Peter began his career in 1993 as a Candidate Attorney at Herbsteins (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) and became a Director in 1997. Before completing his articles, Peter trained in the South African Navy (where he served as a legal officer) and resided and worked in the Netherlands.

• Advised Distell Group Limited on the restructuring of its multi-tiered ownership structure, and the listing of New Distell on the JSE.
• Advised Vikule Properties on its acquisition of a large Spanish property portfolio, and a related equity capital raise by way of an accellerated book-build offering.
• Advised Sea Harvest Group Limited on its JSE listing and IPO.
• Acted as legal adviser to Old Mutual Private Equity in relation to its investment in Medhold.
• Acted as legal advisor to the joint bookrunners (Standard Bank and Java Capital) in relation to the structuring, IPO and JSE listing of the property portfolio owned by Liberty Life, as a collective investment scheme in property under the name Liberty Two Degrees.
• Acted as legal advisor to South African IPO and JSE inward listing of Echo Polish Properties N.V., a polish property fund promoted by Redefine Properties Limited.
• Acted, either for the relevant book-runner or issuer, on numerous local and international equity capital raisings by way of private placings or accelerated book-builds (ABB), including those undertaken by Vukile, Mediclinic, Grindrod, Emira Property Fund, PSG, Redefine, Redefine International, Equites, Echo Polish Properties,  and Accelerate.
• Advised Distell Group Limited on its acquisition of Best Brands International.
• Acted as South African legal advisor to New Europe Property Investments plc (NEPI) and a Newco in relation to the merger of NEPI and Rockcastle Global Real Estate Company Limited into a new entity referred to as Newco, and the listing of Newco shares on the JSE.
• Acted as South African legal advisor to Mediclinic International Limited in relation to the reverse take-over by Mediclinic of London listed Al Noor Hospitals plc and the inward listing of Al Noor plc (renamed Mediclinic International plc) on the JSE.
• Advised certain bondholders with respect to the curatorship and subsequent restructuring of African Bank Limited.
• Advised Redefine Properties Limited on all legal aspects of the various transactions and processes which culminated in its effective acquisition of Fountainhead Property Trust (a collective investment scheme in property (PUT)), including all aspects of various competing proposals submitted by Growthpoint, the acquisition of a material interest in the units of Fountainhead, and the eventual acquisition of the property portfolio of Fountainhead.
• Advised Protea Hotel Group and its African subsidiaries on their amalgamation with Marriott International.
• Advised Arcelik (a Turkish multi-national group) on its acquisition of Defy pursuant to an auction process.
• Advised Ethos Private Equity and Holdsport on the IPO of Holdsport.
• Advised Old Mutual on its acquisition of Macquarie's interests in African Infrastructure Managers.
• Advised Medi-Clinic International in relation to its international expansion, specifically its acquisitions in the United Arab Emirates and in Switzerland.
• Advised Distell Group Limited in relation to its international expansion, specifically its acquisitions in the UK and its ventures in Africa.
• Acted as legal advisor to Capital and Regional Properties plc, in relation to its inward listing on the JSE.
• Advised a private equity consortium including Rand Merchant Bank, Old Mutual, Brimstone Investment Corporation and Mvelaphanda Group in the leveraged buy-out of JSE listed Afrox Healthcare (now Life Healthcare) pursuant to an auction process.
• Advised Brimstone Investment Corporation in relation to its black economic empowerment transactions with Old Mutual Group plc and Nedbank.
• Advised Medi-Clinic International in relation to its broad-based black economic empowerment transactions.
• Advised a consortium, including management, on a management buy-out transaction in respect of JSE-listed African Harvest.
• Advised Old Mutual Private Equity on a number of investments.
• Advised Equites Properties on its merger with IntaProp.
• Advised The Pivotal Fund on its reverse take-over of Delta Africa, a Mauritian-listed property fund (now GRIT Properties).
• Advised Equites on its formation and IPO.
• Advised on the structuring of, implementation of and/or participation by investors in a number of private equity and hedge funds.
• Advised African Infrastructure Fund Managers on various transactions.
• Advised various entities within the Old Mutual Group of Companies on a number of recent acquisitions.
• Advised Arrowhead and Indluplace on the JSE listing and IPO of Indluplace.
• Advised Hyprop on the establishment of a joint venture and acquisition of a Serbian and Montenegran property portfolio.
• Advised Newpark REIT on its formation, JSE Listing and IPO.
• Advised Spear Properties on its formation, JSE Listing and IPO.
• Advised Lodestone REIT on its formation and IPO.
• Advised Arrowhead on the collapse of its A and B share structure.
• Advised Rand Merchant Bank on a JSE-listed preference funding of Tradehold (a company with a UK real estate portfolio).
• Advised The Pivotal Fund on its restructuring and subsequent IPO.
• Advised Fortress and Capital on all legal aspects of their merger, by way of a scheme of arrangement.
• Advised Synergy Income Fund in relation to various acquisitions, including its take-over by Vukile.
• Advised Rebosis on the restructuring and inward listing on the JSE of New Frontier Properties, a Mauritian registered-REIT.
• Advised Arrowhead on its take-over of Vividend Properties, by way of a scheme of arrangement.
• Advised Ascension Properties in relation to its establishment and IPO.
• Advised Vividend Properties in relation to its establishment and IPO
• Advised Spearhead in relation to its takeover by Redefine.
• Acted for Rembrandt Group in the restructuring of the Rembrandt Group to form Remgro and Venfin, and the listing of Venfin on the JSE.
• Advised Spearhead in relation to its conversion from a collection of private property syndicates to a JSE listed property loan stock company (PLS) and its simultaneous IPO.
• Advised in the creation, structuring and subsequent JSE listings of Brimstone Investment Corporation and Cape Empowerment Trust, two prominent BEE companies.
• Advised Rand Merchant Bank in its merger with First National Bank to form FirstRand Bank.

• The Legal 500 EMEA series 2019-2022 listed Peter in commercial, corporate and M&A. He was also recommended for banking & finance in 2022. In 2008 and 2009 rated Peter as "Outstanding" by peers who considered him to be on top of his game and recommended him Tier 2 for established Corporate/Commercial team.
• Who’s Who Legal 2019 ranked Peter as a leading lawyer in M&A and Governance.
• Who's Who Legal 2017 named Peter as a leading lawyer for Capital Markets. In 2010 and 2011 it selected Peter Hesseling as being among the world's leading Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers.
• Chambers Global 2017 - 2023 ranks Peter Band 2 in Corporate/M&A. In 2023 Peter was ranked Band 3 for Capital Markets: Equity. Chambers Global 2016 ranked Peter Band 4 within Corporate/M&Aand Chambers Global 2014 and 2015 ranked Peter Band 5 within Corporate/M&A. "Peter is highly regarded among peers. He led the firm's work for Distell Group, advising on the South African aspects of its acquisition of Burn Stewart Distilleries."
• International Law Office (ILO) Client Choice Awards 2013 and 2014 named Peter the exclusive winner of the General Corporate category in South Africa.
• Practical Law CompanyPLC Which Lawyer? 2011 and 2012 endorsed Peter as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate/M&A.
• IFLR1000 2018 - 2022 recommended Peter as a highly regarded lawyer for restructuring & insolvency and mergers & acquisition

Education

• BCom LLB, University of Stellenbosch
• Hdip (Tax), University of Cape Town
• Diploma in Insolvency Law
• Year of admission as an attorney: 1995
• Registered with the Legal Practice Council