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Ian Hayes

Practice Head, Director

Ian Hayes, Corporate & Commercial Partner and Practice Head, is regarded as one of South Africa's foremost M&A specialists, as evidenced through market recognition. Ian was recently acknowledged as one of South Africa's iconic dealmakers by Ansarada and DealMakers SA in their publication celebrating 25 years of dealmaking.

Ian's deals span the full range 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. Ian has an enviable portfolio of blue-chip clients in the mining, telecoms and retail sectors, among others. Ian is a member of our firm's Executive and Finance Committees.

+27 (0)11 562 1593+27 (0)83 326 4826
ian.hayes@cdhlegal.comJohannesburg
Ian Hayes

About Ian

About Ian

Ian commenced his articles at Cliffe Dekker & Todd in 1991 and remained with the firm until September 2012. Ian moved onto ENSafrica as Director, joint head and subsequently joint business unit leader of the corporate commercial department. Ian rejoined CDH in 2021. In July 2023 Ian took over as the Head of the Corporate & Commercial practice, resuming this role that he had held prior to moving to ENSafrica.

Credentials

Credentials

Education

  • BA, University of the Witwatersrand
  • LLB, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Leadership in Professional Service Firms, Harvard Business School
  • Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa

Languages

Languages

  • English
  • Afrikaans

About Ian

Ian commenced his articles at Cliffe Dekker & Todd in 1991 and remained with the firm until September 2012. Ian moved onto ENSafrica as Director, joint head and subsequently joint business unit leader of the corporate commercial department. Ian rejoined CDH in 2021. In July 2023 Ian took over as the Head of the Corporate & Commercial practice, resuming this role that he had held prior to moving to ENSafrica.

Credentials

Education

  • BA, University of the Witwatersrand
  • LLB, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Leadership in Professional Service Firms, Harvard Business School
  • Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa

Languages

  • English
  • Afrikaans

Experience

Telesure

Telesure on its disposal of 1Life Insurance to Clientèle. As part of this one indivisible transaction and through a share exchange agreement, Clientèle issued a percentage of its own shares in 1Life to Telesure, resulting in Clientèle acquiring control over 1Life and Telesure remaining invested.

PPC

PPC on the strategic disposal of its shares in CIMERWA, constituting 51 per cent of CIMERWA's entire issued share capital, to National Cement Holding.

Vodacom and Vodacom Tanzania

Vodacom and Vodacom Tanzania on the transfer of all its passive tower telecommunications equipment and associated land use rights to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Vodacom Tower Company (TowerCo), for further shares in TowerCo.

Vodacom

Vodacom on its acquisition of Neotel (abandoned); on its acquisition of an indirect 34.94% interest in Safaricom from Vodafone, and Vodacom Tanzania on its IPO and listing on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.

Vodacom Tanzania

Vodacom Tanzania on its acquisition of 100 per cent of the issued share capital of Smile Communications Tanzania, from Smile Telecoms Holdings and Smile Telecoms IP.

Sibanye-Stillwater

Sibanye-Stillwater on its acquisition of the Sandouville nickel hydrometallurgical processing facility in Normandy, France from Eramet SA.

Edcon

Edcon on its various restructurings and the Business Rescue Practitioners of Edcon on the disposal of Edcon's Edgars and Jet businesses in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini.

Mpact

Mpact on its acquisition of a controlling interest in Detpak South Africa and its listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Kleoss and Leaf Capital

Kleoss and Leaf Capital on the acquisition of a controlling interest in TrenStar.

Harmony

Harmony on the disposal of Evander Gold Mines to Pan African Resources, and on its acquisition of full ownership of the Hidden Valley mine in Papua New Guinea.

Ethos

Ethos on its acquisition of the RTT Group.

Waco Group

A consortium led by Ethos and RMB Ventures on the acquisition of the Waco Group.

RMB Ventures and Capitalworks

RMB Ventures, Capitalworks and certain senior management and executives of Ocon Brick, Technicrete and Rocla on the acquisition of the businesses of those entities from Murray & Roberts.

Capitalworks

Capitalworks and certain senior management and executives of Much Asphalt on the acquisition of the business of Much Asphalt from Murray & Roberts.

Business Connexion

Business Connexion on the acquisition by Telkom of the entire issued share capital of Business Connexion.

News

Monetary claims in events of contractual breach

Monetary claims in events of contractual breach

At the outset of a commercial transaction, contracting parties typically do not conceive of the consequences that may arise should a breach occur, and thus do not always fully consider...
MOI v Companies Act amendments: A fight best settled out of court
Corporate & Commercial Law

MOI v Companies Act amendments: A fight best settled out of court

As the dust settles following the President’s belated Christmas gift of bringing the amendments to the Companies Act 71 of 2008 (Companies Act) into operation on 27 December 2024,...
The need to know of “casual vacancies”

The need to know of “casual vacancies”

The stability of a company’s board of directors is vital in maintaining good corporate governance. This stability may be challenged where unforeseen circumstances, such as death, sudden...
Beneficial ownership: An update on beneficial ownership registration filings
Corporate & Commercial Law

Beneficial ownership: An update on beneficial ownership registration filings

Beneficial ownership filings have become a prominent administrative requirement since the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) implemented beneficial ownership filing...
Looking through the telescope: Companies Amendment Bill on beneficial ownership
Corporate & Commercial Law

Looking through the telescope: Companies Amendment Bill on beneficial ownership

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition published the draft Companies Amendment Bill, 2021 (" Bill ") which proposes several amendments to the Companies Act No. 71 of 2008...

All articles by Ian

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2021 - 2025 ranked Ian in Band 1 for corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2015–2025 included Ian in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for commercial, corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2022–2025 recommended Ian in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for mining.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 recommended Ian for banking & finance.
  • IFLR1000 2021–2024 ranked Ian as highly regarded in capital markets: debt, capital markets: equity, energy and infrastructure, M&A, and private equity.

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2021 - 2025 ranked Ian in Band 1 for corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2015–2025 included Ian in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for commercial, corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2022–2025 recommended Ian in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for mining.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 recommended Ian for banking & finance.
  • IFLR1000 2021–2024 ranked Ian as highly regarded in capital markets: debt, capital markets: equity, energy and infrastructure, M&A, and private equity.

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