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CDH announces two Director appointments to its award-winning Corporate & Commercial practice

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CDH announces two Director appointments to its award-winning Corporate & Commercial practice

Commercial law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) welcomes two new senior appointments, effective 1 March 2021, with Ian Hayes and Brian Jennings joining the firm as Directors in its award-winning Corporate & Commercial practice.

5 Mar 2021 2 min read CDH Alert Article

At a glance

  • Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) has made two senior appointments, with Ian Hayes and Brian Jennings joining as Directors in the Corporate & Commercial practice.
  • Ian Hayes, ranked in Band One in Chambers Global, brings a strong reputation and extensive experience in M&A and corporate and commercial work across various sectors.
  • Brian Jennings has expertise in M&A and corporate law, with notable experience in advising on financial and operational restructurings and business disposals. His recent work includes advising on the disposal of Edcon's divisions to Foschini and Retailability.

Willem Jacobs, Director and National Head of CDH’s Corporate & Commercial practice says;

“I think we are all in agreement that 2020’s adverse bearing, and the ripple effect on our economic climate has presented unique challenges. Yet in a year that saw listed M&A activity decrease by almost 17%, CDH managed to increase its listed M&A deal flow by more than 22% – recently winning the DealMakers M&A Deal Flow award for the 11th time in 12 years. Excellence attracts excellence and we are pleased to welcome Ian back to the firm, together with Brian who joins us for the first time”.

Ranked in Band One in Chambers Global, Ian maintains an impressive reputation in the South African market, with an enviable portfolio of blue-chip clients in mining, telecoms, and the retail sector. His deals span the full ambit of M&A and corporate and commercial work including takeovers, structuring, and restructuring of business entities, IPOs, private equity acquisitions and disposals, and general corporate finance. 

Brian’s focus also lies in M&A and corporate and commercial law. During 2015 to 2019, he advised the Edcon Group on its financial and operation restructurings, including the cornerstone landlords’ agreement amongst Edcon’s major landlords and which converted rent to equity. Brian also advised Capitalworks on its disposal of Much Asphalt to AECI.  During 2020, Brian advised the business rescue practitioners of Edcon on the disposal of Edcon’s JET and Edgars divisions across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, eSwatini, and Lesotho to Foschini and Retailability respectively.

CDH’s CEO, Brent Williams, said;

“We welcome Ian and Brian into the CDH family and wish them every success. Their talent will deepen the firm’s bench of experts and demonstrate our commitment to navigating through the current crises with our clients; to continue to offer our clients a balanced combination of excellence in practice and value for money; to exploring opportunities that may exist within the market; and to offering solutions that focus on long-term sustainability.”

The information and material published on this website is provided for general purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We make every effort to ensure that the content is updated regularly and to offer the most current and accurate information. Please consult one of our lawyers on any specific legal problem or matter. We accept no responsibility for any loss or damage, whether direct or consequential, which may arise from reliance on the information contained in these pages. Please refer to our full terms and conditions. Copyright © 2025 Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. All rights reserved. For permission to reproduce an article or publication, please contact us cliffedekkerhofmeyr@cdhlegal.com.

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