Patrick Leyden
Patrick is a Corporate Partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group in Johannesburg.
Patrick is a corporate lawyer practicing across a number of industry sectors but specialising in the mining and energy sectors within Sub-Saharan Africa.
His experience includes domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, private equity, corporate restructurings, and black economic empowerment transactions.
Patrick has been recognised as a 'leading lawyer' in Who's Who Legal (Mining) 2019 - 2023 and noted in Legal 500 (2021) as a ‘key name’ for mining transactions. He is also the recipient of the 2020 and 2021 Client Choice Award for 'Energy & Natural Resources' in South Africa.
"Top 10 mining lawyers in South Africa" - Business Today 2023
"Patrick Leyden is very competent, very resourceful and hugely successful with our matters. He is very innovative and brings very creative solutions." – Legal 500 (M&A) 2022
Patrick’s clients have praised him as “pragmatic and commercial” and value his “lightning quick response time and accuracy when handling sophisticated cross-border transactions”. – Who’s Who Legal 2021.
Background
Patrick holds BA and LLB degrees from Rhodes University, South Africa.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
Mining
- Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited in relation to the acquisition of AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng Mine (the world's deepest mine) and related operations in South Africa for circa US$300m
- Norilsk Nickel in the sale of its interest in the Nkomati Nickel Joint Venture in South Africa to African Rainbow Minerals
- Trevali Mining Corporation, TSX listed company, in relation to its joint venture with Vedanta in Namibia
- Thiess in relation to the acquisition of Basil Read's interest in the Majwe Joint Venture in Botswana and its AUS$1.7 billion contract mining services agreement with Debswana Diamond Company in relation to the Jwaneng Diamond Mine
- CIMIC in relation to the South African aspects of its disposal of 50% of its mining services unit valued at AU$4.3bn
- the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as international legal counsel on the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources’ mineral law reform project
Energy
- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners in relation to its acquisition of a majority interest in Mulilo Energy Holdings, a diversified renewable energy company in South Africa
- G7 Renewable Energies in relation to the disposal of its Brandvalley, Rietkloof and Wolf wind farms to Red Rocket
Infrastructure
- Lightstruck Holdings on various TMT transactions
- FutureGrowth, Stanlib and WIPHold on the acquisition of a majority stake in AFGRI's grain silo infrastructure portfolio and grain business in South Africa
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