Broad Expertise

Our team can offer you advice on a wide range of functions and sector-related issues including: ICT infrastructure; software licensing, distribution, integration and development; services integration and aggregation; contract management; off-shoring; procurement; business processing; technology turnkey solutions; e-commerce; software and technology-related intellectual property issues; data privacy; cloud service solutions; and information security.

Full service legal advice

We can support the full scope of projects in which you may be engaged, from conception through to conclusion.

Our team has the support of CDH’s full service business practices to give you expert input on related issues such as intellectual property, black economic empowerment, employment, tax, administrative and competition law implications.

Across borders

We have been engaged in transactions in sub-Saharan and West Africa, and in Europe. We are able to project manage your IT and outsourcing requirements on a worldwide basis.

• Advisor to various local and international clients on technology contracting and sourcing, including outsourcing.
• Our team have focused very strongly on advising on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, big data, connected vehicles and telematics, electronic marketplaces and digital products, including advising various financial services, technology and telecommunications service providers and fintech companies on their service offerings, innovations and new products.
• Advised a bidder on their potential acquisition of a local online grocery aggregator and delivery service including advising on all related regulatory matters
• We provide advice to key players in the telecommunications industry including Vodacom on their various facilities leasing and access disputes in proceedings before ICASA, arbitrations and in various courts
• We also advise key players in the technology and communications sector on their competition law requirements including advising on various mergers and acquisitions including to local and pan African mobile operators, technology firms and fibre optic network providers
• Our team offers extensive advice on data protection compliance in South Africa and on a pan-African basis, having advised many clients on their data protection compliance requirements across the jurisdictions in which they operate. We also service many multi-national clients who have a presence across the globe and have advised them on the local implications of UK and EU data protection requirements. We also advise numerous clients on data breach incidents, cybercrime and cyber risk requirements, including advising on POPIA and Cybercrimes Act obligations and carrying out and assisting with forensic investigations via the CDH Data Breach Response team
• We have advised on various project development and vendor financing transactions including in the tech and comms sector, including advising on the project development and vendor financing aspects for fibre optic network infrastructure projects between various South African cities in respect of the supply and installation, operator services, wholesale services and managed services agreements in respect of broadband network roll out projects
• We have advised on Vodacom’s follow on investment into IoT.nxt, an internet of things company
• We also have advised African Data Centres on the establishment of data centres in various African jurisdictions
• Advising Vodacom regarding the 2022 spectrum auction, including assisting with its application submitted for qualification in response to ICASA's invitation to apply (ITA), the auction and representing Vodacom in the court process in respect of Telkom's application to review and set aside the ITA and e.tv's application to interdict the digital migration process
• Advising Vodacom on its acquisition of a strategic stake in CIVH's fibre assets.
• Our Kenyan team has advised Allied Platforms Limited, an East Africa based, transport and logistics solutions company on the development of its new, state-of-the-art logistics operations software platform;
• We have also advised Sojitz Corporation, an international, Japanese founded trading conglomerate, on legislative developments in the field of data protection in Kenya and conducting a compliance review of all of its privacy and personal data management policies.

Practice Area Rankings

• Chambers Global 2009-2021 ranks our practice in Band 1: IT & Telecommunications.
• Chambers FinTech 2019-2021 ranked our FinTech team in Band 1
• Chambers Global 2020-2021 ranks our practice in Band 3: Media & Broadcasting

Ranked Practitioners

• Chambers Global 2011–2022 ranked Preeta Bhagattjee in Band 1 for IT & Telecommunications. In 2020-2022 she was ranked in Band 2 for Fintech.
  
  
• Chambers Global 2022 ranked Shem as "Up & Coming" for Intellectual Property. From 2019-2021 ranked Shem Otanga as "Lawyer to watch" for Intellectual Property. World Trade Mark Review 1000 2018-2020 (Kenya) ranked Shem as a recommended Individual.