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Willem Jacobs

Director

Willem Jacobs is a Director in our Corporate & Commercial practice. Willem led the Corporate and Commercial team for 11 years before stepping down to focus on the day to day running of his practice.  He also serves on the firm's Executive, Finance and Compensation Committees. As evidenced through market recognition, Willem is regarded as one of South Africa's foremost M&A specialists. His areas of expertise are mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private equity, black economic empowerment transactions, and structuring and restructuring of businesses.

+27 (0)11 562 1555
willem.jacobs@cdhlegal.comJohannesburg
Willem Jacobs

Credentials

Credentials

Education

  • BCom Law, LLB, Dip (Insolvency), HDip (Tax), University of Johannesburg
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 1997
  • Registered with the Legal Practice Council

Languages

Languages

  • English

Credentials

Education

  • BCom Law, LLB, Dip (Insolvency), HDip (Tax), University of Johannesburg
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 1997
  • Registered with the Legal Practice Council

Languages

  • English

Experience

RMB Ventures and Bopa Moruo

Advised RMB Ventures and Bopa Moruo on the acquisition of Icon Oncology (2023/2024).

Libstar

Advised Libstar on the acquisition of Cape Foods (2023).

RMB Ventures and Bopa Moruo

Advised RMB Ventures and Bopa Moruo on the acquisition of 30% of Aurex Constructors (2023).

Murray & Roberts

Advised Murray & Roberts on the disposal of Clough to WeBuild - circa ZAR 5 billion (2023).

Hirt & Carter

Advised Hirt & Carter on the disposal of First Impression Labels to All4Labels (2023)

Retailability

Advised Retailability, a group with over 400 retail stores in Southern Africa, in respect of its acquisition from Edcon (in business rescue) of approximately 130 Edgars retail stores in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, eSwatini and Lesotho, including extensive due diligence (2020/2021).

Actis and Harborough

Advised Actis and Harborough on the disposal by Harborough of Ghana Home Loans Bank – circa GH¢161,202,078 (2020).

Tiso Blackstar

Advised Tiso Blackstar on the disposal of Gallo Music Investments and Indigenous Film Distribution to Arena (Lebashe Investments) - circa ZAR 75 million (2020).

Lereko Metier Capital Growth Fund II,

Advised Lereko Metier Capital Growth Fund II, LMCGF II Parallel Trust, Metier Capital Growth Fund II Partnership, MCGF II Investments and RMB Ventures in a complex set of transactions in terms of which certain existing shareholders in Vox Telecoms exited and certain new shareholders were introduced through a combination of share repurchases, new subscriptions and the conversion of preference shares into ordinary shares - circa ZAR 2.5 billion (2019).

Metier Capital Growth Fund II

Advised Metier Capital Growth Fund II and Rand Merchant Bank in the recapitalisation and restructuring of the shareholding structure of Vox Holdings in partnership with management (2019).

Lereko Metier Sustainable Capital Fund Trust

Advised Lereko Metier Sustainable Capital Fund Trust on its acquisition of an interest in Tecroveer Holdings and Becon Watertech (2019).

Tiso Blackstar Group

Advised Tiso Blackstar Group in respect of Lebashe's acquisition of Tiso Blackstar's media, broadcasting and content businesses in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya – circa US$71 million (2019).

Séché Environnement

Advised Séché Environnement in its take private acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of South African waste management company, Interwaste Holdings - circa US$40 million (2019).

Metier Capital Growth Fund II

Advised Metier Capital Growth Fund II and MCGF II Investments, in their take private acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of South African packaging company, Master Plastics - circa US$18.9 million (2018).

YeboYethu

Advised YeboYethu, the main broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE) shareholder of Vodacom, in a BEE deal, in terms of which the current shareholders in Vodacom's 2008 BEE deal reinvested their equity for a further 10 years and geared that equity to acquire greater exposure to Vodacom - circa US$1.2 billion (2018).

News

“Business as usual” at the CIPC amidst ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

“Business as usual” at the CIPC amidst ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

In its latest notice, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) announced that, as of 1 December 2020, there will be a re-commencement of companies and close corporations’...
Can companies trade recklessly during COVID-19?
Corporate & Commercial Law

Can companies trade recklessly during COVID-19?

In response to the declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a national state of disaster on 15 March 2020, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) issued Practice...
Are you compliant? CIPC Compliance Checklist now mandatory

Are you compliant? CIPC Compliance Checklist now mandatory

During the latter part of 2019, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) issued Notice 52, announcing a CIPC Compliance Checklist (Checklist) requiring companies to...
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr says that there are opportunities for investors who take a longer-term view

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr says that there are opportunities for investors who take a longer-term view

While the deal pipeline has slowed in the past year, business law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) says that, notwithstanding the current volatility, there are opportunities for investors...
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr says that there are opportunities for investors who take a longer-term view

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr says that there are opportunities for investors who take a longer-term view

All articles by Willem

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2025 ranked Willem in Band 3 for corporate/M&A. 
  • Chambers Global 2014–2024 ranked Willem Jacobs in Band 2 for corporate/M&A and in 2022–2025 ranked him in Band 3 for corporate/M&A: private equity.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - 2025 recommended Willem in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for commercial, corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2016–2023 recommended him as a leading individual for commercial, corporate/M&A. Willem was also recommended in 2012–2016 for mining.
  • IFLR1000 2018–2024 recommended Willem as a highly regarded lawyer for M&A, and private equity.

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2025 ranked Willem in Band 3 for corporate/M&A. 
  • Chambers Global 2014–2024 ranked Willem Jacobs in Band 2 for corporate/M&A and in 2022–2025 ranked him in Band 3 for corporate/M&A: private equity.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - 2025 recommended Willem in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for commercial, corporate/M&A.
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2016–2023 recommended him as a leading individual for commercial, corporate/M&A. Willem was also recommended in 2012–2016 for mining.
  • IFLR1000 2018–2024 recommended Willem as a highly regarded lawyer for M&A, and private equity.

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