Lerato Thahane

Lerato Thahane is a Partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice at Bowmans in Johannesburg, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial law, and cross‑border transactions. She advises private and public companies on domestic and cross‑border acquisitions and disposals, empowerment transactions, group restructurings, unbundlings, and distressed M&A.

Lerato has advised The Peermont Global Group on its disposal of all operations in South Africa and Botswana to Sun International (shortlisted for DealMakers Deal of the Year 2023); renewable energy company Scatec, Standard Bank, and Stanlib on the establishment of Lyra Energy; 3M Company on the South African aspects of its global reorganisation; Allianz X GmbH on its acquisition of Innovation Group Holdings; Lanxess on the disposal of its 74% shareholding in its chrome ore mining company and the sale of its chrome chemicals business to Brother Enterprises in China; Maersk A/S on its acquisition of Senator International; PepsiCo on its acquisition of Pioneer Foods, named Deal of the Year by DealMakers 2020; and Advent International on the South Africa aspects of its acquisition of Evonik's methacrylate business for EUR 3 billion.

Lerato holds an LL.B from the University of the Witwatersrand, a Certificate in Advanced Company Law from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a Notarial Practice and Conveyancing Certificate from the Centre for Conveyancing Practice.

She has been ranked in Band 5 for Corporate/M&A by Chambers Global (2026) and as a Next Generation Partner for Commercial, Corporate and M&A by The Legal 500 (2023–2026). She was shortlisted for Partner of the Year at the African Legal Awards (2022) and recognised in Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans (2021).