We can assist your business in a variety of ways to ensure that your operations are legally compliant and to address any environmental issues or disputes that may arise. Here are few ways in which we can assist:
- We prepare practical and easy-to-understand regulatory advice and legal opinions. Given our diverse backgrounds and qualifications (which include law and science), we understand the legal and technical operational aspects of your business – we understand the chemistry that underpins your business. We also regularly assist clients, in the private and public sector, to draft and comment on new laws.
- We offer an array of auditing and compliance functions. If you are feeling uncomfortable about any aspect of your business, we can audit it. We don’t only make audit findings; we provide step-by-step guidelines of how to close out the findings to quickly reduce legal exposure. For example, we can audit the following to assess legal compliance:
- application processes (with a view to defending challenges);
- environmental permits (to pick up amendments to be made);
- specific aspects of your business (eg waste/water management); or
- your entire operation (to assess legal compliance).
- We can customise training for employees and contractors that is tailored to your specific operations and business needs. We also offer training for senior managers and directors with practical advice to mitigate exposure to environmental liability, particularly criminal liability, which is a reality in South African law. Empowering staff with the necessary expertise to identify legal risks is one of the most important investments a business can make to ensure it is operating lawfully.
- We are experts in drafting a host of environmentally focussed contracts in which we marry our contractual drafting skills with our environmental regulatory expertise. In our experience, specialised contracts require specialist legal advice. Examples of specialist contracts we advise on include: agreements involving the sale or lease of contaminated land, water supply agreements, and waste service provider agreements.
- We are available to assist with any corporate or commercial transaction involving mergers, acquisitions or disposals you seek to implement as your business changes. Our vast due diligence capabilities enable us to advise on all forms of environmental liability, as well as transferability or change of control issues. We assist with drafting and reviewing environmental clauses in transaction agreements, including conditions precedent, warranties, indemnities and disclosures. We have assisted on a number of significant listings on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and other platforms.
- We aim to bring innovative legal products to the market, from captive power and water solutions to large-scale, bankable sustainability solutions. We are passionate about working with clients on their sustainability solutions, which we ensure are implemented within the bounds of the law.
