Mergers & Acquisitions

Our practitioners form part of one of South Africa's largest corporate and commercial practices and offer the full suite of services required to deliver strategic legal support on transactional work. Since 2008, CDH has consistently been the most active South African legal adviser and, according to leading analyst rankings, has handled more M&A transactions than any other law firm.

Mergers & Acquisitions Services

We close deals effectively by providing exceptional legal advice, managing risk, ensuring you meet regulatory compliance and working at every aspect of the transaction to ensure that it works from a legal and commercial perspective.

At Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, we have one of South Africa's largest Corporate and Commercial practices and offer the full suite of services required to deliver strategic legal support on transactional work. We handle hundreds of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions each year.

Since 2008, we have consistently been the most active South African legal adviser and have handled more M&A transactions than any other law firm, according to the leading analyst rankings. Our Corporate team has more than 50 qualified lawyers whose primary responsibility and expertise is transactional work.

Our services include:

  • Strategic legal support: We offer commercial and practical advice specific to your goals and objectives and actively manage the M&A process to help bring transactions to an efficient conclusion.
  • Practical and effective project management: We offer effective project management, which is crucial to ensuring an efficient and satisfactory conclusion to any M&A transaction.
  • Cross-border project management: We have experience in project managing complex multi-jurisdictional corporate activity. When you venture into new markets we are able to help you understand the risks involved, offer advice on the best structure for any given transaction and provide workable solutions.
  • Global expertise: We offer experience and insights drawn from countries around the world, so you benefit from a vast amount of international M&A experience.
  • Extensive expertise: We offer experience spans a wide range of industries and our clients include local and international listed and unlisted companies as well as emerging businesses, government departments and state-owned enterprises. Our senior deal team has strong experience in pre- and post-deal structuring and integration.

Mergers & Acquisitions Brochures

Services

Mergers & Acquisitions Services

We close deals effectively by providing exceptional legal advice, managing risk, ensuring you meet regulatory compliance and working at every aspect of the transaction to ensure that it works from a legal and commercial perspective.

At Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, we have one of South Africa's largest Corporate and Commercial practices and offer the full suite of services required to deliver strategic legal support on transactional work. We handle hundreds of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions each year.

Since 2008, we have consistently been the most active South African legal adviser and have handled more M&A transactions than any other law firm, according to the leading analyst rankings. Our Corporate team has more than 50 qualified lawyers whose primary responsibility and expertise is transactional work.

Our services include:

  • Strategic legal support: We offer commercial and practical advice specific to your goals and objectives and actively manage the M&A process to help bring transactions to an efficient conclusion.
  • Practical and effective project management: We offer effective project management, which is crucial to ensuring an efficient and satisfactory conclusion to any M&A transaction.
  • Cross-border project management: We have experience in project managing complex multi-jurisdictional corporate activity. When you venture into new markets we are able to help you understand the risks involved, offer advice on the best structure for any given transaction and provide workable solutions.
  • Global expertise: We offer experience and insights drawn from countries around the world, so you benefit from a vast amount of international M&A experience.
  • Extensive expertise: We offer experience spans a wide range of industries and our clients include local and international listed and unlisted companies as well as emerging businesses, government departments and state-owned enterprises. Our senior deal team has strong experience in pre- and post-deal structuring and integration.

Brochures

Mergers & Acquisitions Brochures

Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyers

CDH’s lawyers balance legal knowledge with commercial understanding to support our clients’ best interests.

Our Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyers

Our Work

Featured

Our Work

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2015-2024 rank our Corporate/M&A practice in Band 1.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2018-2023 recognises us as Tier 1 in commercial, corporate/M&A.
  • IFLR1000 2017-2021 ranks the firm in M&A - Tier 1. IFLR1000 2016 ranks the firm in M&A - Tier 2.
DealMakers Africa

 

  • 2nd by M&A Deal Flow.
  • 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow (tie).
  • 2nd by Pan African M & A Deal Flow (tie).
DealMakers 2023

 

  • 2023 1st by M&A Listed Deal Flow.
  • 2023 2nd by M&A Unlisted Deal Flow.
  • 2023 2nd by M&A Unlisted Deal Value.
  • 2023 2nd by M&A Listed & Unlisted BEE Deal Flow.
  • 2023 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value.
  • 2023 4th by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow.
DealMakers 2022

 

