Sponsored by Eversheds

Finalists
Pieter Badenhorst – AFGRI
Charlene Louw – Road Accident Fund
Madeleine Truter – The Pivotal Fund

Winner: Pieter Badenhorst

Pieter Badenhorst's nomination for General Counsel of the Year was submitted by Chris Venter, the chief executive of international agricultural services and processing company AFGRI. Badenhorst was recruited by Venter five years ago to set up a legal department from scratch. "Under his leadership a young and talented legal team was recruited and developed," said Venter. "An in house legal culture was fostered across the group and the AFGRI legal team soon became the preferred legal partner for the business. The successes were immediate and measurable."

Badenhorst draws particular praise for his role helping the company to secure a series of M&A transactions as part of a strategy of focusing on its main assets. For example, he did all the legal work for the ZAR1.22bn (£60m) disposal of AFGRI's poultry business and part of its animal feeds business to a black-owned enterprise. The deal was particularly significant because it was the largest such deal of its type in the sector, thereby presenting specific legal challenges.

"In my previous career as an investment banker in South Africa and New York I have had the opportunity to work with many partners of local and international law firms as well as general counsel," said Venter. "Pieter in my opinion embodies everything a business should expect from its general counsel. He is passionate, dedicated, courageous, innovative and commercially driven."

Pictured from left to right: Pieter Badenhorst, legal director, AFGRI, and Peter van Niekerk, Eversheds managing partner, South Africa.