We close deals effectively by providing exceptional legal advice, managing risk, ensuring you meet regulatory compliance and working at every aspect of the transaction to ensure that it works from a legal and commercial perspective.

At Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, we have one of South Africa's largest Corporate and Commercial practices and offer the full suite of services required to deliver strategic legal support on transactional work. We handle hundreds of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions each year.

Since 2008, we have consistently been the most active South African legal adviser and have handled more M&A transactions than any other law firm, according to the leading analyst rankings. Our Corporate team has more than 50 qualified lawyers whose primary responsibility and expertise is transactional work.

Our services include:

• Strategic legal support: We offer commercial and practical advice specific to your goals and objectives and actively manage the M&A process to help bring transactions to an efficient conclusion.
• Practical and effective project management: We offer effective project management, which is crucial to ensuring an efficient and satisfactory conclusion to any M&A transaction.
• Cross-border project management: We have experience in project managing complex multi-jurisdictional corporate activity. When you venture into new markets we are able to help you understand the risks involved, offer advice on the best structure for any given transaction and provide workable solutions.
• Global expertise: We offer experience and insights drawn from countries around the world, so you benefit from a vast amount of international M&A experience.
• Extensive expertise: We offer experience spans a wide range of industries and our clients include local and international listed and unlisted companies as well as emerging businesses, government departments and state-owned enterprises. Our senior deal team has strong experience in pre- and post-deal structuring and integration.

Practice Area Rankings

• 2022 1st by M&A Listed Deal Flow
• 2022 3rd by M&A Listed Deal Value 
• 2022 3rd by M&A Unlisted Deal Value 
• 2022 3rd by M&A Unlisted Deal Flow
• 2022 3rd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• 2021 1st by M&A Deal Flow
• 2021 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• 2021 2nd by BEE Deal Value
• 2021 3rd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value
• 2021 3rd by BEE Deal Flow
• 2021 4th by M&A Deal Value
• 2020 1st by M&A Deal Flow
• 2020 1st by BEE Deal Flow
• 2020 1st by BEE Deal Value
• 2020 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• 2020 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Value
• 2020 3rd by M&A Deal Value
• 2020 Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year
• M&A Legal DealMakers of the Decade 2010 – 2019 (Deal Flow)
• Dealmakers 2019 - 1st by BEE M&A Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2019 - 1st by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2019 - 2nd by M&A Deal Value
• Dealmakers 2019 - 2nd by M&A Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by M&A Deal Flow for the 10th year in a row.
• Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by M&A Deal Value.
• Dealmakers 2018 - 2nd by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow.
• Dealmakers 2018 - 1st by BEE M&A Deal Value.
• Dealmakers 2018 - 2nd by BEE M&A Deal Flow.
• Dealmakers 2018 - Lead legal advisers on the Private Equity Deal of the Year.
• Dealmakers 2017 - 1^st by M&A Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2017 - 2^nd by M&A Deal Value
• Dealmakers 2017 - 1^st by General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2017 - 1^st by General Corporate Finance Value
• Dealmakers 2017 - 2nd by M&A Deal Flow and Deal Value (Africa, excluding South Africa)
• Dealmakers 2017 - 2nd by BEE Deal Flow and Deal Value
• Dealmakers 2016 – 1^st for M&A Deal Flow 8 years in a row
• Dealmakers 2016 – 1^st in General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2015 – 1^st for Deal Flow 7 years in a row
• Dealmakers 2015 – 1^st in General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2014 – 1^st Deal Flow 6 years in a row
• Dealmakers 2014 – 1^st in M&A Deal Value
• Dealmakers 2014 – 1^st in General Corporate Finance Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2013 – 1^st for M&A Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2013 – 1^st in M&A Deal Value
• Dealmakers 2013 – 1^st in Unlisted Deals - Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2012 – 1^st in M&A Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2012 – 1^st in General Corporate, Finance Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2012 – 1^st in General Corporate Finance, Deal Value
• Dealmakers 2012 – 1^st in Unlisted Deals - Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2011 – 1^st in M&A Deal Flow
• Dealmakers 2011 – 1^st in General Corporate Finance Deal Flow, Legal Advisor - Deal of the Year
• Chambers Global 2015-2022 rank our Corporate/M&A practice in Band 1.
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2018-2020 recognises us as Tier 1 in commercial, corporate/M&A.
• IFLR1000 2017-2021 ranks the firm in M&A - Tier 1. IFLR1000 2016 ranks the firm in M&A - Tier 2.
• Listed as first law firm by M&A count in Africa and the Middle East in MergerMarket.
• Listed as first African law firm by M&A Deal Value with 9.2 Billion USD worth of Deals in MergerMarket.
• Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr directors were named in the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 Client Choice International Awards.

