With a reputation for "getting the deal done", our Corporate/ Mergers & Acquisitions team has been the driving force behind the firm's impressive credential as the leading legal powerhouse in South African mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

The firm has, for a number of years, headed the league tables and been recognised as the most active South African law firm in M&A transactions by a number of credible local and international ranking organisations, including DealMakers and Ernst & Young.

Our M&A expertise has been honed over decades of experience in corporate and commercial work. The team's knowledge base evolves continually in step with changing economic and industry cycles, as well as legislative developments in fields such as taxation, competition law, environmental compliance and black economic empowerment. Changes in the legal and regulatory framework have added significantly to the legal complexities of M&A, and the team is adept at assisting clients in navigating these changes effectively.

Acting for clients in a variety of sectors - including mining, retail, telecommunications, banking and insurance - the team has in-depth experience in both public and private M&A work, as well as in private equity and international/ cross-border transactions.

We have represented numerous South African and international clients engaged in takeovers, reverse takeovers, mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, hostile bids, privatisations and empowerment transactions. Since corporate finance and securities laws feature prominently in many corporate transactions, our team also advises on new listings/flotations, de-listings and issues of shares.

The Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions team also deals with regulatory matters concerning the JSE Securities Exchange, the Securities Regulation Panel and the South African Reserve Bank.

All related areas of law, such as banking and finance, competition law merger-control, employment, exchange control and tax, are handled in conjunction with our specialists in those areas. 

Top Corporate/Merger and Acquisition Transactions Description Approximate value Advised Xstrata South Africa (Proprietary) Limited on its proposed merger of equals with Anglo American (this transaction did not proceed) US$48,3 billion Advised Xstrata on its offer to purchase Lonmin plc's entire issued share capital £5 billion Advised Telkom SA Limited on its unbundling of 35% of Vodacom Group (Proprietary) Limited R35 billion Advised Edgars Consolidated Stores Limited on its acquisition by Bain Capital R25,5 billion Advised Telkom SA Limited on its disposal of 15% of Vodacom Group (Proprietary) Limited to Vodafone Holdings (SA) (Proprietary) Limited R22,5 billion Advised MTN Group Limited's independent directors on the acquisition of the entire issued ordinary share capital of Newshelf 664 (Proprietary) Limited R21,8 billion Advised Saudi Telecoms on the South African aspects of its acquisition of a 35% stake in Oger Telecom US$2,56 billion The long-awaited new Companies Act No 71 of 2008 was promulgated in April 2009 and is expected to become effective around July 2010. For further information on its key implications, please click here.