Kobus Smith

Senior Associate

Kobus Smith is a Senior Associate in our Banking, Finance & Projects practice. He  specialises in banking and corporate finance transactions, acting on behalf of both lenders and borrowers. Kobus has experience in a broad range of financing transactions, including asset finance (in particular aircraft financing), leveraged finance and trade finance, both on and offshore. He also has experience in the cross-border space, having assisted on multiple cross-border transactions and has also spent a term abroad working in the banking and finance department of London-based Clifford Chance.

Kobus Smith

About Kobus

Kobus joined CDH as a Senior Associate in the Banking, Finance and Projects.

Areas of expertise

Experience

  • Acting as borrower's counsel in respect of a senior lending transaction for the provision of a term and general banking finance facility to one of Africa's largest food producers.

  • Acting as lender's counsel in connection with the provision of a term loan facility to an entity engaged in the development of mobile games.

  • Acting as lender's counsel in an aircraft financing transaction for the acquisition of 1 (one) Embraer E190-100 aircraft.

  • Acting as lenders’ counsel in connection with a fund financing transaction in terms of which the lenders made a NAV-based revolving facility available to a Luxembourg fund.

  • Acting as borrower's counsel in connection with the provision of term and revolving credit facilities to South Africa's largest movie cinema company.

  • Acting as sponsor’s counsel in connection with the acquisition of a global material company which involved the negotiation and finalisation of first lien, second lien and PIK debt.

  • Acting as sponsors’ counsel in connection with an infrastructure financing transaction which involved the provision of a bilateral term loan facility to an airport in Denmark.

  • Acting as borrower's counsel in respect of a syndicated lending transaction for the provision of a term loan facility to one of South Africa's largest FMCG companies for purposes of acquiring a sweet factory.

  • Acting as lenders' counsel in a senior syndicated lending transaction for the provision of a borrowing base trade finance facility to a steel producer.

  • Acting as borrower's counsel in respect of the financing of x6 new Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX aircraft.

  • Acting as lender's counsel in connection with the provision of a term loan facility to one of South Africa's largest airlines.

  • Acting as lender's counsel for the provision of a stock financing facility to a producer of sugar.

  • Acting as lenders’ counsel in connection with the refinancing of a multicurrency revolving facility for an investment grade electrical distribution company.

  • Acting as lender's counsel for the provision of a vessel financing facility to a company in the British Virgin Islands.

  • Acting as lender's counsel in connection with the financing of a South African airline's acquisition of 1 (one) Embraer E-Jet (E190) Full Flight Simulator.

Credentials

Education

  • University of Pretoria- Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (cum laude)
  • University of Pretoria – Bachelor of Commerce (BComm Law) majoring in Accounting and Financial Management (cum laude)
  •  Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa in April 2019.

Memberships   

  • Member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
  • Member of the Loan Market Association.

LANGUAGES

  • Afrikaans
  • English

From vision to fruition.