Global law firm White & Case LLP has expanded its Global Debt Finance Practice and Africa practice with the addition of Lindani Mthembu as a partner in Johannesburg.
"As Africa continues on its growth trajectory, we see strong demand from clients to support investment opportunities in important industry sectors, including banking, infrastructure, power, telecoms and transport," said White & Case partner Eric Leicht, Head of the Firm's Global Debt Finance Practice. "Lindani is a key addition to our debt finance team in Johannesburg and demonstrates our commitment to building a world-class debt finance platform on the African continent that can serve our clients on the most complex transactions in the years ahead."
Lindani's practice focuses on banking and finance, advising a range of international and South African corporates and financial institutions on structured finance, project finance, acquisition finance, asset finance, debt restructuring and sovereign debt funding transactions. A significant aspect of his practice is advising lenders to mining companies and other mineral resources corporates on a variety of financing transactions, and he has also advised on a number of aircraft financing deals, primarily acting for aircraft financiers and lessors. Lindani joins White & Case from Allen & Overy, where he was a director, and brings more than 15 years of experience.
"Lindani has extensive experience in the South African market advising on high end international and domestic finance transactions and his strong client relationships are a natural fit with our existing practice," said White & Case partner Colin Harley, Regional Section Head, EMEA Banking. "He adds further strength to the Johannesburg team which offers our clients a compelling advisory proposition for their most complex finance work in the market. Lindani will be working alongside his former colleagues Lionel Shawe and Sibusiso Zungu, who also joined our Johannesburg office from Allen & Overy."
Partner Oliver Brettle, a member of White & Case's global Executive Committee, said: "Africa is a strategically important market for White & Case where we have been advising clients on a wide range of matters for more than 40 years, and where in 1995 we were the first foreign law firm to establish an office in South Africa. Lindani's arrival continues a significant period of growth in Johannesburg which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to this strategically important office, and to supporting our clients as they pursue opportunities in Africa."
The White & Case office in Johannesburg has grown over the past three years through the lateral addition of mergers and acquisitions partner Gary Felthun (from ENSafrica) and debt finance partners Lionel Shawe and Sibusiso Zungu (both from Allen & Overy), the relocation to Johannesburg of project development and finance partner Gareth Hodder and the promotion to partner of mergers and acquisitions lawyer Craig Atkinson, as well as the lateral addition of two local partners and the internal promotion of three lawyers to local partner.
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