Ashleigh Hale
Senior Partner | Johannesburg
Contact
T: +27 11 669 9342
E: ashleigh.hale@bowmanslaw.com
Overview
Ashleigh is renowned for her strong project management and execution skills when handling complex transactions. Her clients come back to her again and again because of her hands-on approach and her ability to deliver on their priorities. This is why she not only leads their deals, but continues to advise once a transaction is finished, in areas like post-merger integration and restructurings.
She is a leader in advising on ownership and empowerment in Africa and has long-standing relationships with many multinationals, financial services organisations and TMT sector clients. They rely on her commercial and client-focused advice to navigate the local legal landscapes and manage and mitigate their risks.
As a member of the firm’s Management Board, she oversees a team of expert lawyers from across our African footprint. She uses her proven leadership track record to deliver seamless and efficient results to her clients, with a key focus being to ensure diversity through the firm and in client team composition.
Her ability to quickly adapt and provide solutions to complex issues in highly regulated and changing environments brings praise from clients. Joshua Koenig, General Counsel of SBA Communications, said the following of his experience;” Ashleigh has helped us deliver our transactions in the best way for our business and so that we hit tight deadlines. She is great at putting a team of expert Bowmans lawyers together and we feel safe in her hands. We trust her advice and her ability to deliver across our Africa footprint.”
Ashleigh’s key areas of practice include cross-border M&A, broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE), solvent restructurings, restructuring of state-owned assets, joint ventures and corporate governance.
Professional Memberships
- Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (Law Society of the Northern Provinces).
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Ashleigh has advised:
- Minara (a joint venture between SBA Communications and Paradigm Infrastructure UK) on the acquisition by it of c. 1400 towers from Airtel in Tanzania.
- WSP Group Africa in relation to its merger with Golder Associates in South Africa pursuant to the consolidation globally of the WSP and Golder groups.
- Marsh in relation to the merger and integration of the JLT Group in South Africa with Marsh’s South African business.
- CNH Industrial on its acquisition of certain capital equipment goods businesses from Invicta Holdings Ltd.
- Epiroc South Africa in relation to its acquisition of the New Concept Mining group, with operations in South Africa, Zambia, Peru, Chile and Canada and its subsequent B-BBEE transactions in South Africa.
- Veolia Africa S.A. in relation to its acquisition of Dolphin Coast Landfill Management Pty Limited.
- Capitalworks, a leading Africa focused private equity firm, in relation to its acquisition of Aon’s shareholding in 10 employee benefit, insurance and reinsurance brokerage operations in Angola, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
- Imithi Investments Pty Limited, a BBBEE consortium, in the unwinding and restructuring of its investment in Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited.
- JCDecaux in relation to its partnership with Royal Bafokeng Holdings and their acquisition of Continental Outdoor Media, a South African based media group with operations in 16 countries in Africa.
- Marriott International in the acquisition of the Protea Hotel group with hotels across Africa.
- Marsh in its acquisition of the insurance brokerage and risk business of Alexander Forbes in South Africa and seven other African jurisdictions.
- Various multinationals including Ericsson, Marsh, GL Events, Coface, WPP, Veolia Africa and SBA Communications in relation to their B-BBEE ownership structures.
Awards
- Legal 500 ranked Ashleigh as a Leading Individual for Commercial, Corporate and M&A for 2023 and 2024
- IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide: rated as a Highly Regarded Lawyer for M&A for -six consecutive years (2018 to 2023).
‘Ashleigh Hale is an excellent negotiator and is on top of the transaction.’– Legal 500, 2020
‘Walks the extra mile regardless the task and time required. Professional and knowledgeable.’ – IFLR 1000, 2019
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Qualifications
- BA and LLB degrees from the University of Cape Town.
- Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (Law Society of the Northern Provinces).
