tim Fletcher is the Chairperson of Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr,  and a Director in the Dispute Resolution practice. He has been involved in commercial dispute resolution for many years including High Court litigation and private arbitration - both domestic and international. He has successfully resolved disputes concerning general commercial and contractual issues, administrative law issues including tender reviews as well as education, insurance, gambling, information technology, product liability and real estate issues. Tim is also an expert on education regulatory matters.
Timothy Smit
Timothy Smit
Timothy (Tim) Smit is a Director in our Dispute Resolution practice and has practiced exclusively in commercial dispute resolution since his admission as an attorney. Tim specialises in High Court litigation, private mediations and arbitrations and forensic investigations. Tim has successfully resolved disputes concerning administrative law reviews, complex shareholder agreements, professional indemnity claims, D&O claims, construction and engineering claims, product liability claims, subrogated recovery claims, public liability, medical malpractice and contractual issues. Tim has also investigated performance complaints and claims of fraud against directors and designated officers of companies.
Willem Jacobs
Willem Jacobs
Willem Jacobs is a Director in our Corporate & Commercial practice. Willem led the Corporate & Commercial team for 11 years before stepping down to focus on the day to day running of his practice. He also serves on the firm's Executive, Fincom and Africom Committees. As evidenced through market recognition, Willem is regarded as one of South Africa's foremost M&A specialists. Willem’s areas of expertise are corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private equity, black economic empowerment transactions, and structuring and restructuring of businesses.