Ranked Practitioners

• Willem Jacobs is the National Practice Head of the Corporate & Commercial team. Chambers Global 2014–2022 ranked Willem in Band 2 for corporate/M&A. The Legal 500 EMEA 2016–2021 recommended him as a leading individual for commercial, corporate/M&A. Willem was also recommended in 2012–2016 for mining; as well as commercial, corporate and M&A. IFLR1000 2018-2020 recommended Willem as a highly regarded lawyer for M&A and private equity. IFLR1000 2011–2015 and 2017 recommended him as a leading lawyer in this area. Who’s Who Legal 2019 ranked Willem as a leading lawyer in M&A and Governance. Who’s Who Legal 2017–2018 identified Willem as a leading lawyer for M&A. He was identified as a leading lawyer by The International Who’s Who of Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyers 2014 and was identified in The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2014.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2015–2022 ranked David Thompson in Band 4 for corporate/M&A. The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 recommended him for commercial, corporate/M&A.
  
  
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2018 recommended John Gillmer for commercial, corporate/M&A. In 2019-2021 he was recommended in investment funds.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2019-2022 ranked Peter Hesseling in Band 2 for corporate/M&A Chambers Global 2017–2018 ranked Peter in Band 3 for corporate/M&A. Chambers Global 2014-2016 ranked him in Band 5 for Corporate/M&A. The Legal 500 EMEA 2012–2021 recommended Peter for commercial, corporate/M&A. IFLR1000 2018 and 2020 recommended Peter as a highly regarded lawyer for restructuring & insolvency and mergers & acquisitions. Who’s Who Legal 2019 ranked Peter as a leading lawyer in M&A and Governance. Who’s Who Legal 2018 identified him as a leading lawyer for M&A. Who’s Who Legal 2017 identified Peter as a leading lawyer in capital markets. Who’s Who Legal 2016 identified Peter in the International Who’s Who of Banking Lawyers – Capital Markets. ILO Client Choice Awards 2013–2014 named him as the exclusive winner of the General Corporate category in South Africa.
  
  
• IFLR1000 2018-2020 recommended Yaniv Kleitman as a notable practitioner.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2021 ranked Johan Latsky in Band 4 for corporate/M&A and from 2011–2020 he was ranked in Band 3. Chambers Global 2012–2021 ranked him in Band 1 for capital markets: equity. The Legal 500 EMEA 2012–2021 recommended Johan for commercial, corporate/M&A. ILO Client Choice Awards 2014 named him as the exclusive winner of the M&A category in South Africa.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2017–2022 ranked William Midgley in Band 2 for real estate. The Legal 500 EMEA 2017–2020 recommended him as a leading individual for real estate and recommended him in 2016 for real estate.
  
  
• IFLR1000 2018-2020 recommended Francis Newham as a notable practitioner.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2017–2022 ranked David Pinnock in Band 1 for corporate/M&A: Private Equity. The Legal 500 EMEA 2016–2021 recommended him for commercial, corporate/M&A. Who’s Who Legal 2019 ranked David as a leading lawyer in M&A and Governance. Who’s Who Legal 2017–2018 identified him as a leading lawyer in M&A. IFLR1000 2018-2020 recommended David as a notable practitioner.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2012–2022 ranked Ludwig Smith in Band 1 for banking & finance and in 2017–2021 he was ranked in Band 3 for tax. The Legal 500 EMEA 2017–2020 recommended him as a leading individual for banking and finance and recommended Ludwig for tax in 2013, 2017–2019. Who’s Who Legal 2018 identified Ludwig as one of the world’s leading lawyers for banking – regulatory and banking – finance. Ludwig was identified as a leading lawyer by Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Tax – Advisory for 2017–2018. The International Who’s Who 2011 identified him as a leading lawyer for banking and finance and for corporate tax – advisory.
  
  
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 - 2021 recommended Justine Krige as next generation partner for commercial, corporate and M&A.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2016-2022 ranked Sammy Ndolo in Band 4 for Corporate/M&A. Chambers Global 2017 ranked Sammy in Band 3 for Banking & Finance. IFLR 1000 2020 ranked Sammy as a notable practitioner.

• Chambers Global 2022 ranked Shem Otanga as "Up & Coming" for Intellectual Property. From 2019-2021 ranked him as "Lawyer to watch" for Intellectual Property. World Trade Mark Review 1000 2018-2020 (Kenya) ranked Shem as a recommended Individual.

• The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 recommended Rachel Kelly as next generation partner for commercial, corporate and M&A.
  
  
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 recommended Vivien Chaplin as next generation partner for commercial, corporate and M&A.
  
  
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 recommended Roux van der Merwe as next generation partner for commercial, corporate and M&A.
  
  
• Legal 500 EMEA 2019-2021 listed Wayne Murray as a rising star for investment funds.