South Africa

With over 150 years of experience and industry knowledge, Webber Wentzel is the leading full-service law firm on the African continent. We combine the collective knowledge and experience of our firm to provide clients with seamless, tailored and commercially-minded business solutions within record times.

We value excellence and innovation and we work with our clients to help them achieve success in whatever they do. Our passion to help our clients achieve their goals shows in the quality of the delivery of our service. We aim to add value in everything we do and to be the trusted adviser to our clients.

Our alliance with Linklaters and our deep relationships with outstanding law firms across Africa provide our clients with the best expertise wherever they do business.

We believe in making a positive contribution to the communities in which we work and we are proud to call ourselves home to one of South Africa’s most long-standing, dedicated pro-bono practices. We are committed to promoting access to justice for all South Africans, upholding the Constitution and protecting the rule of law. Our Corporate Social Investment initiatives also focus on supporting initiatives and projects that promote access to justice, education and access to education and socio-economic development.

As a firm, we are committed to transformation and diversity. We are an accredited Level 2 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) contributor and we are engaged in a number of initiatives aimed at driving transformation and inclusivity within our organisation, the legal sector and our society.

Our Aviation Offering

Aviation transport is a highly complex and regulated sector which extends beyond borders and is central to building the global marketplace.

Having been involved in most of the high-profile matters in the South African aviation sector for over 30 years, we understand the issues and challenges facing the industry and have an in-depth knowledge of the regulatory environment, as well as the latest leasing and financing trends. We have one of the largest dedicated teams of aviation sector experts on the African continent. We are industry leaders and many of our team members are recognised as experts in their fields by international ratings agencies.

Our clients include commercial airlines and other operators, aircraft and equipment manufacturers, aircraft lessors, engine lessors, financiers, export credit agencies, ground-handling companies, and airline associations.

We have constructive relationships with key aviation regulators, including the Civil Aviation Authority. We are a registered professional user entity for the purposes of the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town, 2001) and the Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters specific to Aircraft Equipment (Cape Town, 2001). We are also the only South African and African law firm invited to sit on the legal advisory panel of the Aviation Working Group. We have also represented the South African aviation industry in Parliamentary hearings on the draft Civil Aviation Bill.

We can assist with issues related to regulatory compliance, aviation finance, insurance, sale and purchase agreements, lease agreements (in their various forms), slot regulations, taxation (cross border and domestic), import and export of aircraft, commercial day to day matters in an aviation context, or, should a default occur, repossession of aircraft. We can assist with obtaining a licence to operate an air service, advice related to slot regulations or consumer or data protection laws, or advise related to incentives schemes and competition law.