Pieter Steyn is a Director at Werksmans Attorneys and one of South Africa’s most respected practitioners in Competition Law, Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions, and Financial Services Regulation. With over 31 years of legal experience, he advises on complex commercial and corporate matters, specialising in cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, restructuring, BEE transactions, corporate governance, and high-level regulatory compliance.

Known for his strategic insight and deep understanding of African markets, Pieter has acted for multinational corporations, listed entities, and leading financial institutions across the continent. He also holds longstanding leadership roles within international legal bodies and is widely recognised for his contributions to competition law scholarship and policy development.

Practice Areas

• Competition
• Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions
• Regulatory
• Commercial and Corporate Law
• Companies and close corporations
• Cross-border transactions
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Management buy-outs
• Restructuring of corporate entities
• Share incentive schemes
• Private equity transactions
• Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transactions
• Due diligence investigations
• Procurement, Supply, Distribution & Manufacturing Agreements
• African Transactions and Projects
• Cross-border joint ventures
• Establishing businesses in African jurisdictions
• Competition / Antitrust Law
• Merger control
• Cartel investigations and other prohibited practices
• Abuse of dominance investigations
• Technology & Intellectual Property
• Outsourcing and software licensing
• Intellectual property licences
• Trust Law
• Gaming Law (including lotteries)

Professional Experience

• Director at Werksmans Attorneys (since 1996).
• Head of Werksmans’ BEE practice (since 2018).
• Chairperson of LEX Africa, the first and largest African legal alliance (since 2001).
• Co-Chair of the International Bar Association (IBA) Antitrust Committee (2016–2017); long-standing officer and current Advisory Board member.
• Co-Chair of the IBA African Regional Forum (2019–2020); now on its Advisory Board.
• Chairperson, NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) Legal Sector (2008–2010).
• Adviser to major multinational corporations on competition, trade, governance, and regulatory matters across Africa.
• Extensive experience representing clients in high-level mergers, competition matters, and cross-border commercial projects.

Education & Qualifications

• BSc (Lab Medicine)
• LLB, University of the Witwatersrand
• LLM (Competition, Patent and Trade Law), University of South Africa

Notable Matters / Representative Work

• Advised on multi-jurisdictional merger notifications and competition filings across Africa.
• Acted for domestic and international clients in major M&A transactions involving listed companies and global groups.
• Lead adviser on complex supply, procurement, and distribution frameworks for industry-leading organisations.
• Guided clients through intricate BEE restructurings and compliance strategies.
• Represented clients in cartel, abuse of dominance and prohibited-practice investigations.
• Assisted multinational investors in establishing operations across African countries.
• Advised technology companies on outsourcing, licensing, intellectual property, and digital transformation contracts.

Authorships & Publications

• Author of the South African merger control chapter in Competition Law in the BRICS Countries (Kluwer International, 2012).
• Co-author of the South African chapter in the American Bar Association’s global competition law treatise.
• Contributor to the Global Competition Review chapters on vertical agreements and intellectual property & antitrust (2007–2009).
• Published numerous articles and presented at conferences, seminars, and media platforms on competition law, African trade, regulatory developments, and corporate governance.

Professional Memberships & Affiliations

• International Bar Association (IBA)
• Committee on Competition Law of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces
• Advisory Board Member, IBA Antitrust Committee
• Advisory Board Member, IBA African Regional Forum
• Senior Advisory Board member, educational charity Lex

Awards & Highlights

• Chairperson of LEX Africa since 2001, leading Africa’s premier legal alliance.
• Served in multiple leadership roles within the IBA’s Antitrust Committee (rapporteur, secretary, membership officer, vice chair, senior vice chair, and co-chair).
• Recognised authority on competition and merger control in South Africa and across the continent.
• Provided pro bono advice to the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa, Campaigning for Cancer, and educational charity Eureka.
• Frequently interviewed and invited to speak at major conferences in South Africa and internationally.
• Fluent in English, German, French, and Afrikaans.