JD is an associate in the Banking and Finance Department of our Johannesburg office and a member of the Commercial Property Practice.

JD has experience in assisting local and international private and listed clients in the development, acquisition, financing, leasing and general occupation of commercial, retail and residential property. He also has experience in property aspects of (i) litigation, and (ii) mergers, acquisitions and general commercial transactions, having been involved in several due diligence investigations where the sought outcome was the sale of shares and/or assets.

Additionally, JD has extensive experience in liaising with regulatory, public and governmental bodies in relation to his fields of expertise. These bodies include multiple deeds offices across South Africa, the Surveyor General, various metropolitan councils, the Community Schemes Ombud Services, the National Home Builders Registration Council, the Department of Mineral Resources and the Johannesburg Roads Agency.

JD has an LLB degree (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand, a Certificate in Property Development and Investment from the University of Cape Town and a National Diploma and International Certification in Architectural and Engineering draughting (CADD) from CTU College. Furthermore, he is a duly admitted attorney, notary and conveyancer.

Relevant Experience

• The acquisition of a property portfolio worth over one billion Rand, and the related listing of the acquirer on the JSE AltX board.
• The subdivision, donation and transfer of hundreds of hectares of community land held in trust, to a ring-fenced community-owned entity in order for the land to be developed for housing and retail purposes. The drafting of agreements to facilitate the development including an allocation agreement appointing a contractor, a development agreement and the 99-year lease agreements and ancillary documents.
• The refurbishing of a skyscraper in Johannesburg Central, for one of South Africa’s major banks, which included the cancellation of a notarial tie and the registration of a consolidation, the conversion of the building to a sectional title scheme for mixed-use purposes (which required the drafting of intricate conduct and management rules), the cancellation of certain servitudes, and the registration of right of way servitudes and a usufruct.
• Various comprehensive due diligence investigations on mining land for some of South Africa’s largest mining companies which sought to dispose of, or acquire shares or assets to or from other mining companies and in some cases the related subdivisions and transfer of the mining land.
• The registration of leases (and advice on the accompanying mortgage bonds) in respect of unique multi-level lease areas which were depicted on 3D lease diagrams, for a leading international accounting firm at South Africa’s largest 99-year leasehold development.
• The development of several townships and large-scale housing projects in the West Rand of Johannesburg, including advice on subdivisions, land use, township conditions of establishment and servitudes.