Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

John is the head of the Webber Wentzel private equity practice group. He has over 20 years corporate experience specialising in all aspects of private equity, including fund formation, merger and acquisition activity, management arrangements and acquisition finance. John also has public market merger and acquisition experience.

Over the last few years, John has advised prominent South African and international private equity houses on some of the largest private equity transactions undertaken in the South African market. He has also represented private equity borrowers with respect to all layers of debt raised by them in connection with their acquisitions. He has represented high yield lenders to major South African private equity transactions. He has also formed a number of private equity funds with a focus on South and sub-Saharan Africa.

John obtained his BComm from the University of Natal in 1982 and his LLB cum laude in 1984. He commenced his articles in 1987 and was seconded to Maitland & Co in Luxembourg for two years in 1990 and 1991, specialising in international taxation and cross-border transactions. John returned to South Africa in 1992 and was made a partner in 1993.

John has been recognised as a leading practitioner in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, private equity and capital markets by a number of prominent journals.

John has advised on some of the most significant private equity transactions yet undertaken in the South African market. Significant transactions include: representing Bain Capital in its acquisition of Edcon, the largest public-to-private yet in the South African market; representing Ethos in relation to the acquisition of the House of Busby Limited and iDwala Industrial Holdings (Proprietary) Limited; representing the high yield lenders to the consortium acquiring Alexander Forbes Limited; representing Ethos in relation to disposals of First Lifestyle, IST and Tsebo Outsourcing Group; representing Capitalworks in relation to the establishment of a suite of private equity funds; representing Ethos in connection with the raising of Ethos Private Equity Fund V; representing Absa in relation to the raising of Absa Private Equity Fund I; and representing Mondi Limited in connection with the acquisition of Lenco from Actis.

Other Practice Areas

John Bellew also features in the following practice areas:

• Capital Markets