Jackie Pennington

Director
Jackie possesses considerable cross-border financing experience. She handles mandates such as syndicate lending and preference share funding for a range of lenders and borrowers.
Chambers Global 2023, South Africa
About

Jackie advises on various types of local and cross border financing transactions, including secured lending, acquisition and asset financing, leveraged financing, preference share funding, syndicated lending, corporate financing and restructuring. She acts for both lenders and borrowers.

Professional QualificationsAttorney of the High Court of South Africa, 1999

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising the Banking Association of South Africa and 6 South African Banks in relation to the emergency COVID-19 funding and guarantee made available by the South African Reserve Bank for small businesses.
  • Advising the lender in relation to ZAR310 million preference share funding made available to a 100% black-owned consortium in the renewable energy sector for the purposes of refinancing debt and restructuring shareholding.
  • Advising a health club group in relation to ZAR6 billion loan facilities made available by a consortium of lenders for the purposes of its South African operations.
  • Advising the lender and underwriter in relation to a ZAR2.5 billion preference share and bridge funding facility for the acquisition by a private equity fund of a listed financial services group pursuant to a Scheme or Offer to shareholder.
  • Advising the borrower in respect of a ZAR1.15 billion loan facility provided to it by two South African banks.
  • Acted as counsel for the lender in an equity financing transaction to assist a BEE entity to acquire shareholding in MB Technologies.*
  • Acted as counsel for the lender in an equity financing transaction to assist a BEE entity to acquire shareholding in Sasol.*
  • Acted as counsel for the lender in respect of acquisition finance and related facilities (including factoring facilities) required for a management buy-out of the Robor business from Barloworld.*
  • Acted as counsel for two financial institutions co-bidding to provide financing required for party bidding to acquire the Edcon Group; thereafter advised financial institution on the finance documents executed in respect of the Edcon transaction in order to assist in the decision to participate in the transaction as an accession lender in the revolving credit facility and the receivables backed facility.*
  • Acted as counsel for the lender in an acquisition finance transaction to assist acquisition by Halberg (an international entity) of the foundries division of Murray & Roberts.*

*The above transactions were completed whilst Jackie was in her previous employ.

Languages
  • English
Education
  • BA, University of the Witwatersrand
  • LLB, University of Witwatersrand

Awards

  • Legal500 mentions (2023) recognises Jackie as a Leading Individual; and between 2018-22 recognises her.
  • Chambers Global (2017-23) ranks Jackie in Band 2 in Banking & Finance. 
  • IFLR1000 (2018-22) listed Jackie as "highly regarded" in Banking.
  • Recognised as an Acritas Star in 2020.

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