CDH wins prestigious M&A Deal Flow award 10 years in a row

Having advised on 69 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals in 2018, business law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) accounted for 24% of market share last year.

This impressive flow of deals, totalling R55bn in value, led to CDH being recognised for the 10th consecutive year as the law firm that has advised on the most M&A deals in SA, at the annual DealMakers Awards held on February 19 2019.

CDH also clinched the coveted M&A Deal Value Award, the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Award for Deal Value (the firm came second for M&A deal flow in this category) and the Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year – in which partner Dave Pinnock advised Vumatel and its shareholders on the multibillion-rand disposal of the equity in Vumatel to CIVH through two consecutive transactions.  

Visit the website for more information about the awards.

Brent Williams, CEO of CDH, says that while a decade of M&A deal-flow wins undoubtedly demonstrates the firm’s consistent, the suite of accolades CDH received this month are fitting testament to the firm’s belief that partnering with its clients can lead to great things.

“We offer our clients a balanced combination of excellence in practice and value for money. This allows us to do both large and smaller deals, and means that our experience base spans a wealth of different deal profiles,” he says.

Speaking about the BEE Award for Deal Value, Williams says the recognition demonstrates CDH’s commitment to meaningful and successful transformation. He points to the R16.4bn BEE transaction between Vodacom Group and YeboYethu – the largest BEE deal in the ICT sector to date – as an example of CDH’s expertise.

“The partnerships we cherish and value most are those we have forged through time and experience with our clients and, of course, our people. The pioneering YeboYethu deal is testament to this and a tribute to the 10-year-long journey that Vodacom, YeboYethu and CDH have walked together, to provide better opportunities for South Africans and drive transformation.”

Regarding the future of the industry and the year ahead, Willem Jacobs, director and national head of the corporate and commercial practice at CDH, believes that deals of this nature continue to be critical for driving greater economic inclusion.

“Leveraging the excellent sectoral expertise and long-standing experience of CDH’s close on 100-strong team of lawyers within the M&A practice area, we will continue to grow the firm’s presence in SA and the African region as a whole, and remain committed to providing clients with value for their legal spend (in terms of predictability, efficiency and cost effectiveness) while maintaining the highest levels of service delivery.”

DealMakers track all M&A deals and corporate finance transactions entered into by South African listed companies. Its Annual Awards Dinner is now in its 18th year and honours advisory excellence in the M&A industry.

A summary of awards won by CDH at the Dealmakers Awards gala dinner:

For more information, visit www.cliffedekkerhofmeyr.com.

This article was paid for by Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyer.