Lerato Thahane
Partner | Johannesburg
Contact
T: +27 11 669 9279
Overview
A skilled negotiator who works extremely hard, Lerato’s approach to M&A transactions is to work within the confines of the law to unlock value while minimising risk. When the deal is done, the client should feel that the transaction is sound and value for money, and that their legal team did everything they could to make a success of it.
In 12 years as an M&A lawyer, Lerato has advised private and public companies on domestic and cross-border acquisitions and disposals, empowerment transactions, general corporate matters, commercial matters, group restructurings and unbundling of shareholders.
A number of these have been distressed transactions, which Lerato is passionate about for their transformative potential to turn companies around and save jobs. In these scenarios, time is always of the essence and the solutions involve thinking out of the box to navigate the challenges. She finds it exciting to see how the work she does can make a difference to people and companies.
Whether advising in distressed or non-distressed transactions, Lerato is usually approached early on in the M&A lifecycle. She and her team assist with the legal due diligence, draft the transaction documents and negotiate until they achieve the best outcome for the client. M&A negotiations can be exacting when the other parties have differing perspectives on what the desired outcome should be, and this is where her work ethic and resilience show their value.
A generalist, Lerato has consciously chosen not to work in specific sectors as her focus is on working on the largest, most complex and most transformative M&A deals, in whatever sector they are. This focus includes cross-border transactions for ingoing or outgoing clients.
Lerato was short listed in 2021 as The African Legal Awards Partner of the Year, and was recognised as one of the Mail & Guardian top 200 Young South Africans to look out for in 2021.
Experience
Lerato has recently advised:
- The Peermont Global Group on its disposal of all of its operations in South Africa and Botswana to Sun International. Shortlisted DealMakers Deal of the Year, 2023.
- Renewable energy company Scatec, financial services firm Standard Bank and asset management company Stanlib in the establishment of a new renewable energy platform Lyra Energy to offer a low-risk, flexible commercial proposition to the private sector in South Africa.
- 3M Company on the South African aspects of its global reorganisation to restructure its five business units to four.
- Allianz X GmbH’s acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Innovation Group Holdings Limited, a leading global provider of claims and technology solutions to the insurance and automotive industries.
- Lanxess Proprietary Limited (along with its parent company, Lanxess Deutschland GmbH) on the disposal of its 74% shareholding in its South African chrome ore mining company to Chrome Production Holdings (a supplier of chrome fine ores), and on the sale of its chrome chemicals business to Brother Enterprises in China.
- Maersk A/S, in relation to its acquisition of Senator International Spedition GmbH and Senator International Holding, LLC for an enterprise value of approximately USD 644 million.
- PepsiCo on its acquisition of Pioneer Foods, which was named ‘Deal of the Year’ by DealMakers 2020 in South Africa. Valued at approximately USD 1.7 billion, the acquisition was one of PepsiCo’s largest outside the United States.
- Advent International on the South Africa aspects of its acquisition of the operations of Evonik Industries AG’s methacrylate business for EUR 3 billion.
- A multinational mining company on a transaction involving the proposed acquisition of an equity interest in certain South African chrome mines.
- Tata Communications in respect of the ZAR 7 billion disposal of Neotel to the Vodacom Group, and the subsequent sale of Neotel to Liquid Telecommunications and Royal Bafokeng Holdings.
- Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., in its acquisition of a minority interest in Abax Investments Proprietary Limited.
- Puma Energy and Trafigura in its acquisition of various retail focused petroleum businesses, across South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
- A London Stock Exchange listed mining company in relation to a restructuring of its African mining companies.
- A leading glass manufacturing company on its proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in a South African business.
Awards
- Chambers and Partners Global ranked Lerato as an ‘Up and Coming’ M&A lawyer in the South Africa guide in 2023 and 2024, and she was shortlisted as one of the top five ‘Up and Coming’ M&A lawyers in EMEA in 2023.
The Legal 500 ranked Lerato as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Commercial, Corporate and M&A in 2023.
Lerato was shortlisted in the African Legals Awards category for ‘Partner of the Year’ in 2022.
Lerato was recognised in Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans in the Justice and Law category in 2021.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Qualifications
- LLB degree from the University of the Witwatersrand;
- Certificate in Advanced Company Law from the University of the Witwatersrand.
