Riccardo Petersen
Director
Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc
Related services and key industries
Biography
Riccardo Petersen is a director in the Disputes Resolution Team based in Johannesburg. He was also appointed as the Team Leader of the General Corporate and Commercial Litigation team at Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc effective 1 January 2024. He focuses on all areas of general corporate, commercial and regulatory disputes and has assisted many clients with many mediations and local and cross border arbitrations as well.
Riccardo was previously part of the Financial Services Team in Johannesburg and has extensive experience in financial services and markets law, consumer credit law (National Credit Act) and exchange control. He also has extensive experience in Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) disputes and municipal rates disputes under the Municipal Property Rates Act and is a versatile, innovative, dynamic, and strategic disputes lawyer.
Although part of the Disputes Resolution Team, Riccardo regularly advises local and foreign banks, corporates, micro lenders and financial institutions on the implications and import of the National Credit Act. He also regularly advises corporates (local and foreign) on exchange control matters and assists various corporates (local and foreign) involved in cross border transactions to obtain exchange control approval from the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank.
In addition to the regulatory leg of Riccardo's practice, Riccardo also acts for various corporates, banks and financial institutions in relation to general corporate and commercial disputes as well as regulatory disputes.
Riccardo has been recognised as a Stand Out Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, 2024 due to amongst others, his experience in the various markets and his broad business acumen.
Professional experience
Collapse all- LLB degree from the University of North West in Potchefstroom.
- Bachelor of Theology Degree (in process) at the South African Theological Seminary.
- Attorney, qualified in South Africa 2010
- Acting on behalf of various gold mining companies in relation to the valuation of certain components of their mining rights under s17(1)(f) and s46 of the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Act (Rates Act) and institute judicial review proceedings on behalf of the mining companies in the High Court of South Africa to review and set aside as well as substitute the decision of the Rand West Valuation Appeal Board. This is the first time that s17(1)(f) and s46(3)(b) of the Rates Act is being adjudicated by a Valuation Appeal Board and/or the High Court.
- Acting on behalf of various mining companies in relation to their residential and agricultural properties and attending to the lodgement of objections and appeals and hearing of the appeals on behalf of the mining companies.
- Acting for Sibanye Stillwater Limited and its related entities in a judicial review application against Eskom SOC Limited in relation to a R1.1. billion 50MW behind-the-meter solar PV facility.
- Acted on behalf of major South African parastatal in relation to the enforcement of a Preference Share Subscription Agreement and related security to recover a debt of approximately R600 million owing to the South African parastatal.
- Acting on behalf of a major South African parastatal in relation to various business rescue related investigations.
- Acting on behalf of the National Empowerment Fund in defending a claim of R66 million for an alleged breach of a service level agreement and memorandum of understanding and instituting urgent interdict and contempt of court proceedings relating to a corporate governance dispute.
- Acting on behalf of a major energy company in relation to a BEE dispute with the B-BBEE Commission.
- Acting on behalf of a major petroleum company in relation to the breach of a supply and lease agreement to recover a debt of approximately R66 million from the operator.
- Acting on behalf of a major petroleum company in defending a claim instituted against the major petroleum company for an amount of approximately R37 million.
- Acting on behalf of a major petroleum company in defending a declaratory order seeking to declare the site and retail licences invalid under the Petroleum Products Act and related regulations.
- Acting on behalf of the National Horse Racing Authority (NHA) in relation to its Inquiry Board and Licensing Board hearings and provide advice to the NHA.
- Acting on behalf of a major auditing firm in the recovery of a debt owing to it and assisting the auditing firm with the enforcement of the arbitral award in Mauritius.
- Acting on behalf of a leading foreign manufacturer of automotive battery covers and geomembrane liners in a commercial arbitration for the recovery of a debt owing to the foreign manufacturer.
- Acting on behalf of a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider in a commercial arbitration to defend a claim of R17 million instituted against it.
- Acting on behalf of a South African consulting and advisory entity in a renewable energy transaction to recover a debt of approximately R22 million.
- Acting on behalf of the wealth division of an international bank to recover various debts owing to it.
- Conducting a National Credit Act (NCA) investigation for and advising a leading retailer and a technology services provider on the implications of the NCA and providing various opinions to micro-lenders, banking institutions and corporates on the import and application of the NCA.
- Provide NCA advice to various companies on the provisions of the NCA.
- Drafting exchange control applications and successfully obtaining approval for a mining company to construct and operate a fluorspar mine in South Africa and a local distributing company to obtain a foreign trade finance facility from a leading foreign transport company.
Recognised as a Stand Out Lawyer by Thomson Reuters, 2024