Ian Kirkman
Partner | Johannesburg
Contact
T: +27 11 669 9447
E: ian.kirkman@bowmanslaw.com
Overview
Ian is a partner in the firm’s Corporate/M&A practice, advising domestic and international clients across a broad range of sectors, including consumer goods, financial services, and industrial goods and services. Ian focuses on mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets transactions, corporate finance and securities law matters.
From an M&A point of view, Ian’s experience spans public and private M&A, cross-border deals, joint ventures and black economic empowerment transactions. From an equity capital markets point of view, he has advised on initial public offerings, secondary listings and offerings.
He is known for combining technical expertise with commercially focused advice, helping clients navigate unique and often challenging issues in a very practical and pragmatic way.
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, United Kingdom, eSwatini and Kenya
Languages fluent in: English
Ian has advised:
M&A
- The Coca-Cola Company on the sale of a 75% controlling interest in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to Cola-Cola HBC AG (the transaction values 100% of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa at an equity value of USD3.4 billion).
- A consortium of investors on its acquisition of Barloworld (transaction value of ZAR23 billion).
- Teck Resources on its merger of equals with Anglo America (estimated transaction value of USD 50 billion).
- Nampak on its asset disposal programme agreed with its lenders.
- AECI on its announced intention to dispose of certain identified non-core businesses.
- Sanlam in relation to its ZAR6.5 billion acquisition of Assupol (Assupol was listed on the CTSE).
- Royal Bafokeng Platinum Limited in a contested bid for its control by Impala Platinum Limited and Northam Platinum Limited.
- Imperial with the establishment of an employee share ownership programme.
- Reunert with its broad-based black economic transaction announced in 2021.
- Datatec Limited in relation the sale of its majority interest in Analysys Mason.
- One Thousand and One Voices and Crossfin Technology with the acquisition of Sybrin from EOH.
- Monnoyeur SAS in connection with the acquisition of 100% of the equity interests of Impact Fork Trucks Limited from enX Group Limited, listed on the JSE.
- Fairfax (the majority shareholder of Grobank) with the investment by Access Bank (a Nigerian multinational commercial bank) of up to ZAR400 million into Grobank.
- Isanti Glass (which is 60% owned by the black-owned investment company Kwande Capital and 40% owned by SABSA Holdings (a subsidiary of AB InBev)) in relation to its ZAR1.5 billion acquisition of Nampak Glass. This transaction was named the Dealmakers BEE Deal of the Year, 2019.
- AB InBev with the disposal of its soft drinks businesses in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Zambia to Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
Equity Capital Markets
- Supermarket Income REIT on its secondary (inward) listing on the JSE.
- The Coca-Cola Company in connection with the announced plan to list Coca-Cola Beverages Africa on Euronext Amsterdam and the JSE.
- Standard Bank and Nedbank in connection with the ZAR1 billion rights offer undertaken by Nampak in 2023.
- Latham & Watkins in advising Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs in relation to the repurchase programme of Naspers and Prosus.
- Dis-Chem in relation to its listing on the JSE.
- Capital Appreciation in relation to its listing as a SPAC on the JSE (this was the first listing of a SPAC on the Main Board of the JSE).
- CFR Pharmaceuticals in relation to its proposed takeover of Adcock Ingram.
- Virgin Active Group Holdings Plc in relation to its proposed 2015 IPO.
Awards
‘The extensive knowledge and experience of the team that worked on the transaction. Ian… understood the law and provided advice in all aspects of the transaction.’ – IFLR1000, 2024
‘Ian Kirkman is “detail driven while remaining entirely commercial and focused on the best outcome”’. – Legal 500, 2023
‘Ian is the most sophisticated attorney with whom I have worked. He operates on a global, rather than local, standard and does a tremendous job of putting South African legal concepts into practice in ways that clients can easily understand.’ – IFLR1000, 2023
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Qualifications
Education
- BCom and LLB, University of Witwatersrand.
Professional Memberships
- Admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
INSIGHTS
Overview
Ian is a partner in the firm’s Corporate/M&A practice, advising domestic and international clients across a broad range of sectors, including consumer goods, financial services, and industrial goods and services. Ian focuses on mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets transactions, corporate finance and securities law matters.
From an M&A point of view, Ian’s experience spans public and private M&A, cross-border deals, joint ventures and black economic empowerment transactions. From an equity capital markets point of view, he has advised on initial public offerings, secondary listings and offerings.
He is known for combining technical expertise with commercially focused advice, helping clients navigate unique and often challenging issues in a very practical and pragmatic way.
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, United Kingdom, eSwatini and Kenya
Languages fluent in: English
Ian has advised:
M&A
- The Coca-Cola Company on the sale of a 75% controlling interest in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to Cola-Cola HBC AG (the transaction values 100% of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa at an equity value of USD3.4 billion).
- A consortium of investors on its acquisition of Barloworld (transaction value of ZAR23 billion).
- Teck Resources on its merger of equals with Anglo America (estimated transaction value of USD 50 billion).
- Nampak on its asset disposal programme agreed with its lenders.
- AECI on its announced intention to dispose of certain identified non-core businesses.
- Sanlam in relation to its ZAR6.5 billion acquisition of Assupol (Assupol was listed on the CTSE).
- Royal Bafokeng Platinum Limited in a contested bid for its control by Impala Platinum Limited and Northam Platinum Limited.
- Imperial with the establishment of an employee share ownership programme.
- Reunert with its broad-based black economic transaction announced in 2021.
- Datatec Limited in relation the sale of its majority interest in Analysys Mason.
- One Thousand and One Voices and Crossfin Technology with the acquisition of Sybrin from EOH.
- Monnoyeur SAS in connection with the acquisition of 100% of the equity interests of Impact Fork Trucks Limited from enX Group Limited, listed on the JSE.
- Fairfax (the majority shareholder of Grobank) with the investment by Access Bank (a Nigerian multinational commercial bank) of up to ZAR400 million into Grobank.
- Isanti Glass (which is 60% owned by the black-owned investment company Kwande Capital and 40% owned by SABSA Holdings (a subsidiary of AB InBev)) in relation to its ZAR1.5 billion acquisition of Nampak Glass. This transaction was named the Dealmakers BEE Deal of the Year, 2019.
- AB InBev with the disposal of its soft drinks businesses in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Zambia to Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
Equity Capital Markets
- Supermarket Income REIT on its secondary (inward) listing on the JSE.
- The Coca-Cola Company in connection with the announced plan to list Coca-Cola Beverages Africa on Euronext Amsterdam and the JSE.
- Standard Bank and Nedbank in connection with the ZAR1 billion rights offer undertaken by Nampak in 2023.
- Latham & Watkins in advising Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs in relation to the repurchase programme of Naspers and Prosus.
- Dis-Chem in relation to its listing on the JSE.
- Capital Appreciation in relation to its listing as a SPAC on the JSE (this was the first listing of a SPAC on the Main Board of the JSE).
- CFR Pharmaceuticals in relation to its proposed takeover of Adcock Ingram.
- Virgin Active Group Holdings Plc in relation to its proposed 2015 IPO.
Awards
‘The extensive knowledge and experience of the team that worked on the transaction. Ian… understood the law and provided advice in all aspects of the transaction.’ – IFLR1000, 2024
‘Ian Kirkman is “detail driven while remaining entirely commercial and focused on the best outcome”’. – Legal 500, 2023
‘Ian is the most sophisticated attorney with whom I have worked. He operates on a global, rather than local, standard and does a tremendous job of putting South African legal concepts into practice in ways that clients can easily understand.’ – IFLR1000, 2023
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