  • 2022 1st by M&A Listed Deal Flow
  • 2022 3rd by M&A Listed Deal Value 
  • 2022 3rd by M&A Unlisted Deal Value 
  • 2022 3rd by M&A Unlisted Deal Flow
  • 2022 3rd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
DealMakers 2021

 

  • 2021 1st by M&A Deal Flow
  • 2021 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
  • 2021 2nd by BEE Deal Value
  • 2021 3rd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value
  • 2021 3rd by BEE Deal Flow
  • 2021 4th by M&A Deal Value
  • 2020 1st by M&A Deal Flow
  • 2020 1st by BEE Deal Flow
DealMakers 2018 - 2020

 

  • 2020 1st by BEE Deal Value
  • 2020 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
  • 2020 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value
  • 2020 3rd by M&A Deal Value
  • 2020 Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year
  • M&A Legal DealMakers of the Decade 2010 – 2019 (Deal Flow)
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 1st by BEE M&A Deal Flow
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 1st by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 2nd by M&A Deal Value
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 2nd by M&A Deal Flow
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by M&A Deal Flow for the 10th year in a row.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by M&A Deal Value.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by BEE M&A Deal Value.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 2nd by BEE M&A Deal Flow.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - Lead legal advisers on the Private Equity Deal of the Year.

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2015-2024 rank our Corporate/M&A practice in Band 1.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2018-2023 recognises us as Tier 1 in commercial, corporate/M&A.
  • IFLR1000 2017-2021 ranks the firm in M&A - Tier 1. IFLR1000 2016 ranks the firm in M&A - Tier 2.
DealMakers Africa

 

  • 2nd by M&A Deal Flow.
  • 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow (tie).
  • 2nd by Pan African M & A Deal Flow (tie).
DealMakers 2023

 

  • 2023 1st by M&A Listed Deal Flow.
  • 2023 2nd by M&A Unlisted Deal Flow.
  • 2023 2nd by M&A Unlisted Deal Value.
  • 2023 2nd by M&A Listed & Unlisted BEE Deal Flow.
  • 2023 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value.
  • 2023 4th by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow.
DealMakers 2022

 

  • 2022 1st by M&A Listed Deal Flow
  • 2022 3rd by M&A Listed Deal Value 
  • 2022 3rd by M&A Unlisted Deal Value 
  • 2022 3rd by M&A Unlisted Deal Flow
  • 2022 3rd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
DealMakers 2021

 

  • 2021 1st by M&A Deal Flow
  • 2021 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
  • 2021 2nd by BEE Deal Value
  • 2021 3rd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value
  • 2021 3rd by BEE Deal Flow
  • 2021 4th by M&A Deal Value
  • 2020 1st by M&A Deal Flow
  • 2020 1st by BEE Deal Flow
DealMakers 2018 - 2020

 

  • 2020 1st by BEE Deal Value
  • 2020 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
  • 2020 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value
  • 2020 3rd by M&A Deal Value
  • 2020 Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year
  • M&A Legal DealMakers of the Decade 2010 – 2019 (Deal Flow)
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 1st by BEE M&A Deal Flow
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 1st by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 2nd by M&A Deal Value
  • Dealmakers 2019 - 2nd by M&A Deal Flow
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by M&A Deal Flow for the 10th year in a row.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by M&A Deal Value.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by BEE M&A Deal Value.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - 2nd by BEE M&A Deal Flow.
  • Dealmakers 2018 - Lead legal advisers on the Private Equity Deal of the Year.

Happy Clients

Clients described the team at CDH as "top-tier in terms of quality of attorneys and service."

Chambers Global 2022

Sources note the group's "grasp of commercial issues" and "anticipation of legal issues and risks."

Chambers Global 2022

"They are very practical and provide astute legal advice."

Chambers Global 2022

We have found the team to be highly commercial yet practical in implementing the transactions envisaged/desired by the counter-parties. Project management has been very good. We know exactly where we are in the bigger process – there no surprises.

Legal 500 EMEA 2020

The team provides well-balanced, practical, and business orientated service offering.

Legal 500 EMEA 2020

“The firm gives excellent advice and insight into commercial matters and has deep knowledge of the law. It also has the ability to deal with shareholders from other geographies.”

IFLR1000 2020

“The firm has incredible attention to detail and is very comprehensive in all aspects of its work.”

IFLR1000 2020

“The firm is competent. They are leaders in their field of expertise and deliver on time.”

IFLR1000 2020