Practice Areas: Corporate and commercial

In today’s complex business and economic environment companies are well-advised to engage the services of a competent legal partner who can provide strategic legal support and put the most appropriate structures in place to protect their interests.

Pule Incorporated provides commercial and legal advice to clients who seek to do business in South Africa and the rest of the continent.

Our team of corporate and commercial legal advisors give transactional advice on, among others, leases, shareholder agreements, debenture covenants, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, company restructuring, partnerships, registration of legal entities, regulatory aspects, contractual planning and management and related legal instruments.

We assist with international loan agreements, debt restructuring, regulatory matters and advise on the impact of the new Companies Act.

Credit and consumer legislation, such as the National Credit Act, the Consumer Protection Act and the Protection of Personal Information Act, impact almost every industry, necessitating reviews of business practices, policies, documentation and agreements. To ensure compliance, we assess the implications of the legislation on your business and provide you with workable, commercial solutions to protect you from litigation and regulatory investigations.

We frequently hold free workshops for our clients on legislative developments and other issues that affect the day-to-day running of their businesses.

Experience

Corporate and commercial

• Pule Inc acts for and on behalf of corporate clients in a number of commercial transactions.
• We have assisted in the drafting of concession agreements, procurement process and ancillary agreements for state entities.
• We are assisting clients in infrastructure development programmes in cross-border projects in the SADC region.
• We are assisting a client in association with other prominent law firms in the drafting and finalizing of the procurement and funding documents for the construction of the first demonstration solar plant in South Africa.
• We assisted clients together with international law firms with procurement processes for international projects.
• We are continuously advising clients on the impact of the new Companies Act and other new regulations.

Banking and finance law

• Pule Inc has provided legal opinions to Motraco on international loan agreements between the Mozambican government, the European Bank and the Bank of Japan.
• The firm was involved in a project that focused on an investigation as to whether the Johannesburg Stock Exchange could be utilised in order to raise primary capital for small, medium and micro enterprises.
• We have advised the National Treasury and the four major banks on debt restructuring matters, standstill agreements, private equity projects including Sisonke Fund Managers and the Enablis Fund.
• Our attorneys also have experience in respect of regulatory matters having advised Sanlam Investment Management and its group of companies on various compliance matters.
• Pule Inc is on the panel of all major South African banks.

Company law

• Pule Inc was involved in a number of commercial transactions in association with other prominent law firms. In particular, we have obtained a joint appointment in a project commissioned by the Department of Transport to establish co-operatives for the taxi industry.
• We also participated in the establishment of Johannesburg Housing Company, a company set up by the European Union to assist in the revitalisation of the Johannesburg central and surrounding areas.
• The firm has also been involved in a project for the National Housing Finance Corporation on the investigation and research aimed at the creation of a product that will assist in the delivery of low-cost housing.
• We have assisted Eskom Enterprises and TSI (Pty) Limited (one of its subsidiaries) in the incorporation of companies, drafting shareholders agreements and lease agreements.

Consumer protection

• Pule Inc is advising various clients, including Eskom, on the impact of the Consumer Protection Act in transactions with consumers. Our firm represents clients at the National Consumer Commissioner and the National Consumer Tribunal.
• Pule Inc did extensive research on competition legislation for the Small Business Regulatory Review, a task team appointed by the Department of Trade and Industry to conduct research on legislation that negatively impacts on small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME).
• Pule Inc advised clients on various agreements with regards to the impact of competition law on their businesses.

Corporate governance and company secretarial

We assist clients with:

• Company formation and shelf companies
• Memorandum of Incorporation
• Offshore investment structures
• Compliance
• Risk assessment