Jo Neser

Summary Profile

Jo Neser is a director of our Corporate and Commercial practice. Jo is one of the Cape Town regions' leading merger and acquisition specialists and has assisted a number of multinational and local companies in establishing a presence in South Africa, merger and acquisition transactions as well as joint ventures in South Africa especially in the food, liquor and publishing industry.

Career

Jo began his career in 1980 as a candidate attorney, was appointed as an associate and became a director of Syfret Godlonton- Fuller Moore (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr). After being appointed as a director, Jo fulfilled the following executive positions: Cape Town Managing Partner (1990); National Deputy Chairman (2003 and 2005) and Managing Partner Cape Town (2008).

Education

• BCom LLB, University of Stellenbosch
• H.Dip Tax, University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Year of admission: 1981

Memberships

Cape Law Society

Experience

• General transactional advice.
• Structuring, drafting of and advising on commercial and business transactions (acquisitions and mergers).
• Advice on acquisitions and disposals of multinationals in the liquor industry.
• Structuring of international structures, transactions and licensing arrangements.
• Advice to major SA educational publishers on copyright and other aspects of the publishing industry.
• Advice on structured finance, derivatives and related transactions.
• Advising, structuring and drafting of local and international franchise structures.
• General advice and structuring of black empowerment transactions.
• Advised Diageo plc with regard to the acquisition by it of the businesses of Seagram in South Africa.
• Advising Levi Strauss on the re-acquisition of its franchise operations in South Africa.
• Advised Heineken, Diageo plc and Namibia Breweries, on the establishment of their South African Joint Venture.
• Advised Parmalat (South Africa) on its restructuring.
• Advised General Mills on the establishment of their businesses and franchises such as Pillsbury and Haagen-Dasz, in South Africa.

Market Recognition

• Legal 500 EMEA 2011 Corporate and M&A listed Jo as a lawyer with "a depth of knowledge, extensive experience and solutions focused."
• Who's Who Legal - The International Who's Who of M&A Lawyers and Business Lawyers 2010 selected Jo as one of the leading lawyers in Mergers and Acquisitions.
• Best Lawyers International 2010 and 2011 South Africa listed Jo as a 'best lawyer' in Corporate.
• IFLR1000 2004 listed Jo as a key M&A partner.