An amendment to South Africa’s Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) in April 2024 created a new criminal offence relating to the failure by members of the private sector or state-owned entities (SOEs) to prevent certain types of corruption.
Our dispute resolution and regulatory team combines our lawyers' expertise in litigation, arbitration, investigations and alternative dispute resolution with our on-the-ground knowledge of international trade, regulatory and government affairs issues.
Our goal is to help you devise an approach to addressing and resolving disputes that best fits your business strategy.
Globalisation of world markets has brought almost limitless commercial opportunities. It also increases the potential for legal liability and regulatory compliance issues, exposing corporations to financial and reputational risk across multiple jurisdictions.
We regularly handle technically challenging and multi-jurisdictional matters and have the local strength and knowledge to advise on specific legal, cultural and procedural issues. We are one of the most active law firms in Africa, with lawyers throughout the continent working directly with our global litigation, arbitration, regulatory and government affairs teams to give clients access to one of the largest litigation practices in the world. We help companies address the entire range of technically challenging legal dispute and regulatory issues, working to deliver outcomes that meet their strategic goals in efficient and cost-effective ways. In a region where regulation and enforcement will only increase, we also know that effective compliance and avoidance of regulatory intervention is critical.
Local insight, global reach: with lawyers in 20 African countries, our teams understand the political, cultural, regulatory and economic contexts, and our lawyers on-the-ground can call on the support of our wider global Africa team with lawyers in Johannesburg, Casablanca, London, New York, Paris, Dubai, Perth, Hong Kong and Beijing. This global network enables clients to draw on the multidisciplinary resources and experience of one of the world’s biggest law firms, offering a fully integrated service across requirements and borders and drawing on our deep knowledge of national and international legislation as well as our strong working relationships with regulators and governments.
Key capabilities include:
- administrative law
- aviation litigation and regulation
- banking and finance litigation
- class actions
- construction, engineering and infrastructure disputes
- corporate and securities litigation
- cross-border litigation
- environment, health and safety
- global governance and compliance
- insurance and reinsurance disputes
- international arbitration
- international business and human rights
- international trade
- investigations
- IT and telecoms disputes
- product liability, mass torts and product stewardship
- real estate litigation
- tax controversy and disputes
- third-party funding
- white collar and corporate crime
Across Africa, antitrust and competition laws governing business conduct can be complex, and the consequences of non-compliance severe. Our teams help to bring clarity in this potentially uncertain landscape.
Our South African team has extensive experience in advising on both South African and African competition law backed by a team of lawyers in 20 African countries. We understand the political, cultural, regulatory and economic context in the region. Our lawyers bring a deep understanding of global antitrust and competition rules to help clients conduct business – and respond to investigations or enforcement actions – in focused and cost-effective ways.
Key contacts
- Legal500 2020 – Ranked in Band 3 in the Competition category.
Global law firm DLA Piper announces the appointment of two new directors in South Africa. Charles Smith joins the firm's Corporate practice and Megan Sturgeon joins the firm's Litigation and Regulatory team on 1 March 2023.
The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA), one of the most used arbitral institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, launched its revised International Arbitration Rules (New AFSA Rules) on 1 June 2021.
The prohibition of Grand Parade’s divestiture of Burger King South Africa by the Competition Commission due to a lack of black ownership and its recommendation to approve the divestiture of Sasol’s air separating units business with a range of public interest conditions once more highlights the importance of the public interest grounds in merger control assessment.
The decision by governments to impose restrictions on businesses to slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a severe impact on the global and South African economy.