Webber Wentzel

Senior Partner: Christo Els

Number of partners: 150+

Number of lawyers: 450+

Languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, Afrikaans

Firm Overview:

Founded in 1868, Webber Wentzel is a leading full-service law firm providing clients with innovative solutions to their most complex legal and tax issues across Sub-Saharan Africa. With over 450 lawyers, their multi-disciplinary expertise is consistently ranked top-tier in leading directories and awards, both in South Africa and on the African continent. Their collaborative alliance with Linklaters and their deep relationships with outstanding law firms across Africa provide clients with market-leading support wherever they do business. Webber Wentzel was named South Africa Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Africa Awards 2022.

Webber Wentzel's purpose is to have a transformative and sustainable impact through our work and actions. They believe in making a positive contribution to the communities in which they work and are proud to call themselves home to one of South Africa’s most long-standing, dedicated pro-bono practices. They are committed to promoting access to justice for all South Africans, upholding the Constitution and protecting the rule of law. Their Corporate Social Investment initiatives also focus on supporting initiatives and projects that promote access to justice, education and access to education and socio-economic development.

As a firm, they are committed to transformation and diversity. They are an accredited Level 1 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) contributor and are engaged in a number of initiatives aimed at driving transformation and inclusivity within their organisation, the legal sector and society.

Practice Areas

Administrative Law

Banking & Finance

Business Rescue & Restructuring

Capital Markets

Competition

Corporate/M&A

Corporate Investigations

Dispute Resolution

Employment

Intellectual Property

International Arbitration

Investment Funds

IT & Telecommunications

Media & Broadcasting

Projects

Real Estate

Regulatory (including Financial)

Tax

Transfer Pricing

Sectors

Agribusiness, Food & Beverage

Energy & Infrastructure

Engineering & Construction

Financial Services

Fintech

Hospitality & Leisure

Industrials

Mining

Private Equity & Strategic Investors

Retail

Telecommunications, Media & Technology

Transport

Recent high-profile matters include acting for/advising:

• As lead sponsor counsel to Seriti Green in relation to the roll out of the circa 3.2 GW of wind energy projects in Mpumalanga.
• SOLA Group on the Springbok Solar Facility, the first multi-offtake utility scale private IPP to close in South Africa.
• Rand Merchant Bank as Lender and Mandated Lead Arranger to the Oya Energy Hybrid Facility. The Facility is the first and largest renewable energy project of its kind.
• MultiChoice Group in the establishment of a joint venture, with NBCUniversal Media, LLC (NBCUniversal) and Sky UK Limited (Sky), to bring some of the world’s best content and technology to streaming customers across sub-Saharan Africa.
• Premier Group's on its JSE listing
• Ethos Private Equity on its merger with The Rohatyn Group
• Heineken International B.V. (Heineken) and Namibia Breweries Ltd (NBL) in respect of the multi-jurisdictional merger involving: Heineken's acquisition of further interest in NBL through its holding company NBL Investment Holdings (Pty) Limited and the combination of Heineken's current South African business with certain flavoured alcoholic beverages, wine, and spirits businesses of Distell Group Holdings Ltd
• A consortium led by private equity fund manager Infinite Partners to acquire fintech specialist E4 Investment Holdings
• Mulilo Energy Holdings and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners in a landmark renewable energy M&A transaction
• AutoX on its acquisition of Zimco Group
• Naspers and Prosus on the unwinding of their cross-holding structure
• iCON Infrastructure LLP on its purchase of 100% of Life Healthcare Group's interest in Alliance Medical Group
• Ndalamo Coal Proprietary Limited on its bid to purchase Arnot Opco
• Woolworths on its acquisition of Absolute Pets
• OUTsurance Holdings on its disposal of OUTvest
• A landmark case that seeks to overhaul existing maternity and parental leave provisions
• Sasol and their partner, Air Liquide, on another purchase agreement for 260MW of renewable energy from TotalEnergies Mulilo.
• Sasol in the procurement of approximately 600MW of renewable energy from ACED, Enel Green Power, Mainstream Renewable Power and TotalEnergies Mulilo.We supported Sasol by drafting, negotiating and finalising PPAs as well as related lenders' direct agreements and regulatory advice. These PPAs were groundbreaking in South Africa and have played a role in shaping the market in relation to risk allocation and bankability on key aspects such as the termination regimes, force majeure, network events and change in law.
• Anglo American and its electricity trading joint venture with EDF Renewables, Envusa Energy, through the drafting and negotiation of PPAs with three renewable energy generation facilities and Electricity Offtake Agreements with three Anglo American and De Beer business units.We foresee the rise of electricity traders in South Africa for their ability to provide flexible electricity provision solutions to large mining and industrial companies in South Africa in the context of our country's electricity crisis.
• Exxaro Coal on the procurement and closure of its offtake arrangements with Exxaro Energy on the 68MW Lephalale Solar Project;
• MTN on the procurement of electricity from energy trader, PowerX, as well as its rooftop and ground-mounted solar installations.
• Alongside Linklaters, we advised Qatar Investment Authority on its joint venture with Enel Green Power in relation to Enel's African renewable energy portfolio.
• Hive Energy in relation to parts of its Green Ammonia facility in Coega, the largest of its kind in the world to date, and a solar PV project in Mozambique.
• Coca-Cola on the procurement of rooftop solar at its distribution hubs in Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique.
• Through a ringfenced team, we advised the IPP Office on aspects of its Gas IPPPP, Renewable Energy IPPPP and Energy Storage IPPPP.
• A bidder in relation to the re-concessioning of the Gautrain, a process that is currently underway.
• The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI)in its procurement of a private sector party to implement design, finance, install, maintain and/or operate as a single management unit, renewable energy, resource efficiency (entailing, energy efficiency and water efficiency) and waste management solutions throughout DPWI's property portfolio, i.e. government buildings managed by DPWI.We have amongst others, assisted with finalising the request for proposals (RFP), including the Public-Private Partnership Agreement (PPPA), considering bidder comments to and amending the RFP and PPPA as part of the DPWI's optimisation process.