Ben Strauss

Summary Profile

Ben Strauss is a director of our Tax and Corporate and Commercial practices. He focuses on corporate tax, capital transfer taxes, commercial property and general commercial work.

Career

Ben was admitted as an attorney in 1997 and, after practising elsewhere, joined KPMG from 2001 as a senior tax manager specialising in corporate tax. In 2004 he joined MWEB as a legal adviser. Ben joined Hofmeyr Herbstein and Gihwala (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) in 2006 and became a director in 2007.

Education

• BA LLB, University of Stellenbosch
• LLM (Tax), University of South Africa (UNISA)
• Certificate in Advanced Corporate Law and Securities Law, UNISA
• PG Dip Tax distinction, University of Cape Town
• Year of admission as attorney, notary and conveyancer: 1997

 

Memberships

Cape Law Society

Experience

• Advised on the disposal by shareholders of a stake in a junior mining company for $200 million.
• Co-advised on the reverse listing of Gold One International into White Water Resources.
• Co-advised on the disposal by shareholder of a stake in a hotel and leisure company for $200 million.
• Co-advised on the restructure and disposal of a hotel group for $100 million.
• Advised on the disposal of an investment in a telecommunications company for $27 million.
• Co-advised on the disposal of a hotel business for $15 million.
• Advised on numerous mid-tier mergers and acquisitions.
• Advised numerous corporate clients on the restructuring of their groups and operations, mostly using the group tax relief provisions.
• Advises high net-worth clients on capital transfer taxes.
• Advises property developers in relation to successful residential and golf estates.
• Advises large commercial property owners on complex long-term leases.
• Advises large commercial farmers on property and tax issues.
• Advises private equity clients on corporate, commercial and tax issues.
• Advises corporate clients on employee share ownership plans and bonus schemes.
• Advises many Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) on tax issues.
• During his time at KPMG, Ben advised large corporate clients on tax issues, particularly in relation to income tax, capital gains tax (CGT) and corporate restructuring.
• During his time at MWEB, a leading South African Internet service provider in the Naspers Group, Ben was involved in negotiating and structuring many business transactions in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Nigeria and Kenya. He was closely involved in the $45 million acquisition by MWEB of the business of the Internet service provider, Tiscali, and the implementation of that transaction.

Market Recognition

Ben regularly writes on tax issues for law journals and other publications.