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David Thompson

Deputy Practice Head, Director

David Thompson is the Deputy Practice Head and Director in our Corporate & Commercial practice. He advises on all aspects of South African corporate and commercial law particularly mergers and acquisitions.

+27 (0)21 481 6335
david.thompson@cdhlegal.comCape Town
David Thompson

About David

About David

David began his career as a Candidate Attorney in 1988. David joined Syfret Godlonton-Fuller Moore (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) as an Associate in 1990 and became a Director in 1993.

Credentials

Credentials

Education

  • B.BusSc LLB LLM (Tax), University of Cape Town
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 1990
  • Registered with the Legal Practice Council

Memberships

  • Chairman of the Cape Law Society Competition Committee
  • International Bar Association (IBA)

Languages

Languages

  • English

About David

David began his career as a Candidate Attorney in 1988. David joined Syfret Godlonton-Fuller Moore (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) as an Associate in 1990 and became a Director in 1993.

Credentials

Education

  • B.BusSc LLB LLM (Tax), University of Cape Town
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 1990
  • Registered with the Legal Practice Council

Memberships

  • Chairman of the Cape Law Society Competition Committee
  • International Bar Association (IBA)

Languages

  • English

Experience

Solar Capital

Advised Solar Capital from inception on all aspects of their various solar projects including De Aar, De Aar 2 and Loeriesfontein.

Solar Capital Orange RF

Advised Solar Capital Orange RF on the re-arrangement of shareholding and completion of financing to enable closure on a renewable solar project.

H1

Advised H1 on all aspects of their their participation in various renewable projects including Kangnas, Perdekraal, Kruisvallei, Sirius, Dyasons Klip 1 and Dyasons Klip 2.

H1

Advised H1 on acquisition of O&M interest from Scatec and related transactions.

UKCI

Advised UKCI on its potential investment into the BEE partner in the largest renewable project in South Africa to date, Redstone CSP.

SOIHL (Sinopec)

Advised SOIHL (Sinopec) the global oil giant, in its bid for 75 per cent of Chevron's downstream oil assets in South Africa and Botswana.

Ploughshare

Advised Ploughshare, a lead investor in the Milco SA consortium in the successful bid to acquire and take private the listed South African food producer Clover and introduce a BEE investor.

Fruitways Group

Advised the Fruitways Group, leading South African apple exporter on its introduction of a strategic minority investor and various acquisitions.

Food Lovers Market

Advised management and family shareholders of Food Lovers Market in respect of the acquisition by private equity group Actis of a strategic minority shareholding.

Shell

Advised Shell in the first oil industry BEE transaction in South Africa with Thebe and two further BEE transactions culminating in the merger of Shell Refining and Shell Marketing to form Shell Downstream SA.

Tower Property Fund

Advised Tower Property Fund in establishing a Mauritian subsidiary, transfer of its ZAR 1 billion Croatian property portfolio and obtaining a new investor, Namibia-based Oryx, to invest ZAR300 million into Tower International and on restructuring the Euro bank debt linked to the portfolio.

Tower Property Fund

Advised Tower Property Fund on disposal of Pick n Pay Distribution Centre, Pinetown, KZN.

Tower Property Fund

Advised Tower Property Fund on its acquisition of stakes in Tower Asset Managers from Spire Property Group and other shareholders.

RDC Erf 232 (Pty) Ltd

Advised RDC Erf 232 (Pty) Ltd, a prospective hotel owner throughout in a process of development, financing and acquisition of a first Radisson Red hotel in Johannesburg; developed and established the relevant structure including holding and operating entities; assisted in negotiating and finalising the cross-border financing arrangement and provision of guarantees; negotiated and finalised all relevant agreements, including with developer and hotel management company.

JLP Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Advised JLP Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd, one of the shareholders of the acquirer, Bachique 813 (Pty) Ltd throughout the acquisition (by way of a sale of shares), by Bachique, of 100% of the shares held in Tupperware Holdings SA (Pty) Ltd (“Tupperware Holdings SA”). A private company incorporated in South Africa and which controls Avroy Shlain Cosmetics (Pty) Ltd ("ASC") as well as Avroy Shlain Cosmetics (Botswana) (Pty) Ltd. ASC develops, markets and supplies its own range of products that includes fragrances for men and women, colour cosmetics, skin, body and ethnic hair care products and fashion accessories. Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr also assisted JLP in negotiating and finalise the financing arrangement and provision of security.

High Noon Farms (Pty) Ltd

Advised High Noon Farms (Pty) Ltd through all phases of the transaction, including due diligence, negotiation of the transaction documents and term sheet, and the implementation of the sale.

Seller, Micro Medical Products

Represented Seller, Micro Medical Products in its sale of 100 ordinary shares to Vertice MedTech, constituting 100% of the issued share capital of Micro Medical Products, while keeping existing contractual arrangements in place including employment contracts, lease agreements, and material supply agreements.

DFI investors in AIIF2 infrastructure fun

Advised cornerstone DFI investors in AIIF2 infrastructure fund.

News

Unlocking stalemates: Solutions for shareholder deadlocks
Corporate & Commercial Law

Unlocking stalemates: Solutions for shareholder deadlocks

Imagine this – the future of your company hangs in the balance, but the room is split down the middle. Critical decisions are stalled, tempers are flaring, and progress has ground...
Agribusiness acquisitions: What to know before you buy
Agriculture, Aquaculture & Fishing

Agribusiness acquisitions: What to know before you buy

While each business acquisition is unique, acquiring an agri-business raises some specific, important issues. These should always be considered and dealt with to some extent in the...
Board committees 101
Corporate & Commercial Law

Board committees 101

Section 72 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 (Companies Act) empowers the appointment and operation of board committees (committees), which can play a key role in the operations of the...
Minority protections against oppressive and/or prejudicial amendments to an MOI
Corporate & Commercial Law

Minority protections against oppressive and/or prejudicial amendments to an MOI

When considering the age-old question of which provisions should be contained in the memorandum of incorporation (MOI) and which provisions should be contained in the shareholders’...
Should I ask my lawyer or should I just ChatGPT it?
Corporate & Commercial Law

Should I ask my lawyer or should I just ChatGPT it?

Have you heard of the powerful tool that is taking the world by storm? ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI, has been making waves lately for its ability to generate...

All articles by David
David Thompson discusses CDH's win of Deal Flow for 10 years in a row

David Thompson discusses CDH's win of Deal Flow for 10 years in a row

Regional Practice Head and Director in our Corporate and Commercial Practice, joined Michael Avery on Classic FM, to discuss CDH winning Deal Flow for 10 years in a row at the DealMakers...

All podcasts by David

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2024 - 2025 ranked David in Band 5 for corporate/M&A.
  • Chambers Global 2015–2023 ranked him in Band 4 for corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 and 2022–2023 recommended him for corporate, commercial/M&A.
  • IFLR1000 2021–2024 ranked David as highly regarded in M&A.

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2024 - 2025 ranked David in Band 5 for corporate/M&A.
  • Chambers Global 2015–2023 ranked him in Band 4 for corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 and 2022–2023 recommended him for corporate, commercial/M&A.
  • IFLR1000 2021–2024 ranked David as highly regarded in M&A.

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