Natal Law Certificate (1969)

Don Allaway is a partner in the firm's Corporate Department, where he has practised since joining the firm in 2000. Prior to that he practised in Durban for many years as a Corporate Lawyer.

Some of the matters in which Don has represented clients are, the transfer of the Professional Provident Society's insurance business to a Life Insurance Company, participation in the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Project, the Initial Land Assembly for the Point Waterfront Development in Durban, the development of the Durban and Sandton Hilton Hotels and the development of the Zimbali Coastal Forest Estate. Don also represented Idion in its successful defence of a hostile take over bid initiated by Datamirror, a Canadian Company. He is currently representing a voluntary trading organisation with more than 250 outlets in South Africa and the United Kingdom which is the target of two competing take over bids initiated by subsidiaries of JSE listed companies. He also represents Bowman Gilfillan in respect of the development of the property it will occupy in the Sandton CBD.

Don is a fellow of the Society of Arbitrators and has lectured extensively at the invitation of professional organisations including the International Bar Association, the Association of Law Societies and to Accountants, Architects, Engineers and Quantity Surveyors.
Practice Focus
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Commercial and Industrial Property Development
• Hotel and Resort Development
• Insurance Law

+27 11 669-9301
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Diploma in Law (UCT)
Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer

Malcolm specialises in Property Law and Conveyancing, including sectional title and share block development at our Plumstead office.

In recent years he has been involved in the development of golf estates.

Malcolm's practise areas include property and real estate law, sectional title law, conveyancing and notarial law.

+27 21 761 4824
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BA LLB (Wits)
H Dip Tax (Wits)

Michael is one of the most senior partners in the firm and has wide ranging experience from representing foreign and local banks, insurance companies, pension funds and unit trusts, parastatal entities, computer companies, service companies, industrial and chemical manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical companies, distributors, engineering and construction companies. The fields in which his practice has been focussed from time to time include mergers and acquisitions, competition law, banking, insurance and financial services, property unit trusts, institutional property investment and development, joint ventures, project finance, intellectual property, tax, engineering and construction.

As lead attorney, Michael handled the disinvestment of Hewlett Packard from South Africa and its subsequent re-entry, by acquisition from Siltek. He was also lead attorney for the re-entry of IBM into South Africa by means of the staged acquisition of shares in the listed South African IBM company. Other experience includes restructuring of the French controlled AGF Insurance companies in South Africa and the Absa Bank group of insurance companies. He represented The Bank of New York in the establishment of its global custody arrangements in South Africa. He represented one of the main shareholders in connection with the official enquiry into the collapse of AA Mutual Insurance Association, one of the largest short term insurer’s in South Africa at that time. He handled the acquisition of the interest of BHP Holdings (International) Inc. in BHP Minerals Mali, Inc. for Randgold Resources (Holdings) Limited and the sale by Tiger Oats Limited of the entire issued share capital of Logos Pharmaceuticals (Proprietary) Limited to Merck & Co. Inc. For many years he represented the trustee of nearly all property unit trust companies in South Africa. He also assisted Sentrachem for many years with joint ventures and a variety of commercial agreements for the building of plant and the manufacture and distribution of chemicals. He negotiated and prepared all of the agreements for the strategic underground storage of crude oil in South Africa. He represented UCAR Carbon, a US corporation in its acquisition of 50% of the share capital of EMSA from Samancor. He also handled 3 schemes of arrangement for the merger of 4 gold mining companies, Kloof, Libanon and Venterspost in the Gold Fields Group.

+27 11 669-9329
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BA LLB (University of Cape Town)

Ashleigh Hale is a partner in Bowman Gilfillan’s Corporate Department. She has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, privatisation and restructuring of state assets, joint ventures and strategic outsourcing in the IT industry.
In mergers and acquisitions, Ashleigh advises a range of multinational and local companies. Recent M&A transactions include:
 advising Alcatel CIT, Gemplus SA (now Gemalto) and Unisys Africa on the transfer of equity in their South African operations to black empowerment partners;
 advising Ponahalo Capital as co-lead attorney on its acquisition of shares in De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd.
In relation to the privatisation and restructuring of state assets, Ashleigh was part of the team which advised Transnet in relation to its proposed restructuring of Spoornet during 2000, and was co-lead attorney representing Turbomeca SA in relation to its acquisition of the Airmotive Division of Denel. Ashleigh is currently involved in advising Transnet in relation to the disposal of certain of its non-core assets and is advising Botswana Telecommunications Corporation in relation to its proposed privatisation.
In outsourcing, Ashleigh has advised EDS South Africa in relation to its strategic IT outsourcing arrangements and a variety of other related IT agreements.

+27 11 669-9342
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BA LLB (Wits)

Rob Morson is a partner in Bowman Gilfillan’s Corporate Department. He was admitted as an attorney in 1996 and has practiced in both the commercial and litigation fields.

Rob advises various multinational and local companies on a broad range of commercial matters including general commercial agreements, supply and service agreements, consortia and joint ventures, corporate restructurings, development leases and commercial property transactions but specialises in mergers and acquisitions and construction and engineering law and is the Corporate Department Construction and Engineering Practice Area Manager.

In the Construction and Engineering field he has represented clients in numerous sector specific disposals and acquisitions and has advised employers, contractors and consultants on contracts (both standard form and special purpose), disputes and other matters in connection with, inter alia, energy projects (including coal fired and nuclear), mining and process plant projects (including waste, cement, paper and acid plants and aluminium smelters), equipment supply, erection & refurbishment projects and fabricated steel supply projects (including line-pipe for water, oil and gas applications), sport stadium and port projects and residential and commercial property projects.

Clients for whom he acts include the Eskom, the Murray & Roberts Group, Volvo, PPC and AngloGold Ashanti.

Practice Focus
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Construction & Engineering Law

+27 11 669-9370
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BA LLB (UCT)
LLM (UCT)
Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer

Ronel is a commercial property lawyer specialising in land-related commercial matters. She has experience in property development from planning, finance, marketing and implementation.

She has been involved in the securing of finance for major commercial developments and acts for corporate clients, private individuals and banking institutions.

+27 21 480 7952
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DIP Law (UCT), Notary Public and Conveyancer.

Frans van Hoogstraten is a director of Bowman Gilfillan and practices in the firm’s corporate department. He was admitted as an attorney in 1974 and has specialised in commercial property law throughout his professional career.

Frans has acted for various local and international companies on a broad range of property related matters including general commercial agreements, joint ventures, mergers, corporate restructuring, land acquisition, due diligence investigations, financing arrangements, leases and leasebacks, share block schemes, property development, township establishment and land use matters. Frans has acted, inter alia, in the development of regional shopping centres, prime office developments and prestigious golf course developments. He has also acted in the acquisition and disposal of large property portfolios on behalf of corporate clients and in the listing and merger of companies on the JSE.

Frans regularly presents lectures on behalf of various bodies and is the author of numerous published articles on issues involving commercial property law.

Practice Focus
• Commercial Property Law
• Property Development
• Property Acquisitions and Disposals
• Property Finance
• Share Blocks and Fractional Ownership
• Leases

+27 11 669 9379
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Georg is a senior associate in the firm’s corporate department. He focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions and commercial property transactions. Recent transactions that he was involved in include the acquisition by Mvelaphanda Resources Limited of 22.3% of the issued share capital of Northam Limited from Anglo Platinum and the subscription by LBREP (Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners) of 5,884,012 combined units in JSE listed Pangbourne Properties Limited. He has significant experience in unlisted M&A transactions including Black Economic Empowerment related transactions. He has advised on tax aspects of commercial transactions.

+27 11 669-9151
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