Dhahini Naidu

She/herSenior Associate

I believe that having a team I can trust is what builds growth within a Practice. I am a firm believer of paying it forward, working hard and maintaining integrity.

Emaildhahini.naidu@dlapiper.com

Call+27 11 302 0868

Johannesburg

About

Dhahini Naidu practices in commercial litigation, with two focus areas in company law and property law disputes. Dhahini joins us from a medium-sized law firm, where she worked as a senior lawyer in the commercial litigation team. She brings a wealth of experience relating to contractual disputes, forensic investigations, insolvency, white collar crime and property disputes.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and Investigations Regulatory and Government Affairs International Arbitration

Professional QualificationsAttorney of the High Court of South Africa

EXPERIENCE

Represented the applicant in an urgent application against the Gauteng Department of Health declaring a ZAR526 m tender that was awarded as being unlawful. Successful with costs, in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg. The application is pending an appeal.*
Represented one of the Respondents in a restraint of assets application in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg, the value of the retrained assets was ZAR1.08 bn. The application was successful with costs. The applicant was successful in a leave to appeal application, we were unsuccessful at the full bench of the said court but obtained partial relief at the Supreme Court of Appeal.*
Arbitration was held in Cape Town, representing the claimant in respect of payments due regarding the sale of shares in a business. The claim was in respect of working capital and dividends, collectively in excess of ZAR5.5 m. Successful with costs.*
Acted for the applicant being a body corporate, launching an application against an individual owner, owning a freestanding property adjacent to it, to remove a property that encroached a servitude. Successful with costs in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg.*
Acted for the applicant being a body corporate in a liquidation application against a company that owned several properties, the total due to the applicant was in respect of levies and ancillary amount was more than ZAR2 m, successful with costs in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg.*
Representing an erstwhile director of two different companies in liquidation at two different s417 /8 enquiries, value of claims more than ZAR1 bn. Held in Pretoria at the two different attorneys of record for the liquidators. To date no claims have been instituted against the said director. Bundles of documents under subpoena were more than 15 000,00 pages. The client was adequately prepared on all evidence and proved to be a credible witness.*
Represented a third-party payment provider (the applicant) in the High Court of South Africa, Cape Town, against another payment provider (first respondent) and the South African Reserve Bank (second respondent) regarding a dispute on the contractual agreement between the applicant and first respondent, in terms of crypto currency and the transfer of same within South Africa and in other African countries, via many of the big retailers. The second respondent was cited as an interested party and the Exchange Control Regulations were argued on. Successful with costs.*
Given legal opinion on class action Silicosis, on behalf of an interested party on a watching brief.*
Given legal opinion class action regarding Steinhoff. On behalf of a third party not situated in South Africa.*
Acted for the applicant in an urgent anti-dissipation application for the minority shareholders of a company, in terms of s112, s115 and s45 of the Companies Act. Value of assets at risk of dissipation more than ZAR1 bn, successful with costs in the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Johannesburg.*
Acted for the applicant in a counter application against the curator of an estate under restraint and several other parties to prohibit a transaction from being consented to given that the transaction resulted in anti-dissipation. Successful with costs in the High Court of South Africa, Cape Town.*

*Denotes experience from previous firm.

Languages

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans in the Justice and Law Category, 2021
TransUnion Rising Star Winner in the Professional Services Category, 2024

Education

University of the Witwatersrand, LLM, 2024

University of the Witwatersrand, Certificates of Competence Advanced Company Law I and II Certificates, 2020

University of the Witwatersrand, Certificate of Competence Law of Banking and Financial Markets, 2018

Publications and media