Matthew Morrison is an Executive Director at ENS in the Corporate Commercial practice.

He is a company and commercial lawyer, specializing in listed and unlisted mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the financial services sector (with a focus on banking and insurance). Matthew also advises on financial sector law and regulation,  private equity transactions and does M&A work both within South Africa and on a cross border basis, often in English law governed cross border transactions given his dual qualification.

He has acted for various listed companies, including retail and investment banks, insurance companies, FMCG and pharmaceutical companies, as well as government institutions, and a number of private companies and HNW individuals.

Matthew’s general experience includes previously working as a solicitor in London, in financial markets regulation and in the Lloyd’s of London insurance market. Matthew has extensive experience advising companies on the listings requirements of the stock exchange operated by the JSE Limited (including the listing and delisting of companies), mergers,  acquisitions and disposals, schemes of arrangement, broad-based black economic empowerment transactions, as well as advising on corporate governance issues, share incentive schemes and general company and commercial law matters.  He also has experience in equity capital markets, corporate restructuring and reorganisations.

Matthew has recently advised a large Pan-African banking group on the disposal of  its investment management business, as well as on the disposal of its investment platform business in separate transactions. He acted for the same group in advising on the implementation of their significant broad-based black economic empowerment transaction.  He has also recently acted for large English and South African listed banking group on the unbundling of its asset management business.

In addition to Matthew’s general commercial and financial sector focused practice, he provides coverage opinions to both underwriters and policyholders, and also has experience in the field of warranty and indemnity insurance in the South African M&A market.

He is a co-author of the South African chapter in various annual editions of the International Comparable Legal Guide’s Mergers and Acquisitions publication, the Chambers Mergers & Acquisition Guide for South Africa, the Chambers Corporate Governance Guide for South Africa and other industry publications and occasional news articles.

Matthew is recorded on the practicing roll of solicitors in the Supreme Court of England and Wales and is an admitted attorney in the High Court of South Africa.

Education

• BBusSc (Hons) (University of Cape Town)
• LLB (University of Cape Town)
• Advanced Certificate in Company Law I (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Advanced Certificate in Company Law II (University of the Witwatersrand)
• Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa
• Admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (non-practising)

Matthew is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 – Corporate Law; 2023,  2022 - Mergers and Acquisitions Law (South Africa)
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - Commercial, Corporate and M&A (South Africa)