Roxanne Webster
Partner | Johannesburg
Contact
T: +27 11 669 9538
Overview
Roxanne is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department and a member of the Litigation Practice as well as the Business Rescue, Insolvency and Restructuring Practice.
Roxanne prides herself in providing excellent client services by helping clients achieve their desired results in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, whilst mitigating any potential risks.
Roxanne has a wealth of experience in commercial litigation across various sectors and has advised large multinational companies.
With more than 10 years’ experience, Roxanne also has extensive experience in business rescue and insolvency, assisting business rescue practitioners, liquidators, lenders and corporate clients in all aspects of business rescue and insolvency, including distressed sales and acquisitions. She also advises clients on directors’ duties and liabilities and how to mitigate any personal liability when facing financial distress.
She regularly delivers seminars and writes for various top-tiered media publications.
She is also the founding board member of the South African branch of the International Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, Southern Africa (IWIRC). IWIRC is a global organization founded in the United States.
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa
Languages fluent in: English
* Includes experience gained prior to joining Bowmans.
Roxanne has advised a number of large corporate clients on a wide range of disputes and is adept at managing all aspects of litigation, from the initial assessment of a case through to trial and, if necessary, appeal. Her expertise spans a broad spectrum of contentious matters, making her a valuable asset to large organizations facing legal challenges. Her experience includes:
- assisted in proceedings instituted against SAP Limited for over ZAR 900m. *
- assisted a UK company institute recovery proceedings against debtors who relocated to South Africa to evade debt incurred in the UK and settling the matter to satisfaction of the client. *
- assisted in evicting a company in liquidation (and its related entities and persons) from premises that it occupied illegally for more than 10 years. *
- advising Sasol South Africa Limited and its related companies in a number of matters the most significant being a fraud perpetrated by an employee who effectively costed the company over ZAR 50 million in losses and instituting proceedings to recover such losses and preserve assets.
- advising PRASA in its litigation against Siyangena Technologies Limited in relation to contracts awarded to Siyangena worth ZAR 5.5billion in respect of work to be concluded for the Fifa Soccer World Cup of 2010.
- advising Capitec Bank and Investec in various commercial recoveries, litigation, and insolvency related matters.
Roxanne also as extensive experience in Business Rescue, Insolvency and Restructuring:
- assisted in advising Airlink (Pty) Ltd, being a major creditor in the market defining ZAR 70 billion business rescue of South African Airways SOC Ltd. The matter involves a dispute on the interpretation of the business rescue plan of SAA. *
- assisted in advising The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa in the restructuring of Kalagadi Manganese (Pty) Ltd. The matter involves an ongoing opposed business rescue application as well as other ancillary litigation. This is one of the biggest exposures within the IDC book. *
- assisted in advising the business recue practitioners of Rebosis Property Fund Ltd, being a REIT listed on the JSE, in relation to one of the largest and noteworthy business rescues in the market. The value of the business rescue (total liabilities) amounts to ZAR 13 billion. The matter attracts market attention and is newsworthy due to it being the first REIT to be placed under business rescue. The matter has involved various interpretation disputes pertaining to the business rescue legislation as well as initiatives and strategies to obtain dispensation from the listing requirements of the JSE.
- assisted in advising The Post Office Retirement Fund, as major creditor, in the business rescue proceedings of the South African Post Office SOC Ltd.*
- assisted in advising international investors with written advice in relation to the restructuring of Edcon.*
- assisted with written advice in relation to the restructuring of a large mining conglomerate and its related entities.*
- assisted in conducting a compromise in terms of section 155 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 after the company concerned was liquidated and a potential investor was identified.*
- instituted
- urgent perfection application (before debtors could be placed into business rescue proceedings) in terms of a various General Notarial Bonds where client was owed approximately ZAR 1 billion.*
- assisted in convening and conducting enquiry proceedings after a company’s business rescue proceedings was converted to liquidation and client provided post-commencement finance to the value of USD 8 million; and assisted in instituting proceedings against the appointed business rescue practitioner for, inter alia, reckless trading and breach of fiduciary duties.*
- assisted in the business rescue proceedings of Comair Limited.*
- assisted various clients who continued to render services to SAA during its business rescue and negotiating with the business rescue practitioners on the treatment, payment and security for such claims.*
- assisted in successfully opposing proceedings instituted by shareholders to convert the liquidation proceedings of Group Five Limited into liquidation.*
- assisted in advising a client in relation to the business rescue proceedings of The New House of Busby (now Frontier Co).*
- advised the business rescue practitioners appointed to a casino and gambling operations group with a combined debt of over ZA R100m.*
- advised SPAR Limited in the business rescues of two retailers in Johannesburg. With one retailer, we successfully applied to court to terminate the business rescue but not place the company into liquidation to allow SPAR to take over the store and pay creditors. In the other, we successfully negotiating a sale of the business, ensuring that a large portion of SPAR’s debt is recovered. *
- advising the Chief Restructuring Officer of Daybreak Foods (Pty) Ltd in the restructuring of DayBreak Foods
Awards
- The Best Lawyers in South Africa ranked Roxanne for Insolvency and Reorganization Law for the year 2023 and 2024.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Qualifications
Education
- LLB, University of Witwatersrand
- Postgraduate diploma in Insolvency Law and Practice, University of Pretoria, cum laude
- LLM in Commercial Law, University of Johannesburg, cum laude
Professional Memberships
- Admitted as Attorney and Notary Public
- South African Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners Associations (SARIPA).
