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Hennie Bester
Hennie Bester
Position: Partner
 
Telephone: +27 21 431 7356
 
Fax: +27 21 431 8356
 
Department: Tax, Climate Change and Carbon Trading
 
Office: Cape Town

Hennie is a partner in the Tax Practice at Webber Wentzel.

He has specialised experience in structured finance and cross-border transactions. Hennie has worked on the development of legal and tax technology in areas such as preference share finance, share loan transactions, derivatives and carbon credits (clean development mechanism). The International Tax Review's Global Report on Tax Advisors rated Hennie as a leading advisor. He also advises various multinational clients in the renewable energy sector.

Hennie has over 11 years of experience in corporate and international tax, three of which were with the Johannesburg and Cape Town offices of Andersen.

Hennie has authored the chapter on South Africa in several World Law Group publications. They include the titles International Employee Equity Plans and The International Securities Law Handbook. He sits on the SAICA Tax sub-Committee on carbon tax, and has authored several articles on the subject. In addition to the above, Hennie is an executive trustee of the SouthSouthNorth Trust (SSN). SSN played an important role in the development of the Long term Mitigation Planning (LTMS) process with the SA government in 2007.

Areas of expertise
  • Corporate and transactional structuring
  • Corporate tax
  • Cross-border transactions
  • Exchange control
  • Climate change and carbon trading
    • Top matters
  • Acted for both BDO and Grant Thornton in the merger between the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth operations of both companies forming Grant Thornton Cape Incorporated;
  • Design and advice on offshore investment structure of largest derivative facilitator in South Africa;
  • Design and advice on fractional asset finance of largest asset financier in South Africa;
  • Acting for largest carbon market facilitator in Southern Africa; and
  • Advised on the structuring and creation of carbon credits from renewable energy projects.
    • Accolades
  • Rated as a leading adviser by the International Tax Review's Global Report on Tax Advisors;
  • Advised on potentially the largest solar power project in South Africa;
  • Set up a major funding initiative for the international roll-out of South African development climate change modelling;
  • Authored the chapter on South Africa in several World Law Group publications;
  • Regularly invited to address standing Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Finance; and
  • Published on the design of a carbon tax.
  • Invited to address the Low Carbon Earth Summit 2011, in Dalian, China.



    • Publications:

  • International Securities Law Handbook (South Africa chapter), Kluwer.
  • International Tax and Investment Service (South Africa), Centre for International Legal Studies.