Deal of the Year - Walmart Stores Inc /Massmart Holdings Limited- South Africa

Firm Profile

Webber Wentzel is one of the leading corporate law firms on the African continent. Our strategy is to be able to help our clients wherever they do business in Africa. The firm has over 360 professionals (of which 148 are partners) in a variety of legal disciplines. Our total staff number is approximately 700. Our longstanding reputation is enhanced by a vast team of highly accomplished attorneys whose unmatched knowledge and extensive experience ensures that Webber Wentzel remains the legal firm of choice in Africa.

In 2011, Webber Wentzel announced it will join ALN (formerly Africa Legal Network) as its South African member. ALN is an established group of Africa’s foremost law firms, the largest and only one of its kind on the African continent. Founded eight years ago, ALN's members currently include ten law firms in Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. With the inclusion of Webber Wentzel, ALN will now cover 11 African countries (and 13 cities) and consist of over 520 lawyers on the ground in Africa. The size of the group and its multi-lateral nature distinguish it from any network, association or international law firm with offices in African countries but more importantly the tie-up creates a pan-African platform for ALN members to work together on an integrated basis on multi- jurisdictional projects.

In 2010, Webber Wentzel advised the inward investors in South Africa's three largest potential foreign direct investments:

• Wal-Mart/Massmart (awarded DealMakers Deal of the Year for 2010);

• HSBC Holdings/Nedbank; and • NTT/Dimension Data.

 104 Christo Els

Webber Wentzel was legal adviser for the foreign acquirer in three of the largest foreign investments in South Africa to date, being Barclays' acquisition of a stake in South Africa's largest bank (ABSA); Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's acquisition of a stakeholding in The Standard Bank; and Bain Capital's acquisition of Edcon, one of South Africa's largest retail groups.

We have been the legal and tax advisers on South Africa's three largest private equity transactions to date, and acted in the DealMakers Private Equity Deals of the Year for 2007 and 2008.

Areas of Expertise

• Aviation • Banking & Finance • Competition • Dispute Resolution

• Employment & Employee Benefits

• Financial Regulatory • Insurance & Legal Liability • Mergers & Acquisitions

• Mining, Energy & Natural Resources:

• Project Development & Finance • Public Law • Real Estate

• Shipping, Marine Insurance & Transport

• Tax

• Technology, Media, Telecommunications

• Intellectual Property Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2011

Christo Els Partner

18 Fricker Road Illovo Boulevard Illovo

Johannesburg South Africa

Tel: +27 11 530 5628 Email:

christo.els@webberwentzel.com

Christo is a partner and co-head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice of Webber Wentzel. Christo specialises in mergers and acquisitions (both crossborder and domestic), stock exchange, securities regulation, corporate finance and general commercial law. He has acted in many of the largest corporate transactions done in South Africa in recent years. Christo graduated magna cum laude with BLC LLB degrees from the University of Pretoria after which he joined Webber Wentzel Bowens as a candidate attorney in 1996. He also holds a Master's Degree in Tax Law which he received cum laude from the University of South Africa.

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