Practice areas

Financial Services

Bell Dewar has one of the largest specialist project finance teams in the country. The team has represented clients in almost all of the major project finance infrastructure projects undertaken in Southern Africa to date, providing in-depth knowledge of the issues peculiar to the construction and engineering industry and of the construction and operation contracts that form the basis for the project financing. The group offers experienced advisers to sponsors and funders on the financing aspects of projects in a range of industry sectors.

Through its PPP experience, the firm has developed a sophisticated understanding of the tendering process and the administrative provisions that regulate it.

Chambers and Partners had the following to say in respect of our firm and more particularly our financial services practice group:

2007 - "Bell Dewar is a dominant presence for project finance in South Africa, notably in the mining, transportation, motorways and energy sectors.  Sources recommended the firm for its "quality lawyers who understand what banks are looking for, and cut to the chase in offering clear and concise advice."

2008 - "The Bell Dewar financing team stands out for its wide experience in project finance and PPP transactions. It successfully combines "a talent for negotiating reasonable solutions" with "commercially sound advice" and is consequently viewed by clients as "a pleasure to work with."

The team's most recent undertakings include: acting for the Ilembe Consortium in the ZAR6.8 billion King Shaka International Airport contract - the largest new airport project undertaken by ACSA and the largest building project in South Africa to date; acting for local and offshore lenders to the Mozambique Transmission Company SARL in relation to project, finance and security documents in South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland; acting for a consortium of lenders in relation to finance and security documents for a ZAR2 billion bridging facility for the second network operator in South Africa (Neotel); representing the lenders in respect of long-term funding of Powercom (Pty) Ltd - a cell phone operator in Namibia and acted for the lenders in the funding of Seacom, the consortium behind the construction of fibre-optic under sea cables connecting South Africa and countries in East Africa with Asia and Europe.

Financial Services has expertise in project finance and infrastructure development; loan and facility agreements; securitisation; insurance and credit insurance; business recovery; structured and corporate finance; exchange control; financial instruments; Public Private Partnerships; banking law; and electronic (internet and EDI) settlement of transactions.

Contact: Lara Bezuidenhoudt

Back to top