- INSOL International.
- International Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, Southern Africa, serving as a founding board member
Overview
Roxanne is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department and a member of the Litigation Practice as well as the Business Rescue, Insolvency and Restructuring Practice.
Roxanne prides herself in providing excellent client services by helping clients achieve their desired results in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, whilst mitigating any potential risks.
Roxanne has a wealth of experience in commercial litigation across various sectors and has advised large multinational companies.
With more than 10 years’ experience, Roxanne also has extensive experience in business rescue and insolvency, assisting business rescue practitioners, liquidators, lenders and corporate clients in all aspects of business rescue and insolvency, including distressed sales and acquisitions. She also advises clients on directors’ duties and liabilities and how to mitigate any personal liability when facing financial distress.
She regularly delivers seminars and writes for various top-tiered media publications.
She is also the founding board member of the South African branch of the International Women in Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation, Southern Africa (IWIRC). IWIRC is a global organization founded in the United States.
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa
Languages fluent in: English
* Includes experience gained prior to joining Bowmans.
Roxanne has advised a number of large corporate clients on a wide range of disputes and is adept at managing all aspects of litigation, from the initial assessment of a case through to trial and, if necessary, appeal. Her expertise spans a broad spectrum of contentious matters, making her a valuable asset to large organizations facing legal challenges. Her experience includes:
- assisted in proceedings instituted against SAP Limited for over ZAR 900m. *
- assisted a UK company institute recovery proceedings against debtors who relocated to South Africa to evade debt incurred in the UK and settling the matter to satisfaction of the client. *
- assisted in evicting a company in liquidation (and its related entities and persons) from premises that it occupied illegally for more than 10 years. *
- advising Sasol South Africa Limited and its related companies in a number of matters the most significant being a fraud perpetrated by an employee who effectively costed the company over ZAR 50 million in losses and instituting proceedings to recover such losses and preserve assets.
- advising PRASA in its litigation against Siyangena Technologies Limited in relation to contracts awarded to Siyangena worth ZAR 5.5billion in respect of work to be concluded for the Fifa Soccer World Cup of 2010.
- advising Capitec Bank and Investec in various commercial recoveries, litigation, and insolvency related matters.
Roxanne also as extensive experience in Business Rescue, Insolvency and Restructuring:
- assisted in advising Airlink (Pty) Ltd, being a major creditor in the market defining ZAR 70 billion business rescue of South African Airways SOC Ltd. The matter involves a dispute on the interpretation of the business rescue plan of SAA. *
- assisted in advising The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa in the restructuring of Kalagadi Manganese (Pty) Ltd. The matter involves an ongoing opposed business rescue application as well as other ancillary litigation. This is one of the biggest exposures within the IDC book. *
- assisted in advising the business recue practitioners of Rebosis Property Fund Ltd, being a REIT listed on the JSE, in relation to one of the largest and noteworthy business rescues in the market. The value of the business rescue (total liabilities) amounts to ZAR 13 billion. The matter attracts market attention and is newsworthy due to it being the first REIT to be placed under business rescue. The matter has involved various interpretation disputes pertaining to the business rescue legislation as well as initiatives and strategies to obtain dispensation from the listing requirements of the JSE.
- assisted in advising The Post Office Retirement Fund, as major creditor, in the business rescue proceedings of the South African Post Office SOC Ltd.*
- assisted in advising international investors with written advice in relation to the restructuring of Edcon.*
- assisted with written advice in relation to the restructuring of a large mining conglomerate and its related entities.*
- assisted in conducting a compromise in terms of section 155 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 after the company concerned was liquidated and a potential investor was identified.*
- instituted
- urgent perfection application (before debtors could be placed into business rescue proceedings) in terms of a various General Notarial Bonds where client was owed approximately ZAR 1 billion.*
- assisted in convening and conducting enquiry proceedings after a company’s business rescue proceedings was converted to liquidation and client provided post-commencement finance to the value of USD 8 million; and assisted in instituting proceedings against the appointed business rescue practitioner for, inter alia, reckless trading and breach of fiduciary duties.*
- assisted in the business rescue proceedings of Comair Limited.*
- assisted various clients who continued to render services to SAA during its business rescue and negotiating with the business rescue practitioners on the treatment, payment and security for such claims.*
- assisted in successfully opposing proceedings instituted by shareholders to convert the liquidation proceedings of Group Five Limited into liquidation.*
- assisted in advising a client in relation to the business rescue proceedings of The New House of Busby (now Frontier Co).*
- advised the business rescue practitioners appointed to a casino and gambling operations group with a combined debt of over ZA R100m.*
- advised SPAR Limited in the business rescues of two retailers in Johannesburg. With one retailer, we successfully applied to court to terminate the business rescue but not place the company into liquidation to allow SPAR to take over the store and pay creditors. In the other, we successfully negotiating a sale of the business, ensuring that a large portion of SPAR’s debt is recovered. *
- advising the Chief Restructuring Officer of Daybreak Foods (Pty) Ltd in the restructuring of DayBreak Foods
Awards
- The Best Lawyers in South Africa ranked Roxanne for Insolvency and Reorganization Law for the year 2023 and 2024.
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