INSIGHTS
South Africa: Corporate Law Update – January 2023
Africa: Key FinTech Trends in 2022
Stricter reporting and enforcement on local empowerment in Africa
South Africa: B-BBEE – New practice note on discretionary collective enterprises
COVID-19: Impact of the pandemic on B-BBEE in South Africa
Obligation to report a B-BBEE transaction to the B-BBEE Commission
Introducing Blockchain
Final Marketing, advertising and communications (MAC) sector code published
Brochures
Overview
Ashleigh is renowned for her strong project management and execution skills when handling complex transactions. Her clients come back to her again and again because of her hands-on approach and her ability to deliver on their priorities. This is why she not only leads their deals, but continues to advise once a transaction is finished, in areas like post-merger integration and restructurings.
She is a leader in advising on ownership and empowerment in Africa and has long-standing relationships with many multinationals, financial services organisations and TMT sector clients. They rely on her commercial and client-focused advice to navigate the local legal landscapes and manage and mitigate their risks.
As a member of the firm’s Management Board, she oversees a team of expert lawyers from across our African footprint. She uses her proven leadership track record to deliver seamless and efficient results to her clients, with a key focus being to ensure diversity through the firm and in client team composition.
Her ability to quickly adapt and provide solutions to complex issues in highly regulated and changing environments brings praise from clients. Joshua Koenig, General Counsel of SBA Communications, said the following of his experience;” Ashleigh has helped us deliver our transactions in the best way for our business and so that we hit tight deadlines. She is great at putting a team of expert Bowmans lawyers together and we feel safe in her hands. We trust her advice and her ability to deliver across our Africa footprint.”
Ashleigh’s key areas of practice include cross-border M&A, broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE), solvent restructurings, restructuring of state-owned assets, joint ventures and corporate governance.
Professional Memberships
- Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (Law Society of the Northern Provinces).
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Ashleigh has advised:
- Minara (a joint venture between SBA Communications and Paradigm Infrastructure UK) on the acquisition by it of c. 1400 towers from Airtel in Tanzania.
- WSP Group Africa in relation to its merger with Golder Associates in South Africa pursuant to the consolidation globally of the WSP and Golder groups.
- Marsh in relation to the merger and integration of the JLT Group in South Africa with Marsh’s South African business.
- CNH Industrial on its acquisition of certain capital equipment goods businesses from Invicta Holdings Ltd.
- Epiroc South Africa in relation to its acquisition of the New Concept Mining group, with operations in South Africa, Zambia, Peru, Chile and Canada and its subsequent B-BBEE transactions in South Africa.
- Veolia Africa S.A. in relation to its acquisition of Dolphin Coast Landfill Management Pty Limited.
- Capitalworks, a leading Africa focused private equity firm, in relation to its acquisition of Aon’s shareholding in 10 employee benefit, insurance and reinsurance brokerage operations in Angola, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
- Imithi Investments Pty Limited, a BBBEE consortium, in the unwinding and restructuring of its investment in Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited.
- JCDecaux in relation to its partnership with Royal Bafokeng Holdings and their acquisition of Continental Outdoor Media, a South African based media group with operations in 16 countries in Africa.
- Marriott International in the acquisition of the Protea Hotel group with hotels across Africa.
- Marsh in its acquisition of the insurance brokerage and risk business of Alexander Forbes in South Africa and seven other African jurisdictions.
- Various multinationals including Ericsson, Marsh, GL Events, Coface, WPP, Veolia Africa and SBA Communications in relation to their B-BBEE ownership structures.
Awards
- Legal 500 ranked Ashleigh as a Leading Individual for Commercial, Corporate and M&A for 2023 and 2024
- IFLR1000’s Financial and Corporate Guide: rated as a Highly Regarded Lawyer for M&A for -six consecutive years (2018 to 2023).
‘Ashleigh Hale is an excellent negotiator and is on top of the transaction.’– Legal 500, 2020
‘Walks the extra mile regardless the task and time required. Professional and knowledgeable.’ – IFLR 1000, 2019
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