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Ashlin Perumall

Partner
Baker & McKenzie

Biography

Ashlin Perumall is a Partner in Baker McKenzie's Corporate and M&A Practice Group in Johannesburg. He has acted for local and multinational companies in a wide range of corporate matters. Ashlin specializes in technology-driven M&A and the corporate, commercial and transactional aspects of intellectual property.

Ashlin is currently serving as a Baker McKenzie Fellow to the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco as part of the Firm's partnership with the forum to address global, regional, and industry policy issues in respect of 4IR technologies.

Practice Focus

Ashlin is routinely called to advise on transactional and advisory work in the technology, media and telecommunication sector, with a focus on the transfer or acquisition of businesses or assets in intellectual property and technology-driven companies. He has over a decade of experience in assessing novel technology and software acquisition targets and has played a role in some of South Africa's largest technology transactions.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Advised OLX on the acquisition of Autotrader.co.za (Car Trader (Pty) Ltd), one of the largest online classifieds deals in South Africa.

  • Advised Naspers on the 474,431 shares acquired in South African e-retailer, Takealot.com, acquired from Tiger Global Six T2 Holdings and certain minority shareholders.

  • Advised Wipro-Unza on its African market entry and acquisition of the Canway Group and portfolio of luxury brands.

  • Advised the Lancaster Group on its EUR 109 million acquisition of Intertoll Europe and its European operations from Group Five.

  • Advised First Merchant Bank Limited (situated in Malawi) in connection with the acquisition by FMB Capital Holdings Limited of Barclays Bank PLC's interest in Afcarme (situated in Zimbabwe).

  • Advising on and structuring corporate vehicles and legal relationships, as well as navigating regulatory regime for a South African artificial intelligence business.

  • Conducted various due diligence exercises of financial technology targets, including payment system operators, money remittance firms and a software-based trader.

  • Advised an international UK-based plant breeder on its local licensing structures and exchange control, and negotiated an international intellectual property licensing deal.

  • Advising on and structuring agreements and corporate vehicles a cryptocurrency investment business.

  • Provided licensing advice in relation to wholesale interbank settlement using stablecoin blockchain architecture and applicable regulations.

Professional Honors

  • Shortlisted for Rising Star | Africa Legal Awards 2020
  • Winner of Best Use of Technology | Africa Legal Awards 2020

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Law Society of South Africa - Member
  • South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law - Member
  • International Bar Association - Member
  • Society for Computers and Law - International Associate Editor
  • Standards Advancement for the Legal Industry (SALI) Alliance - South African contributor
  • South African Financial Blockchain Consortium - Member
  • Corporate Legal Operations Consortium - Member
  • World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution - Fellow (current)

Admissions

  • South Africa (2013)

Education

  • (Advance Certificate in Company Law) (2015)
  • University of Pretoria (LL.B.) (2010)

Languages

  • English