Banking & Finance
Global Guide 2024 : South Africa
Band 1
Contact number
+27 11 530 5000About
Provided by Webber Wentzel
Our Banking and Finance practice is the pre-eminent finance practice in the South African market with a significant presence in the broader African market. We provide legal advisory services in the areas of general banking and finance (including capital markets), asset finance, project finance, and financial regulatory services. We act as counsel to mandated lead arrangers, lender groups, individual borrowers, borrower groups, and providers of security, on a wide range of complicated and high profile banking and finance transactions, including transactions relating to mezzanine funding, and have an extensive track record advising South African and international clients (including commercial banks, export credit agencies and development finance institutions) on their most challenging transactions. We are fundamentally a Lenders’ practice with circa 75% of our revenues attributable to Lender mandates. We are part of a large corporate firm and, as a result, also attend to selected, significant corporate / borrower mandates for legacy blue chip clients.
Contact: Khurshid Fazel, Partner ([email protected]).
Chambers Review
Webber Wentzel continues to operate at the upper end of this market, offering excellent full-spectrum banking and finance services. The team is active on both high-value refinancings and new loan transactions. It is known for its lender-side practice, where it acts for major banks as well as significant domestic and international financial corporations. The law firm offers impressive cross-border capabilities, enhanced by its alliance with Linklaters, enabling the representation of clients on an international scale.
Work Highlights
- Webber Wentzel advised Nedbank on a sustainability-linked revolving credit facility for Imperial Group, valued at ZAR1 billion.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Webber Wentzel is a very strong firm and a formidable player in the South African legal market."
"Webber Wentzel brought clarity to a complex matter, which involved many entities across different jurisdictions."
"Webber Wentzel is a very strong firm and a formidable player in the South African legal market."
"Webber Wentzel brought clarity to a complex matter, which involved many entities across different jurisdictions."
Notable Practitioners
Khurshid Fazel is a top-tier practitioner, who is regularly instructed by South African banking institutions to provide counsel on preference sustainability credit facilities. She is additionally sought out for her counsel on debt refinancing.
"Khurshid Fazel is an excellent all-round lawyer and knowledgeable in domestic finance. She is one of the best in the country."
Dawid de Villiers is a well-regarded banking regulatory specialist. He is instructed by numerous clients from the financial services industry in relation to digital platforms and e-payment solutions, asset transfers and derivatives transactions.
"I always recommend Dawid de Villiers from Webber Wentzel. He is an exceptional lawyer in derivatives, banking regulation and finance."
Johann Scholtz holds significant expertise in the field of banking and financial services regulation. He is based in Johannesburg, and his particular areas of expertise include derivatives.
Kathy Shepherd is often instructed to advise on the provision of loan facilities and other finance transactions. She has notable experience advising large international banks as the lenders on debt restructuring mandates while also assisting borrowers with high-value refinancing matters.
Ranked Lawyers at
Webber Wentzel
South Africa
Members
Provided by Webber Wentzel