Angelo Tzarevski
Angelo Tzarevski is a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Antitrust & Competition Practice Group in Johannesburg.
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Ashlin Perumall
Ashlin Perumall is a partner in Baker McKenzie's corporate M&A and IPTech practice groups in Johannesburg.
Ashlin is experienced in technology-focused matters, including M&A and venture capital transactions, and the commercial aspects of intellectual property (IP), including licensing, commercialisation, technology/IP transfer and development.
Ashlin is routinely called to advise on matters involving corporate structuring and transactions in the technology, media and telecommunications sector. He is also experienced in the commercial, consumer protection and regulatory issues encountered by IP clients and service providers as well as venture and start-up companies.
His practice extends to advising on emerging technology business models and establishing legal, compliance or diligence assessment frameworks for novel targets in various industries, where a high degree of technical prowess is required. These include acting as key advisor to clients entering the fintech (including paytech, open banking, digital banking and financial APIs), blockchain and distributed ledger tech, AI/Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS) in the auditing industry and digital asset sector. He has over a decade’s experience is assessing emerging technology and novel IP acquisition targets.
Ashlin has also worked in the Firm's London office and served as a Fellow to the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in San Francisco as part of Baker McKenzie's partnership with the forum to address global, regional and industry policy issues in respect of 4IR technologies, conducting regulatory and policy research, and paper writing as part of the Digital Currency Governance Consortium (DCGC).
Denny Da Silva
Denny Da Silva is a senior tax advisor and director designate in Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice Group in Johannesburg. He has more than 18 years' experience in both domestic and international corporate tax, as well as in the application of exchange control regulations. He also has experience in tax due diligence, corporate restructurings, mining transactions, private equity fund structures, management carry structures, black economic empowerment, transfer pricing and employee's tax.
Denny also guest lectures at the University of Johannesburg's MCom Tax programme.
Johan Botes
Johan Botes heads Baker McKenzie’s Employment & Compensation Practice Group in Johannesburg. Johan is experienced in employment law and labor relations, focusing on South African and sub-Saharan African employment law and employee relations. He regularly advises multinational clients on industrial relations, employment negotiations, labor dispute resolution, change management, and organizational restructuring. His team manages multijurisdictional employment and employee relations projects on behalf of various multinational clients.
Lerisha Naidu
Lerisha Naidu is the managing partner and head of Baker McKenzie's Antitrust & Competition Practice Group in Johannesburg. She acts on a diverse array of matters across various industries spanning several African jurisdictions.
Lerisha advises and represents international and domestic clients in mergers and acquisitions, prohibited practices (including cartel-related matters), and compliance and risk mitigation. She has appeared before the Competition Tribunal of South Africa in merger proceedings, and has also worked on matters relating to clients involved in Tribunal proceedings.
Lerisha has acted in several high-profile matters involving industry-wide and global cartels (eg. in the construction, aviation and gas industries), interim relief applications, contested mergers and dawn raids. She has also participated in a number of compliance initiatives, including training sessions for firms' employees related to competition risk mitigation.
Lerisha was named Southern Africa Partner of the Year at the African Legal Awards in 2023 - cited for the legal excellence, innovation and leadership that embodies her work. She was also acknowledged on the 2019 list of 100 Most Influential Young South Africans as well as the Mail & Guardian list of Top 200 Young South Africans, and was commended in the Partner of the Year Private Practice category at the African Legal Awards in 2021.
Lerisha also leads the Diversity and Inclusion portfolio in Johannesburg, as well as its pro bono and corporate social responsibility pillars.
Lydia Shadrach-Razzino
Lydia Shadrach-Razzino is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Corporate M&A Practice Group in Johannesburg.
Lydia is continuously recognised for her legal proficiency and was most recently included in the Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist 2024: M&A | Africa - a meticulously researched guide that showcases Africa’s very best.
She was a shortlisted finalist for Dealmaker of the Year in 2020 and again in 2021 and received the award in 2021, making her the first woman in the history of the award to have won.
In 2022, Lydia was also awarded the Client Choice M&A Lawyer of the Year Award. In 2014, she was awarded the ABSIP Corporate Finance Lawyer of the Year award. She is also recognised by Chambers (for M&A and Private Equity), Legal 500 and Best Lawyers, and is featured in Who's Who Legal.
Lydia has advised on several award-winning transactions including Vodacom on its acquisition of an interest in Vodafone Egypt, which was awarded Deal of the Year at the DealMakers Gala Awards in 2021. She advised Ascendis on its disposal of its Animal Health business to Acorn Private Equity, which was awarded Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year at the DealMakers Gala Awards in 2021.
Michelle Porter-Wright
Michelle Porter-Wright is a partner and head of Baker McKenzie's Dispute Resolution practice group based in Johannesburg. Michelle is qualified to practice in South Africa, and England and Wales.
Michelle is ranked by all major directories for her work in South Africa's construction sector, including Legal 500, Chambers, Who's Who Legal (WWL), and Best Lawyers. She is Lexology’s 2024 Client Choice award recipient for Construction in South Africa, Acquisition International’s 2024 Contract Administration & Dispute Resolution Advisor of the Year for South Africa, and she is also recognised as a Future Leader in arbitration in South Africa by WWL.
Shane Johnson
Shane Johnson is a senior associate in Baker McKenzie's Employment & Compensation Practice Group in Johannesburg. Shane's experience in knowledge management, human resources and graduate recruitment makes him a unique professional with a diverse skillset.
Shane has extensive experience in South African employment law and labour relations including commercial and contractual issues and dispute resolution.
He regularly advises local and international clients on employment related matters. He is also involved in multijurisdictional employment and employee relations projects on behalf of various multinational clients.
Sphesihle Nxumalo
Sphesihle Nxumalo is a director designate in Baker McKenzie's Antitrust & Competition Practice Group in Johannesburg.
His experience spans the entire spectrum of antitrust and competition law across Africa.
Sphesihle has a wealth of experience partnering with clients and businesses to devise novel and business-oriented solutions to their merger control, antitrust and competition law needs and requirements. He advises and represents blue-chip multinational companies on high-value and complex antitrust matters and merger transactions that are highly technical and unique in nature across all key African countries.
His experience spans several industries including private equity, telecommunications, media, technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, financial institutions, automotive, industrials, petroleum, mining and construction.
Ursula Diale-Ali
Ursula Diale-Ali is an associate in Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice Group in Johannesburg. Ursula provides support to the tax practice in advising medium to large corporations in indirect matters, particularly customs, excise and international trade, and value added tax (VAT).
The interplay between VAT and customs has sparked her interest in the regulation of the healthcare, as well as consumer goods and retail (CGR) sectors.
Her role in the Johannesburg Tax Practice Group extends to other industry sectors, enabling her to advise clients on various indirect tax matters and mitigation of tax risks; and represent clients in audits, investigations and disputes with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and/or other regulatory bodies.
Virusha Subban
Virusha Subban is a partner and head of Tax in Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice Group in Johannesburg. She has over 20 years' experience in tax matters relating to customs, excise and international trade.