We are delighted to announce that Webber Wentzel was again recognised as one of the leading law firms in the market at the 16th DealMakers Annual Gala Awards, held on 15 February 2017.

For the second consecutive year, we clinched the title of Legal Advisor of the Year 2016 - ‘Mergers & Acquisitions by Deal Value’. We were also awarded Legal Advisor of the Year 2016 - ‘General Corporate Finance by Transaction Value'.  These two awards are the most sought after titles amongst all the categories at the DealMakers Awards as they demonstrate that clients trust us with their most important matters.

Congratulations to our client, Actis, on being awarded Private Equity Deal of the Year 2016 for the disposal of Tekkietown. We advised Actis and the remaining shareholders on the disposal of Tekkietown, one of the largest footwear retailers in South Africa, to Steinhoff.

We are thrilled to have partnered with Actis on this deal. This is the sixth consecutive year that Webber Wentzel has played a role in the deal named Private Equity Deal of the Year 2016. We also advised on three of the four 2016 PE deals shortlisted in this category in 2016, reflecting the firm's dominant position in the niche PE market.

Colin du Toit, a partner in our corporate team, was also one of the four shortlisted nominees for Individual DealMaker of the Year 2016, and the only attorney nominee. The competition was significant as others included on the shortlist were Richard Stout (Standard Bank), Piet Ferreira (Steinhoff International) and Andrew Brooking (Java Capital). The award went to Piet Ferreira from Steinhoff International.  Congratulations Piet, this is an outstanding achievement.

"DealMakers is an important barometer of South Africa’s M&A and corporate finance market and we are honoured to be have been recognised at this year's awards.  The fact that our firm is consistently recognised for its deal expertise is further reassurance to our clients that their high profile and complex transactions are in the very best hands. We are grateful that our clients continue to place their trust in us", says Christo Els, Senior Partner at Webber Wentzel.

"These accolades from DealMakers serve to demonstrate the value we deliver to our clients and the trust our clients have in our capability to handle their most high profile, complex and innovative transactions.  It is also testament to the calibre of people that we have within our firm, without whom none of this would be possible." says Sally Hutton, Managing Partner at Webber Wentzel.