Emil Brincker
About Emil
Emil obtained his doctorate during 1992 on company law and his thesis related to the financial assistance by a company in relation to share acquisitions. He was offered a part-time professorship from the University of Johannesburg during 1999.
He was the first attorney to appear in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Erf 3183/1 Ladysmith v CIR, has authored and co-authored numerous books and articles and has advised on billions of rand of structured finance transactions.
Emil began his career as a Candidate Attorney at Hofmeyr (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr). He was a Director at Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs and its predecessors for approximately 13 years. Emil joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr as a Director in November 2008.
Areas of expertise
Experience
The areas of corporate finance, corporate reorganisation and restructuring, exchange control, export finance, funding, general banking and commercial including derivative transactions, empowerment transactions, notional vendor funding, rulings, transfer pricing and tax law including income tax, tax controversy, VAT, securities transfer tax, PAYE, capital gains tax (CGT) and other fiscal statutes.
Recognition
- Chambers Global 2003–2026 has consistently ranked him in Band 1 for tax. Chambers Global notes that Emil is rated as "one of the best tax lawyers in South Africa." Sources praise both his technical skills and client service: "His turnaround time is astonishing."
- The Legal 500 EMEA 2025 recommended Emil as a leading partner for tax.
- The Legal 500 EMEA 2017–2024 recommended Emil as a leading individual for tax and named him Lawyer of the Year for tax in 2021. In 2016 - 2019 he was listed as a recommended individual in Tax. 2006 to 2014 named "a leading tax lawyer". He is a foremost expert in South Africa on corporate reorganisations and structural finance transactions.
- 2025 - 2026 ITR World Tax Rankings ranked Emil as "Highly Regarded' in tax controversy in South Africa.
- Leading lawyer by Who's Who Legal: Corporate Tax – Advisory and Who's Who Legal: Corporate Tax – Controversy for 2017 and 2018. Who's Who Legal - International Who's Who of Corporate Tax Lawyers 2012 - 2014 and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2014 selects Emil as being among the world's leading corporate tax, as well as insurance and reinsurance lawyers.
- IFLR1000 2012 recommended him for tax.
- ILO Client Choice Awards 2010–2013 named Emil as the exclusive winner of the corporate tax category in South Africa.
Credentials
Education
- Registered with the Legal Practice Council
- BCom cum laude, University of Stellenbosch
- LLB cum laude, University of Stellenbosch
- LLM cum laude LLD, University of Stellenbosch
- HDip (Tax) cum laude, University of Johannesburg
- Year of admission as an attorney: 1989
Memberships
- Special Board for Tax Appeals and has heard tax matters for 10 years
- Executive Committee of the South African Fiscal Association
LANGUAGES
- Afrikaans
- English
