Dharshini Naidoo

DAR-SH-NIEShe/herSenior Associate

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

— Mans Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl

Emaildharshini.naidoo@dlapiper.com

Call+27 (0)11 302 0840

Johannesburg

About

Dharshini provides clients with strategic and pragmatic business solutions relating to competition law issues faced by their business. In particular, she has advised and worked with clients on merger control in Africa; prohibited practices (including investigations relating to cartels and abuses of dominance); and competition and dawn raid training.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations Financial Services Regulatory and Government Affairs Consumer Goods, Food and Retail Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions

Professional QualificationsAttorney of the High Court of South Africa

EXPERIENCE

Shoprite Checkers on the disposal of its African furniture and related credit business to Pepkor for a purchase price of approximately ZAR3 billion.
Haier Smart Home, based in Qingdao, China, on the acquisition of Electrolux Group’s complete equity interests in its subsidiary Electrolux South Africa for ZAR2.45 billion.
Barloworld on all aspects of a USD1 billion cash offer from a consortium including the Barloworld CEO and Saudi Arabian-based Zahid Group to acquire all of the issued shares in Barloworld (save for certain excluded shares), by way of scheme of arrangement or standby general offer and delist Barloworld from the JSE.
Graphic Packaging International on the acquisition of its South African distributor.
ASP Isotopes (ASPI) on its proposed offer to Renergen's shareholders to acquire all of Renergen's issued shares in exchange for new shares in ASPI. We have also advised ASPI, whose securities are listed on NASDAQ, on its intended secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
A consortium of investors led by a Middle Eastern sovereign investment fund, which participated in a competitive auction process to acquire Shell's downstream South African oil and gas business.
Sanlam Life Insurance, Sanlam Personal Loans, SPL Services and Tyme Bank on the establishment of a joint venture focused on unsecured personal loans with an embedded credit life offering. The establishment of the joint venture is subject to the fulfilment of certain suspensive conditions, including approvals from by the Prudential Authority and competition authorities.
A private equity fund in their acquisition of a surgical devices business. The transaction structure also encompassed broad-based black economic empowerment considerations.
ES-KO and Phatisa on the acquisition of the entire issued ordinary share capital of International Facilities Services, a market-leading provider of comprehensive facilities management solutions across various industries in African including mining, oil & gas, farming, construction, education and hospitality, from Development Partners International.
FirstRand on the transfer of the clients, the banking assets and liabilities and the employees of HSBC's branch in South Africa (HSBC South Africa) to FirstRand’s wholly owned subsidiary FirstRand Bank[A1].
The shareholder of a manufacturer of intermodal ISO tank, bulk liquid shipping and transport containers on the disposal of its shares and loan claims, by way of a restructuring of the loan, in the manufacturer group.
A global motor company in investigation by COMESA Competition Authority into alleged prohibited practices.
On a large merger between two thermal coal companies in South Africa.
On a large merger between merger pharmaceutical companies in South Africa.
A client in the health insurance market on allegations of abuse of dominance.

Languages

Education

Kings College London, Post-Graduate Diploma in Competition Law, 2023

University of Cape Town, LLM, 2018

University of Cape Town, LLB, 2017

Publications and media

Internal restructurings and merger control: What businesses need to know, 04 February 2025

Prior Experience

2022 – 2024: Group Legal Counsel – Competition and Compliance at Illovo Sugar Africa, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods in the UK.
2019 – 2022: Candidate Attorney and Associate in the Competition Law department of a multi-national law firm located in South Africa.

Memberships and Affiliations