Stephan Spamer
About Stephan
Before joining Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, Stephan headed the Tax Department at Baker McKenzie (South Africa) and prior to that was a Tax Partner at ENSafrica.
Areas of expertise
Experience
Stephan is a corporate and international tax lawyer with vast experience in advising on domestic and international tax matters, transaction structuring and mergers and acquisitions.
Stephan’s experience includes advising companies (across various industries) on the tax implications applicable to a broad range of transactions, including merger and acquisition transactions (tax due diligence investigations and tax-efficient transaction structuring advice), management share incentive schemes, Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOP), Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transactions, private equity transactions, financing/funding arrangements and corporate restructures.
From a tax dispute resolution perspective, Stephan assists companies in responding to various audits/investigations from revenue authorities, preparing and lodging objections and appeals, alternative tax dispute resolution and tax court matters.
Stephan advises private clients, family offices, domestic and international financial institutions and trust companies, and frequently speaks on trusts, financial services and compliance issues at wealth management and trust and estate planning conferences. In this regard Stephan's practice focuses on the use of sophisticated wills, trusts, closely held entities, as well as tax exempt (charitable) entities. Stephan represents clients with worldwide assets in estate, trust, tax and tax exempt/not-for-profit organization matters.
Recognition
- Chambers Global 2019–2026 ranked Stephan Spamer in Band 3 for tax.
- The Legal 500 EMEA 2021–2025 recommended him for tax.
- 2025 - 2026 ITR World Tax Rankings ranked Stephan as 'Highly Regarded' in general corporate tax and transaction tax in South Africa.
Credentials
Education
- B.Comm/LLB, University of Stellenbosch
- Registered with the Legal Practice Council
Memberships
- Registered Tax Practitioner
- Commissioner of the Small Claims Court of South Africa
- Tax Committee of the International Bar Association
LANGUAGES
- English