- Notarial Practice and Conveyancing Certificate from the Centre for Conveyancing Practice.
INSIGHTS
Overview
A skilled negotiator who works extremely hard, Lerato’s approach to M&A transactions is to work within the confines of the law to unlock value while minimising risk. When the deal is done, the client should feel that the transaction is sound and value for money, and that their legal team did everything they could to make a success of it.
In 12 years as an M&A lawyer, Lerato has advised private and public companies on domestic and cross-border acquisitions and disposals, empowerment transactions, general corporate matters, commercial matters, group restructurings and unbundling of shareholders.
A number of these have been distressed transactions, which Lerato is passionate about for their transformative potential to turn companies around and save jobs. In these scenarios, time is always of the essence and the solutions involve thinking out of the box to navigate the challenges. She finds it exciting to see how the work she does can make a difference to people and companies.
Whether advising in distressed or non-distressed transactions, Lerato is usually approached early on in the M&A lifecycle. She and her team assist with the legal due diligence, draft the transaction documents and negotiate until they achieve the best outcome for the client. M&A negotiations can be exacting when the other parties have differing perspectives on what the desired outcome should be, and this is where her work ethic and resilience show their value.
A generalist, Lerato has consciously chosen not to work in specific sectors as her focus is on working on the largest, most complex and most transformative M&A deals, in whatever sector they are. This focus includes cross-border transactions for ingoing or outgoing clients.
Lerato was short listed in 2021 as The African Legal Awards Partner of the Year, and was recognised as one of the Mail & Guardian top 200 Young South Africans to look out for in 2021.
Experience
Lerato has recently advised:
- The Peermont Global Group on its disposal of all of its operations in South Africa and Botswana to Sun International. Shortlisted DealMakers Deal of the Year, 2023.
- Renewable energy company Scatec, financial services firm Standard Bank and asset management company Stanlib in the establishment of a new renewable energy platform Lyra Energy to offer a low-risk, flexible commercial proposition to the private sector in South Africa.
- 3M Company on the South African aspects of its global reorganisation to restructure its five business units to four.
- Allianz X GmbH’s acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Innovation Group Holdings Limited, a leading global provider of claims and technology solutions to the insurance and automotive industries.
- Lanxess Proprietary Limited (along with its parent company, Lanxess Deutschland GmbH) on the disposal of its 74% shareholding in its South African chrome ore mining company to Chrome Production Holdings (a supplier of chrome fine ores), and on the sale of its chrome chemicals business to Brother Enterprises in China.
- Maersk A/S, in relation to its acquisition of Senator International Spedition GmbH and Senator International Holding, LLC for an enterprise value of approximately USD 644 million.
- PepsiCo on its acquisition of Pioneer Foods, which was named ‘Deal of the Year’ by DealMakers 2020 in South Africa. Valued at approximately USD 1.7 billion, the acquisition was one of PepsiCo’s largest outside the United States.
- Advent International on the South Africa aspects of its acquisition of the operations of Evonik Industries AG’s methacrylate business for EUR 3 billion.
- A multinational mining company on a transaction involving the proposed acquisition of an equity interest in certain South African chrome mines.
- Tata Communications in respect of the ZAR 7 billion disposal of Neotel to the Vodacom Group, and the subsequent sale of Neotel to Liquid Telecommunications and Royal Bafokeng Holdings.
- Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., in its acquisition of a minority interest in Abax Investments Proprietary Limited.
- Puma Energy and Trafigura in its acquisition of various retail focused petroleum businesses, across South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
- A London Stock Exchange listed mining company in relation to a restructuring of its African mining companies.
- A leading glass manufacturing company on its proposed acquisition of a controlling interest in a South African business.
Awards
- Chambers and Partners Global ranked Lerato as an ‘Up and Coming’ M&A lawyer in the South Africa guide in 2023 and 2024, and she was shortlisted as one of the top five ‘Up and Coming’ M&A lawyers in EMEA in 2023.
The Legal 500 ranked Lerato as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Commercial, Corporate and M&A in 2023.
Lerato was shortlisted in the African Legals Awards category for ‘Partner of the Year’ in 2022.
Lerato was recognised in Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans in the Justice and Law category in 2021.
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