Leading South African law firm Webber Wentzel has appointed Annari Harley as a partner in its restructuring team.

Harley specialises in banking and finance and insolvency law. She has 22 years' experience in risk management, debt restructuring, debt recovery and turnaround strategies, formal business rescue proceedings and insolvency-related litigation and processes.

Webber Wentzel partner and head of the firm's Dispute Resolution Practice, Trevor Versfeld, says, "Annari's appointment will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to offer clients a comprehensive service in a somewhat uncertain world where turnaround and restructuring strategies need to be developed on a daily basis."

He explains that Webber Wentzel has identified a need to provide clients, particularly those in the financial services industry, with a seamless service in relation to distressed businesses.

He says, "This involves having a skills set that combines commercial acumen and industry-specific savvy with technical excellence - skills that are key in assisting clients to turn distressed businesses around, or, where that is not possible, helping them to realise the most favourable returns in an insolvency scenario. "

Harley joins Webber Wentzel from Absa Corporate and Investment Bank where she was head of the legal team advising Absa Corporate's Credit and Restructuring Group. There she oversaw and managed numerous restructurings and insolvency-related litigation matters and managed reputational and legal risk.

Prior to her time at Absa Harley served as a corporate recoveries and restructure manager for First National Bank's Commercial Division.

Harley has a BLC, LLB and an AIPSA diploma in insolvency law (with distinction) from the University of Pretoria. She also completed a course in advanced company law through the University of the Witwatersrand and an advanced short course in business rescue through the University of South Africa (also with distinction).