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Chris Todd

Chris Todd

Partner
Cape Town, South Africa
T: +27 21 480 7816
E: chris.todd@bowmanslaw.com
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  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Publications & Insights

Overview

Chris Todd is partner and a member of our Corporate Investigations Practice.

He specialises in employment law, public law, and alternative dispute resolution.

His focus has been public law dispute resolution and employment in the public sector. He advises on investigations and enquiries, board disputes, and business transfers, including privatization initiatives and outsourcing.  He is a negotiation and mediation specialist.

Chris has served two periods as an acting judge of the Labour Court and on private tribunals in employment disputes.  Chambers Global 2015 & 2016 ranked Chris in Band 1 for Employment.

He has a BA (Hons) from the University of Cape Town and a BA (Hons) in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford, UK. He is accredited by CEDR as a commercial mediator.

Specialist Services

Relevant Experience

  • Law Society v Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) – Acted for the CCMA in litigation brought by the Law Society to challenge rules of the Commission regulating the rights of parties to be represented by lawyers in certain types of proceedings before the commission.
  • Policy and Employment regulatory work for Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) – Appointed as legal advisor to BUSA on labour market policy and the legal and strategic issues arising from recent amendments to employment laws.
  • City of Johannesburg pension fund restructuring – Advised and led the City’s team in decade long litigation and ADR processes with a number of pension funds relating to the City’s restructuring of its retirement fund arrangements, terminating final salary schemes and settling funding shortfalls.
  • Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) v Minister for Higher Education and Training – Represented BUSA in judicial review proceedings challenging the validity of regulations made by the Minister of Higher Education and Training regulating the allocation of mandatory and discretionary grants to employers by Sector Education and Training Authorities.
  • Mediation – Represented mining groups in a mass personal injury claim in a mediation and ensuing negotiation ultimately resulting in settlement.
  • Training – conducted training in Kenya, Nigeria and Angola for a US headquartered global multi-national.
  • Old Mutual – Advised Old Mutual and its board of directors in an investigation resulting in the suspension and subsequent termination of employment of the group chief executive, and represented the company in subsequent High Court litigation initiated by the former chief executive to challenge the decisions of the company and its board.
  • Cross border investigation, arbitration and related litigation – Advised a multinational financial services group on allegations of corruption in Tanzania; and advised an African natural resources group in an investigation into fraud by a minority shareholder in a cross-border investment in West Africa and ensuing litigation in the London Court of International Arbitration and in the High Courts in Mauritius and South Africa.

Signature Matters

Awards

  • Chambers and Partners consistently ranked Chris in Band 1 for Employment law for the past nine consecutive years (2015 to 2023).
  • Legal 500 ranked Chris in Tier 1 in 2015 and 2016 and as a Leading Individual for the past five consecutive years (2017 to 2021) for Labour and Employment.
  • Chris was recognised by Who’s Who Legal 2018 in the category Employment & Benefits: Labour & Employment.
  • Recognised by Best Lawyers 2017 for Labour and Employment law.

‘He is a brilliant lawyer and one of the best in the market.’

‘Chris Todd is very collaborative and runs a good litigation team.’ – Chambers and Partners, 2022

“Chris Todd is a highly regarded practitioner with a wealth of labour law experience, often advising on business transfers and collective bargaining agreements, as well as outsourcing matters. He is also noted for his contentious capabilities, handling executive dismissal cases and board disputes.”– Chambers and Partners, 2021

Acclaimed by sources as “easily among the best labour law attorneys in the country,” Chris Todd retains his masterful understanding of business transfers and collective bargaining. He is also a leading authority in outsourcing matters. One interviewee commends his courtroom skills in contentious employment matters, recalling: “He was impressive arguing the case, he just did very well.” – Chambers and Partners 2020

Head of department Chris Todd is highly experienced in labour matters such as collective bargaining and strikes. He is noted for his adept handling of mandates relating to employee transfer and outsourcing. Commentators laud him as “highly knowledgeable, a lateral thinker and able to relate to people at different levels of the company.” – Chambers and Partners 2019

Head of department Chris Todd is well versed in matters involving business transfers and collective bargaining. Peers praise him as “very, very capable.” He also possesses significant expertise regarding the employment implications of outsourcing and privatisation. – Chambers and Partners 2018

Chris Todd is widely respected for his leading work in collective bargaining arrangements and complex business transfers. One satisfied client emphatically lauded “the deep legal understanding that he possesses of all relevant legislation.”  – Chambers and Partners 2017

“Chris Todd attracts praise for his reputation in this field and is described by clients as ”responsive, accessible, professional, pragmatic and smart.”“ – Chambers and Partners 2016

Chris Todd is ‘sensitive to business needs’ and ‘always willing to go the extra mile’. – Legal 500 2016

Publications & Insights