Ross Lomax
Ross is a Corporate partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group in the Johannesburg office.
Ross is a partner in the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure practice group in the Johannesburg office. His practice focuses on M&A (largely private sector) and general corporate work. He is a leading corporate lawyer in South Africa with 20 years of experience acting for well-known local and international mining, commercial and industrial companies with a particular focus on the energy sector. Ross represents a wide range of clients including listed and unlisted South African corporates and multinational corporations. He has acted for clients in all sectors with a recent focus on Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transactions and transactions in the renewable energy, mining and telecommunications sectors.
Ross also specialises in the corporate components of project work. He has advised on approximately 40 renewable energy projects under the auspices of the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Programme (REIPP).
Ross also assists clients with investigations, complaints and charges initiated by regulatory bodies such as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), Competition Commission and the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA). He has dealt with offences such as insider trading, market manipulation, trading in closed periods and price fixing.
Ross provides corporate support on commercial litigation matters relating to, amongst others, disputes arising from allegations of breach of contract and breaches of the Companies Act.
Background
Ross holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degrees from the University of Cape Town, a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Magister Juris degree from the University of Oxford. He also completed a Diploma in Legal Management from Harvard University. He commenced Articles with Deneys Reitz Attorneys (now Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa) in 1995 and served that Firm in various professional and management capacities for 24 years until mid 2019. At the time of his departure he was the Head of Mergers and Acquisitions for the South African business of Norton Rose Fulbright.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Mulilo Renewable Energy Proprietary Limited on the acquisition of the entire shareholding of X-Elio Energy, S.L. in two solar projects, being Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV De Aar (RF) Proprietary Limited and Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV Prieska (RF) Proprietary Limited
- Mulilo Renewable Energy Proprietary Limited in relation to an equity investment by Stanlib
- Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V in relation to a debt to equity conversion through a subscription for preference shares in MMS Communications South Africa Proprietary Limited
- Bunengi Group Holdings Proprietary Limited in relation to its acquisition of shares in Cisco Systems Inc, a company listed on the Nasdaq, as part of a BEE transaction for Cisco Technology and Services (South Africa) Proprietary Limited
- Huge Group Limited in relation to a BEE transaction relating to Huge Connect, involving the subscription for preference shares by Huge Group and the subscription for ordinary shares by Windfall 111 Properties Proprietary Limited
- Nike Inc., Nike European Operations Netherlands and Nike South Africa (Pty) Ltd (United States) on the negotiation of a suite of agreements pertaining to the construction and lease of the Soweto Football Centre for purposes of the 2010 Soccer World Cup*
- Huge Group Limited on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of ConnectNet*
- Publicis Groupe on BEE transaction in terms of which a BEE partner acquired a direct and indirect minority shareholding in MMS Communications Proprietary Limited (MMS)*
- Scatec Solar ASA (Norway) on its Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and Round 4 solar PV energy projects under the REIPP*
- OroTree Group Limited (Malaysia) on the acquisition of the mining and prospecting rights and associated infrastructure assets of the ERPM Gold Mine (ERPM), owned by a wholly owned subsidiary of DRD Gold Limited*
*experience prior to joining Herbert Smith Freehills
