Overview
Robert is widely regarded as a leading corporate lawyer advising corporates and financial institutions on private and public M&A, equity financings and IPOs, as well as counselling senior executives and board members on strategic initiatives and generally.
Robert’s experience spans many sectors, including the financial institutions sector, insurance and fintech, as well as in-depth knowledge of the mining sector.
Work highlights
Robert has led, or been a key adviser, on many market-leading deals. These include advising:
M&A transactions:
- a consortium led by CK Infrastructure on its proposed acquisition of Australian gas distribution network operator, APA
- a financial investor on its investment in Lufax
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia on its disposal of its Indonesian life insurance business to FWD
- AXA on the proposed disposal of its Swiss Privilege business to Kingkey and on its acquisition of HSBC’s Asian non-life insurance business
- the Bank of East Asia on the sale of Tricor to Permira
- Siam City Cement on its acquisitions of Lafarge Holcim's Sri Lanka and Vietnam businesses
- the banks on the merger of Cheung Kong and Hutchison and the spin-off listing of Cheung Kong Property Holdings
- Hutchison on its proposed acquisition of O2 UK and the co-investment by a consortium in O2 UK and 3UK
- Jardines on its joint venture with BOC and JD Digits to establish a virtual bank in Hong Kong, its investments in Zhongsheng and Greatview Aseptic Packaging and its partial offer for JLT
- Dairy Farm on its investment in Yonghui Superstores
Financing transactions:
- on the IPOs of Hutchison China Meditech, BOC Aviation, Glencore, IRC, Essar Energy, African Barrick Gold, Nikanor, Dignity, Vedanta and Dimension Data
- on the rights issues by Pacific Basin, IRC, Yuexui Property, Chong Hing Bank, CITIC Telecom, Acquarius Platinum, Redrow, Greene King, International Power and Nedbank
Education and qualifications
Robert studied law at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and holds a masters in law (BCL) from Exeter College, University of Oxford.
He speaks English, Afrikaans and Dutch.
