Peter Hesseling

Summary Profile

Peter Hesseling is a director of our Corporate and Commercial practice and is a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Peter has extensive experience in insolvency law, company law, corporate restructuring, transaction structuring, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, black economic empowerment, the investment industry (including the design and implementation of fund structures for various asset classes), various types of financing, and selected areas of tax law.

Career

Peter began his career in 1993 as a candidate attorney at Herbsteins (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) and became a director in 1997. Before completing his articles, Peter trained in the South African Navy (where he served as a legal officer) and resided and worked in the Netherlands.

Education

Bcom LLB Hdip (Tax), University of Stellenbosch
Dip (Insolvency Law) PGdip (Tax), University of Cape Town
Year of admission as an attorney: 1995

Memberships

Cape Law Society

Experience

• Acted for Rand Merchant Bank in its merger with First National Bank to form FirstRand Bank.
• Advised in the creation, structuring and subsequent JSE listing of Brimstone Investment Corporation.
• Advised in the creation, structuring and subsequent JSE listing of Cape Empowerment Trust.
• Acted for Rembrandt Group in the restructuring of the Rembrandt Group to form Remgro and Venfin.
• Advised a consortium, including management, on a management buy-out transaction in respect of JSE listed African Harvest.
• Advised a private equity consortium including Rand Merchant Bank, Old Mutual, Brimstone Investment Corporation and Mvelaphanda Group in the leveraged buy-out of JSE listed Afrox Healthcare (now Life Healthcare).
• Advised Brimstone Investment Corporation in relation to its black economic empowerment transactions with Old Mutual Group plc and Nedbank.
• Advised Medi-Clinic in relation to its broad-based black economic empowerment transactions.
• Advised Spearhead Property Group in relation to its takeover by Redefine Income Fund.
• Advised Old Mutual Private Equity on a number of investments, including the funding of a black economic empowerment transaction in respect of Brait.
• Advised Medi-Clinic in relation to its international expansion, specifically its acquisitions in the United Arab Emirates and in Switzerland.
• Advised on the structuring of, implementation of and/or participation by investors in a number of private equity and hedge funds.
• Advised African Infrastructure Fund Managers on aspects of the long-term financing of Neotel.
• Advised various entities within the Old Mutual Group of Companies on a number of recent acquisitions.

Market Recognition

• Who's Who Legal - The International Who's Who of Merger & Acquisition Lawyers 2011 and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2011 selected Peter Hesseling as being among the world's leading Mergers and Acquisitions lawyers.
• The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa Series 2008 and 2011 rates Peter 'outstanding' "who peers consider to be 'at the top of his game'" and 2011 recommends Peter.
• Practical Law Company (PLC) Which Lawyer? 2011 endorsed Peter as a leading lawyer in Corporate M&A.