Summary Profile
Harry Christodoulou specialises in general corporate and commercial
litigation in the firm's Dispute Resolution: Litigation and Arbitration
practice. Harry's areas of expertise include banking law, insurance law,
delictual law, liquidations and sequestrations, general corporate and
commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Harry has assisted
numerous major corporations and banks with recovery, both in South Africa and
abroad, of losses in the millions and represents a large international oil
company and has a tremendous success rate with its litigation matters. In
addition to general corporate and commercial litigation, Harry deals with
insolvency matters arising from time to time within the litigation context on a
regular basis.
Career
Harry began his career at Cliffe Dekker Fuller Moore as a Candidate
Attorney in 1999. In 2001, Harry was promoted to Associate and in 2003 to
Senior Associate. Harry was made a Director at Cliffe Dekker in 2005 and in
September 2008 became a Director of Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr.
Education/ Qualifications
BCom LLB, University of the Witwatersrand
Date of admission: 2001
Experience
- Acting for the joint liquidators in the liquidation of Hyundai Motors
in which the insolvent estates had debts in excess of R1 bn in South Africa and
R900m in Botswana since 2002. In acting for the joint liquidators aforesaid,
Harry:
- Was involved in the attachment of assets belonging to the
liquidated estates, after the liquidation order was granted, in order to
preserve assets and prevent same from being dissipated
- Was involved in section 417 enquiries conducted by the
liquidators and the investigation into the financial affairs of the liquidated
companies
- Instituted actions against third parties to set aside impeachable
transactions and in order recover monies owing to the liquidated estates
- Represented proven creditors in the liquidated estates against
challenges by third parties to set aside their secured claims, which if
successful would have resulted in a preferred creditor receiving the interim
distribution paid out to the secured creditors
- Instituted winding up proceedings both locally and abroad to
liquidate debtors owing monies to the liquidated estates
- Instituted legal actions both locally and abroad against debtors
owing monies to the liquidated estates
- Advising and acting for clients in respect of compromises with
creditors in terms of section 311 of the Companies Act
- Advising the Reserve Bank in an African country and a major client in
the United Kingdom on the South African laws on insolvency, liquidations and
judicial management
- Sequestrating individuals
- Advising clients when to prove claims in the insolvent estates of
liquidated companies and sequestrated individuals, as well as assisting clients
with the preparation of claim forms
- Attending on behalf of clients at meeting of creditors to prove
claims in insolvent estates
- Advising clients on the effects of sequestration of a joint estate,
in circumstances where the Administration of Estate's Act is applicable
- Working with forensic auditors in investigating fraudulent claims
with the view to establishing claims against insolvent estates
- Representing clients in insolvency enquires
- Lecturing on a pro amica basis on insolvency law in the BLA
Commercial Law programme
