Bio

Ryan Wessels is a partner in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice and a member of the firm’s partnership board, with over 18 years’ experience in advising on mergers and acquisitions, equity capital markets, corporate finance and securities law. In the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) arena, he has a wealth of experience in advising on all aspects of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, and has advised on significant public deals, private deals, black economic empowerment transactions and joint ventures. His practice is sector agnostic, and he has significant experience in advising on M&A in the energy, oil and gas, mining, telecommunications and private security / security services sectors. In the equity capital markets and corporate finance (ECM) arena, Ryan has advised on several initial public offerings, secondary listings, rights offerings and equity placings. In 2008, he completed a seven-month secondment stint at Deutsche Bank AG, and in 2012 through 2013 he practiced at premier U.S. law firm: Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Ryan has consistently been recognized as a ‘highly regarded / leading lawyer’ by the international research organization: IFLR1000 for his mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets expertise (IFLR1000: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 editions). Ryan has also been recognised as a leading lawyer by international research organisaton: Chambers Global: 2020. Ryan is also the only lawyer from South Africa who holds the office of trusteeship on the securities law committee of the International Bar Association.