Recently a minority shareholder in Lewis Stores applied to the Court to have four of its directors declared delinquent, an action which the directors are reportedly opposing and which is sure to provide an interesting case study on how corporate stakeholders can protect their interests. Stakeholders – your remedies The “new” Companies Act (it came […]
A warning : Shareholder activism is growing Read More »
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” (Helen Keller) In our last article in the series “Choosing the right legal entity for your business” we looked at the sole proprietorship option. Let’s move on to the partnership option, where a group of business owners replaces the sole owner/trader. Firstly, what
Starting a business? The partnership option. Read More »
“Now is the winter of our discontent” (Shakespeare) The first thing to rise would be interest rates. If you have a mortgage bond or have financed a car, your monthly payments will rise. As a rough example, a bond of R500,000 would cost R837 more a month if interest rates increased by 2.5%. The next
Junk status I – How will it affect me? Read More »
Since “Nenegate”, the country has been fixated on avoiding being reduced to junk status by ratings agencies. Three agencies control 95% of the market and with Moody’s we are two notches above junk but with Fitch and with Standard and Poor’s, South Africa is just one notch above junk status. Being downgraded to junk will
Junk status II – Avoiding it is more than getting economics right Read More »
The King reports over the last two decades have become locally and globally synonymous with good governance. To date the King Codes have had limited impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is important to note that the King Codes are voluntary. In terms of the latest King IV Report (it has been released
Your SME: King IV corporate governance code may apply to you Read More »
Employers need to be particularly on their guard for cases in which a workplace dismissal is automatically unfair. Our courts take a particularly dim view of discrimination cases falling into this category. Age discrimination is one such instance, and an employer faced with such a claim can defend it only by proving (the onus is
Baby Boomers: At What Age Must You Retire? Read More »
There are two reasons why you would value a business: • Either you want to sell your business or you are thinking of acquiring another business • Business owners should have an exit strategy. Valuing your business on a regular basis tells you how much value you are creating. It also indicates what needs to
Valuing your business: Why do it, and how? Read More »
“This case yet again demonstrates the need to be careful when dealing with a trust” (extract from judgment below) For most of us, business dealings with trusts are most likely to happen when selling a property to, or buying a property from, a trust. But no matter why or how it happens, have your lawyer
Property and Trusts: Be careful! Read More »
“It’s Now or Never … Tomorrow will be Too Late” (Elvis Presley) The recent revelations of the Panama Papers confirm a growing trend – it’s getting mighty difficult to hide money from the taxman or Reserve Bank. In the current Social Media and Information age, embarrassing data just keeps slipping out. Aligned to this the
Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme: It’s Now Or Never! Read More »
