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Apart from offering expert legal consultancy for local jurisdictions, CMS partners up with you to effectively navigate the complexities of global business and legal environments.

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CMS lawyers can provide future-facing advice for your business across a variety of specialisms and industries, worldwide.

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Global Reach

Apart from offering expert legal consultancy for local jurisdictions, CMS partners up with you to effectively navigate the complexities of global business and legal environments.

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CMS South Africa
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Private Equity

Our Private Equity Team can help you navigate the full range of legal challenges associated with any type of transaction.

As a private equity fund, investor or management team, you face daily pressures of valuations, performance, exit strategies and regulation. The relative availability of debt, together with significant levels of capital committed to the private equity industry or held on corporate balance sheets, has strongly impacted the competition for assets and pricing levels.

A cohesive private equity strategy will support you to ensure that you acquire the right assets and obtain maximum value from your portfolio.

Your deals are executed according to tight deadlines and complex regulatory constraints. Our multidisciplinary specialist team in South Africa, supported by over 85+ offices globally can mobilise quickly, whatever the size and complexity of your transaction.

How we can help 

With tax, exchange control, regulatory, B-BBEE, employment, banking, commercial and disputes expertise, we can also assist in the protection and growth of your funds and investments.

With extensive experience covering all aspects of private equity and venture capital, including:

  • establishing and structuring private equity and venture capital funds
  • advising on investments into private equity and venture capital funds, including tax, exchange control considerations, broad-based black economic empowerment and regulatory approval
  • structuring and advising on investments by private equity and venture capital funds, including due diligence investigations, tax structuring, regulatory considerations, exchange control, competition and the acquisition, disposals and related transactional activity of these funds
  • advising on company law, governance and management incentive issues affecting portfolio companies and private equity firms
  • advising as to exit strategies including the efficient structuring, negotiation and execution of initial public offerings, trade sales and recapitalisations

Whether your deal is in the upper or mid private equity or venture market, our specialist lawyers can guide you towards the best business outcome in your home markets and across multiple jurisdictions.

  • establishing and structuring private equity and venture capital funds
  • advising on investments into private equity and venture capital funds, including tax, exchange control considerations, broad-based black economic empowerment and regulatory approval
  • structuring and advising on investments by private equity and venture capital funds, including due diligence investigations, tax structuring, regulatory considerations, exchange control, competition and the acquisition, disposals and related transactional activity of these funds
  • advising on company law, governance and management incentive issues affecting portfolio companies and private equity firms
  • advising as to exit strategies including the efficient structuring, negotiation and execution of initial public offerings, trade sales and recapitalisations

Whether your deal is in the upper or mid private equity or venture market, our specialist lawyers can guide you towards the best business outcome in your home markets and across multiple jurisdictions.

Awards & Recognitions
01
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    They have outstanding industry knowledge and experience, and a practical understanding of the law. They always come back quickly and are available when needed! They make my business their business which brings comfort.
    Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023
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    The individuals at CMS have been around the block and know what to ask and look for. They make themselves available and respond to queries urgently. They know my business intimately.
    Legal 500 | Corporate & Commercial, South Africa, 2023
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    The team is instrumental in commercial negotiations. It is a very value-adding team to work with.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
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    CMS RM Partners is by far one of our preferred legal advisers. The lawyers are highly responsive and very strong on the commercial side.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
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    The team is very commercially aware, able to understand our business and our challenges and advises us accordingly on a number of transactions.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
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    They kept us well informed and were always on time with our deadlines.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
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    The lawyers have a very good grasp of technical matters.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2024
  • Quote
    The dedicated and seasoned team approaches each matter with a strategic mindset, ensuring thorough analysis and tailored solutions.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    CMS stand out for their exceptional ability to navigate complex scenarios efficiently.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    The team offer very fast turnarounds and are flexible and pragmatic.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    The team capacity is extensive, which helps in closing matters quickly.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
  • Quote
    The team is on top of things, with outstanding knowledge of the commercial background, which makes transactions highly efficient.
    Chambers & Partners, South Africa, 2025
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    What I really like about CMS is their deep knowledge of our business and the option to tailor the approach to what we really like.
    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • Quote
    At CMS, deliverables are delivered on time and the quality of work is unmatched. Above everything, the team is calm and provides assurance through the entire process.
    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • Quote
    CMS's South African corporate department is a robust team which is adept at handling a wide range of corporate transactions. The firm counts a whole host of recognised client names under its belt, including entities from the mining, retail and telecoms industries, in addition to further strength in the shipping, financial services and energy sectors. Alongside its activity advising on acquisitions and disposals, the team leverages its transactional experience to act on fund formation and black economic empowerment (BEE) transactions.
    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • Quote
    My overall impression of CMS is that their commercial awareness is really strong and the team works really well to meet deadlines. They are very good at keeping on top of things.
    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • Quote
    The team at CMS is readily available and very accommodative in terms of what we need. I am also very impressed with the manner the lawyers conduct themselves, as they are very responsive.
    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • Quote
    CMS is technically very strong on complex cross-border M&A deals. The law firm is a great partner to work with and understands the needs of the client and the commercial drivers.
    Chambers & Partners, 2026

Events

  • South Africa
    24 Feb 2026

    CMS Perceiving the world of patents with Emotional Perception

  • South Africa
    03 Mar 2026

    IP Insights webinar series 2026

  • South Africa
    23 Mar 2026

    CMS at PTMG Spring 2026

  • South Africa
    21 Apr 2026

    On the Pulse webinar series 2026 - Spring

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