Preanka Gounden

Preanka Gounden

Associate

Preanka Gounden is an Associate in our Competition practice. She has experience in advising clients on various aspects of competition law including: prohibited practices, general compliance (for example, opinions and general advice on business strategy in light of competition legislation), and multi-jurisdictional merger notifications.

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Career

Preanka began her career as a Candidate Attorney with Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr in January 2017. She was appointed as an Associate in the Competition team in January 2019.

Her experience encompasses the following:

 

  • Advising on prohibited practices, including vertical restrictive practices and abuse of dominance complaints.
  •  Involved in multi-jurisdictional merger notifications to the Competition Commission of South Africa as well as to other domestic and regional regulators in Sub-Saharan Africa, including: Kenya, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and COMESA.
  •  Part of team successfully obtaining merger approval in respect of the litigious transaction between Twisp and British American Tobacco before the Competition Tribunal.
  •  Part of team representing Mediclinic / Matlosana Medical Health Services (MMHS) in a contested merger before the Competition Appeal Court.
  •  Part of team attaining unconditional approval for the multi-billion rand merger of JSE-listed firms Gemgrow and Arrowhead.
  •  Part of team representing numerous listed and unlisted clients in the property sector in successfully obtaining merger approvals, including Spear REIT Limited, Capital Property Fund, Resilient REIT Limited, Amdec Investments and Fortress REIT Limited.
  • Part of team successfully obtaining numerous South African and African merger approvals on behalf of several companies forming part of the Old Mutual group, PSG Limited and its subsidiaries, Ascendis Health and the OneLogix Group.
  •  Part of team representing Zaad Holdings in its acquisition of a controlling interest in GAP Chemicals, giving rise to horizontal and vertical issues.
  •  Part of team representing CPG-In-Store in its acquisition a failing firm forming part of the Imperial Logistics group.
  •  Assisting clients with queries relating to the health market inquiry and retail grocery market inquiry conducted by the Competition Commission.
  •  Advising and representing clients in the settlement of implemented, non-notified mergers.
  • Reviewing, drafting and presenting compliance training.
  •  Drafting competition law opinions for clients in various sectors, such as advice on the structuring and notifiability of transactions, implications of commercial agreements and general competition advice.
  •  Preanka's competition experience spans a diverse range of sectors at various levels of the value chain, including: agriculture; retail; FMCG; property; financial services; health; education and foods.

Education

  • LLB, University of Cape Town, 2017
  • Admitted legal practitioner of the High Court of the Republic of South Africa, Western Cape Division, Cape Town, 2019
  • Enrolled with the Legal Practice Council

Memberships

  • Golden Key International Honours Society

  • Member of the Association of Competition Law Practitioners