Lerato Thahane is a Partner at leading African law firm, Bowman Gilfillan Inc. She practices in the Corporate Department of her firm, specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions. She has advised private and public companies on several domestic and cross border acquisitions and disposals, empowerment transactions, general corporate matters, commercial matters, group restructurings and unbundling of shareholdings. She has many years of experience working on significant, and at times high profile, in and out bound transactions in various countries in Africa and in Europe. She joined Bowmans in 2011. Between 2018 and 2019 she practiced at the Munich office of international law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where she advised on both mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. Lerato holds an LLB degree and a Certificate in Advanced Company Law from the University of the Witwatersrand. She also has a Notarial Practice and Conveyancing Certificate from the Centre for Conveyancing Practice. She is a Mail and Guardian top Young 200 South Africans to look out for in 2021 and has been shortlisted as a 2021 Partner of the Year in the Africa Legal Awards. Chambers and Partners Global Guide rated Lerato Thahane as an Up and Comer for her work in mergers and acquisitions in 2023. In addition to her contributions to the SSP organisation, Lerato is also a trustee of the Standard Bank Tutuwa Community Trust and has since 2018 played a role in contributing to the economic development of SA’s youth through supporting their various initiatives. Lerato is a proud mother of two and when she’s not juggling work and raising her little ones, she’s spending time in the boxing ring, embroidering, or doing some pottery.
