Our practice has extensive experience in relation to permitting, compliance, enforcement, due diligence investigation, deal advice, administrative appeals and review proceedings in relation to:

• Mining and mineral reprocessing.
• Energy project developments, including nuclear, renewable, thermal, coal and LPG.
• Climate change and carbon regulation.
• Biodiversity and conservation, including bioprospecting, biodiversity offsets and protected areas.
• Pollution and contamination.
• Waste management, including recycling and treatment.
• Pharmaceuticals, medicines and medical devices.
• Health and safety.
• Manufacturing, including cement and paper and pulp.
• The petrochemical industry across the operational value chain.
• Foodstuffs, cosmetics and disinfectants.

Environmental

• The team has experience in relation to advising on all aspects of environmental law regulation and compliance across all sectors, including:
  • Advising on environmental permitting and regulation under air, water, waste, heritage and biodiversity legislation.
  • Assisting with administrative appeals and review proceedings in relation environmental permitting and related matters.
  • Providing legal advice and conducting environmental compliance due diligence investigations and legal compliance audits in relation to entities operating within the mining and mineral reprocessing, energy, private security, animal husbandry, foodstuffs, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, cement manufacturing, game and paper and pulp industries.
  • Advising on environmental obligations and requirements under contractual arrangements, including in relation to acquisitions, disposals and project finance.
• We also offer specialised environmental advice in relation to issues material to various industries, including:
  • Liability of licence holders, shareholders, directors, land users and other parties for environmental pollution and / or degradation.
  • Financial provisioning.
  • Climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Responsible financing under the Equator Principles.
  • Project feasibility and bankability.
  • Bid readiness of renewable and non-renewable energy projects.
  • Implications of protected area and marine protected area declarations.

Health, Safety & Regulatory

• The team has expertise in relation to the regulatory requirements pertaining to a number of fields, including:
  • Health and safety.
  • Food safety, including manufacturing, transport and packaging.
  • Cosmetics, disinfectants and compulsory specifications.
  • Medical devices.
  • Animal husbandry.
    

Examples include

• Advising Acciona Energy S.p.A into its acquisition of various renewable projects in South Africa, including conducting due diligence investigations assessing project compliance with bid requirements of the South African Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme 
• Acted a major utility in responding to various appeals against the grant of an environmental authorisation for the construction of a nuclear power station in the Western Cape.
• Advising PETCO in relation to extended producer responsibility (EPR) under the draft EPR regulations published in terms of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008, including liaising with and submitting comments to the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.
• Advised Capitalworks on an offer for all or a portion of the issued shares in Sovereign Food Investments Limited, a poultry producer previously listed on the main board of the JSE, by way of a scheme of arrangement and a general offer and delisting of Sovereign Food. Our environmental team assisted by conducting a comprehensive environmental and regulatory due diligence to assess compliance across numerous and distinct operational sites.
• Advised Pengxin International Mining Company for China African Precious Metals on the acquisition of Pamodzi Gold Orkney, including conducting a due diligence investigation and advising on all environmental compliance related issues.
• Advised Séché Environnement S.A in relation to the acquisition by its subsidiary, Séché Environnement South Africa, of the entire issued ordinary share capital of Interwaste.
• Advising Booysendal Platinum (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of Northam Platinum Ltd, in relation to environmental licensing requirements and applications for its Phase 2 Expansion Project.
• Conducting a comprehensive environmental due diligence investigation into the development, construction and operation of solar, wind and hydro renewable energy projects across Africa. The transaction in question comprised upwards of 25 projects at various stages of development, located in South Africa and other Sub-Saharan African countries including Zambia, Mali and Uganda.
• Advising Parceval (Pty) Ltd, a leading manufacturer of herbal, homeopathic & natural medicines and cosmetics, as well as its German partner Schwabe Extracta GmbH & Co. KG. on bioprospecting and biotrade permitting.
• Advised Plan 8 Infinite Energy on its administrative appeal proceedings relating to the amendment of the environmental authorisation for its wind energy facility in Grahamstown, South Africa.
• Advised a South African cement manufacturer regarding Phase 1 of the South African carbon budget. The advice offered by our environmental team included the integration of the carbon budget into the then anticipated carbon tax regulatory regime and existing greenhouse gas reporting framework.

Practice Area Rankings

• Chambers Global 2021 - 2023 ranked our Environmental practice in Band 3. From 2019-2020 we were ranked in Band 2.
• Chambers Global 2011–2018 ranked our Environmental practice in Band 1 for Environmental law.
• The Legal 500 Green Guide EMEA 2022 recognized the firm for leading work in climate change and sustainability