Summary Profile
Jo Neser is Managing Partner of the Cape Town office and a Director in the firm's 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 Godlonto- Fuller Moore (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr). After being appointed as a Director, Jo fulfilled the following executive positions: Cape Town Managing Partner (2001); National Deputy Chairman (2003 and 2005) and Managing Partner Cape Town (2008).
Education/Qualifications
BCom LLB, University of Stellenbosch
H.Dip Tax, University of South Africa (UNISA)
Year of admission: 1981
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 and Co on the re-acquisition of its franchise operations in South Africa |
| • | Advised Heineken, Diageo plc and Namibia Breweries Ltd, on the establishment of their South African Joint Venture |
| • | Advised Parmalat (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd on its restructuring |
| • | Advised General Mills Inc on the establishment of their businesses and franchises such as Pillsbury and Haagen-Dasz, in South Africa |
Accolades/Achievements
| • | IFLR1000, 2004 listed Jo as a key M&A partner |
