Viren Raja

Local Partner, Johannesburg

Biography

Overview

Viren Raja is a local partner in the Commercial Litigation practice of White & Case in Johannesburg.  His practice focuses on commercial disputes as well as matters relating to insolvency and business rescue.

Viren has worked on numerous commercial mediation and arbitration proceedings as well as high court litigation and debt recovery matters domestically and in other African jurisdictions. Viren has also been involved in white-collar crime related matters.

He has represented national and multinational clients in various commercial sectors including banking and financial services, healthcare, aviation, construction, energy, mining, private security, risk management and logistics.

Bars and Courts
South Africa
Education
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
Rhodes University
Bachelor of Arts
Legal Theory and Organisational Psychology
Rhodes University
Languages
English

Experience

Viren's selected experience includes:

Advising a large SEC-registered investment advisor and private credit firm in relation to a dispute in relation to a suite of complex agreements.

Advising a large multinational mining and metals company listed on the ASX, JSE and the LSE in relation to a dispute regarding its plants and energy supply.

Advising various multinationals in relation to the winding up of their local South African businesses.

Advising multinational Aviation companies in relation to Insolvency and Business Rescue matters.

Advising Lenders in relation to various insolvency and commercial litigation related matters concerning a large renewable energy project.

Advising a large multinational Medical company with regard to various commercial disputes in South Africa and Namibia.

Advising a large multinational investment trading firm in relation to proceedings before the Financial Services Tribunal.

Assisted in advising leading financial houses in South Africa in relation to a complex shareholders dispute involving the Steinhoff collapse.

Advising a large property development company in relation to a dispute regarding a complex suite of loan agreements.

Advising a technology company with an Intellectual Property Dispute in relation to its various Applications.

Represented and advised various mining and commercial companies in relation to their claims and rights in the business rescues of their respective debtors.

Represented and advised the Reserve Bank of South Africa in relation to various insolvency related matters.

Acting for a large JSE-listed construction company in arbitration proceedings and various insolvency-related matters.

Assisted in acting for one of the largest multinational technology and on-line platform companies providing internet and related service products in various litigious matters involving their services.

Advising and representing an international services, trading and distribution company listed on the JSE, South Africa in various litigious commercial disputes.

Advising and representing a large international mining company listed on the JSE, South Africa in various litigious commercial disputes

Advising a group of overseas-based Lenders regarding various facility agreements in relation to a Greenhouse Project and resultant insolvency proceedings and litigation including a class action in relation thereto.

Advising creditors in relation to the Virgin Australia Administration.

Advised a ASX listed distribution and marketing company in relation to Insolvency proceedings and ongoing litigation in relation to one of its subsidiaries in South Africa.

Advising Trustees in relation to various Litigious matters in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia.

Successfully appeared in the Federal Court of Australia, New South Wales Division to move a Reinstatement Application.

Assisted an ASX listed Company with an internal compliance investigation in relation to some of its products.

Assisted ASX listed financial services businesses with advisory work in relation to mitigating and managing litigation risks. *

*Experience prior to joining White & Case

Publications

Who is paying Who? Lexology August 2019 

Shelter in Place? The Effects of Lockdown and Beyond on the Travel and Tourism Industry Insight Plus September 2020