Lauren Paxton

Associate Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc

Lauren Paxton

Biography

Lauren is an Associate in the Corporate Mergers and Acquisition team based in Johannesburg.

Lauren focuses on advising on a broad range of M&A and BEE transactions as well as regulatory mining and general corporate work.  

Lauren has particular expertise in cross-border and domestic M&A transactions, and has advised JSE-listed companies, and private companies with major shareholdings in JSE-listed companies, in relation to the JSE Listings Requirements and the South African Companies Act.

Before working as a candidate legal practitioner, Lauren completed an International Legal Development Programme at another well-known international law firm.

Professional experience

Representative experience

Representative experience

Corporate*

  • Comcast Corporation on the South African aspects of the joint venture between Comcast's subsidiary, NBCUniversal, and the Multichoice Group in terms of which NBCU acquired a 30% stake in the joint venture company which will offer content from NBCU, Universal Pictures, Peacock, Sky, HBO, Warner Brothers International, Sony and others
  • Copenhagen Investment Partners on its subscription of more than 80% of the shares in Mulilo Renewable Energy (RF) Proprietary Limited
  •  IHS Holding on its acquisition of over 5,000 telecommunication towers in South Africa from MTN Group.
  • Deutsche Lufthansa Group on the South African transactions part of the sale of the global business of the LSG Group to private equity investor, Aurelius Group 
  • A confidential client, being a major shareholder in a JSE-listed company, on the removal of directors from the board of the JSE-listed company.
  • A confidential client, being a major shareholder in a JSE-listed company, in relation to shareholder engagement by the board, concert party behaviour and insider trading allegations.
  • Pearson plc on the disposal of 100% of its shares in Pearson South Africa Proprietary Limited to Novus Holdings Limited, as well as the parallel sale of business from Pearson South Africa Proprietary Limited to Pearson Holdings Southern Africa Proprietary Limited pursuant to the internal restructuring of its South African operations
  • Mulilo Renewable Energy on the restructuring of its shareholding in two project companies.
  • Rising International Education and Learning Limited in a US$4.25 million series A investment led by Klett Kita and Schule, part of one of Europe's largest education companies, the Klett Group, and participated in by UBS Optimus Foundation, King Philanthropies Inc., Dovetail Impact Foundation and Solon Capital Holdings.
  • Stanlib and Stanlib Infrastructure Investment Fund II on their investment in two solar project companies in South Africa (being Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV De Aar and Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV Prieska
  • Greenstreet 1 Proprietary Limited on its acquisition of a majority stake in Solar Capital De Aar 3 (RF) Proprietary Limited, a solar photovoltaic project under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Procurement Programme.

    Corporate Mining*

  • The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as international legal counsel on the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources’ mineral law reform project 
  • A confidential mining company on all legal aspects of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Khnaiguiyah Licensing Round, which concerned the award of four contiguous exploration licences, including the establishment of a consortium with another qualified confidential bidder.
  • Involved in Norilsk Nickel Mauritius (NNM) and Norilsk Nickel Africa (Proprietary) Limited on the sale of NNM's US$ 279 million interest in the Nkomati Joint Venture to BCL (Proprietary) Limited in Botswana and the disputes which have subsequently emanated from this transaction including appeal proceedings under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 and judicial review proceeding.

    Pro Bono*

  •  Working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Lawyers for Human Rights to run and operate a clinic which assists refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa, and their children, in obtaining citizenship by naturalisation in South Africa

*Experience listed above obtained prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright

Education

Education

LLB, University of Stellenbosch, 2018

Admissions

Admissions

  • qualified in South Africa 2022

Publications

Languages

Languages

  • English

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