Number one rankings for business law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr in the DealMakers’ Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) rankings have consolidated the firm’s position at the top of the legal adviser league table in South Africa.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr was ranked first by both deal value and deal flow for Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) activity in 2011, according to the DealMakers legal adviser rankings announced on 29 February (2012).

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr advised on 77 transactions, giving it a market share of 26.46% of the total number of M&A transactions recorded by DealMakers in 2011. Its nearest rival had 44 deals for the year. The value of M&A deals was R104.7 billion and comprised 23,6% by value of all transactions.

The law firm was also ranked number one by transaction flow (28 transactions) and third by transaction value (R29.8 billion) for general corporate finance.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr advised Metorex in the acquisition of its shares by Jinchuan, a Chinese company, in a transaction valued at R9billion, which won 2011 Deal of the Year. The firm also advised shareholders, in the Actis-led management buyout of vehicle tracking pioneer, Tracker, a transaction which won 2011 Private Equity Deal of the Year.

Ian Hayes, National Head of the Corporate and Commercial practice at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, expressed the firm’s delight over the rankings.

"We are delighted by these significant accomplishments. We have retained our number one ranking in M&A deal flow for a third consecutive year and we have strengthened our position as a leading business law firm for corporate transactions nationally and cross border in Africa."

In January 2012, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr was named Sub-Saharan Africa M&A Legal Adviser of the Year at the FT mergermarket European M&A awards. The law firm also topped the 2011 mergermarket league table as the most active legal adviser in Africa with 31 deals, up from second place in 2010.
 

For more information:
Ian Hayes, Director and National Practice Head, Corporate and Commercial Practice, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Tel: +27 (0)11 562 1234 or 083 326 4826,
email: ian.hayes@dlacdh.com

Andrea Collocott, Head: Marketing, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Tel: +27 (0)11 562 1281 or 071 541 0100,
email: andrea.collocott@dlacdh.com

Angela Graham, Tel: 073 505 9012 yeahwrite@worldonline.co.za

Notes:
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is one of the largest commercial law firms in South Africa with some 115 directors/partners and 250 qualified lawyers at offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr lawyers specialise in services covering the full range of business legal needs.

With more than 52 M&A lawyers, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has one of the largest corporate M&A practices in South Africa. The core M&A deal team includes practitioners from the firm’s other practice areas with experience in finance and banking, competition, tax, intellectual property, employee incentives and real estate.

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr is the exclusive South African member firm of DLA Piper Group and is affiliated to DLA Piper, a global law.

DLA Piper has more than 4,200 lawyers in 30 countries and 76 offices in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. In jurisdictions where DLA Piper does not have offices, DLA Piper Group has alliances and relationships with independent law firms, including the Africa Group.

www.cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com