Willem is a member of Cliffe Dekker's Corporate and Commercial practice. Willem’s areas of expertise are corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private equity, black economic empowerment transactions, formation, structuring and restructuring of business entities, and general commercial agreements.

Willem began his career as a Candidate Attorney at Cliffe Dekker & Todd Inc in 1995. In 1997, Willem was promoted to Associate and to Senior Associate in 1998. He became a Director in 1999.

BCom Law, Diploma in Insolvency (Dip (Insolvency), Rand Afrikaans University
Higher Diploma in Tax (H.Dip (Tax)), Rand Afrikaans University
Date of Admission: 1997

• Advised Pamodzi Gold Limited on its listing on the JSE, Pamodzi Gold Limited having a market capitalisation upon listing of approximately R740 million

• Advised Petmin Limited on it secondary listing on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange plc, Petmin Limited having a market capitalisation upon listing of approximately R600 million

• Advised Howden Africa Holdings Limited on the disposal of its 42% interest in Pump Brands (Proprietary) Limited

• Advised Rand Merchant Bank (a division of FirstRand Bank Limited) on the disposal of its 48.4% interest in Global Resorts Limited for approximately R530 million

• Advised Absa Bank Limited on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Avena Lease Plan Fleet Management (Proprietary) Limited

• Advised Rand Merchant Bank (a division of FirstRand Bank Limited) and Investec Bank Limited with regard to the R450 million syndicated funding of Brait South Africa Limited by means of cumulative redeemable preference shares

• Advised Rand Merchant Bank (a division of FirstRand Bank Limited), the financial adviser of Astrapak Limited, on the creation, issue, placing and listing by Astrapak Limited of perpetual preference shares with an aggregate subscription price of up to R250 million

• Member of the team advising Malbak Limited in regard to the unbundling and disposal of its subsidiary companies

• Advised on and structured numerous acquisitions and mergers through a variety of legal procedures and structures

• Involved in various schemes of arrangement, having acted as adviser to offerors, offerees and minority shareholders

• Member of the team advising Foodcorp Limited, one of the major South African groups in the food industry, in regard to a leveraged buy-out transaction

• Advised various foreign entities on acquisitions and disposals in South Africa

• Advised both offerors and offerees in hostile take-over situations