Commercial agreements
Contracts that make sense in the business and stand up when tested. We help you understand the commitments, negotiate workable terms and protect the value of the deal.
EBi Law · Commercial attorneys
Commercial law for businesses with ambition.
Growing a business means making decisions before you have all the answers. You need an attorney who understands what you are trying to achieve and helps you find a workable way forward.
We bring commercial experience, a practical approach and the capacity to get the work done. From everyday agreements to the transactions and disputes that can shape the future of your business.
Cape Town based. Working with businesses across South Africa, commuting to Johannesburg.
Our expertise
Start with what your business needs.
A difficult decision rarely fits neatly into one area of law. We look at the commercial picture as well as the legal question, and help you decide what to do next.
Disputes and recoveries
When a customer will not pay or a commercial relationship breaks down, we help you assess your position and decide how to enforce your rights.
Labour and employment
Practical advice on employment contracts, workplace difficulties and disputes, so you can manage your people with a clearer understanding of your options.
B-BBEE and opportunity
Ownership, partnerships and empowerment structures that support the contracts and opportunities your business wants to pursue.
Mergers and acquisitions
Support with buying, selling or bringing partners into a business, from the first discussion and due diligence through to the agreements and closing.
Corporate finance
Legal support for funding and investment transactions. We work through the structure, commitments and security arrangements with the business and its advisers.
Governance and business risk
Clearer decision-making, ownership arrangements and compliance planning. Useful foundations that help you move with confidence and manage the consequences when plans change.
Eugene and the firm
I want to understand the business behind the question.
I have spent more than two decades working with founders, negotiating transactions and dealing with what happens when agreements go wrong. That experience shapes the advice I give and the way I draft.
I know how much an owner has invested in getting this far. My role is to help you protect what you have built while finding ways to take the next step.
At EBi, I lead the legal work, with Mrs. A. R Rahman managing finance and Wilma Botha handling company secretarial work. Our specialist digital associates support research and preparation across the practice, under my direction and review.
Meet the EBi teamExperience that informs the advice
From the negotiating table to the courtroom.
Eugene’s background brings together commercial litigation, acquisitions and funding transactions. That matters when you need advice on both the opportunity and what could happen if it goes wrong.
Contracts tested in disputes
A substantial part of Eugene’s early practice involved High Court commercial litigation, contractual disputes and shareholder disagreements. Enforceability and practical remedies remain central to his drafting.
Transactions from start to finish
Experience includes acquisitions, disposals and funding work, including due diligence, transaction documents and closing. The focus is on how the arrangements work together.
The owner’s perspective
Experience advising entrepreneurs on funding and security arrangements helps Eugene understand the commitments the business is being asked to make, as well as the transaction itself.
How we work
You should be able to involve us while you are still thinking.
Good advice is most useful while there is still room to act. We start by understanding your business, agree what needs attention and stay close enough to help as things develop.
A proper conversation
Tell us what you are building, what is working and where you feel exposed. We will discuss the immediate question and what sits behind it.
A clear arrangement
We agree the work, priorities and fee before starting. That may be a particular matter, a transaction or ongoing support through a monthly retainer.
Experienced attention
You deal directly with Eugene on legal advice. Research, drafting and administrative systems support the work and help us offer better value.
Let’s talk
What are you working towards?
You are welcome to bring us a particular matter or talk about having ongoing legal support for your business. We should get to know each other before you decide.
Emaileugene@ebilaw.co.za
Call Eugene082 852 4957
LocationCape Town based, commuting to Johannesburg.
Johannesburg office: FutureSpace, First Floor, 61 Katherine Street, Sandton 2196.
Office: 010 300 1095
Johannesburg office: FutureSpace, First Floor, 61 Katherine Street, Sandton 2196.
Office: 010 300 1095
A particular matter?
Email Eugene with a brief outline, or phone to arrange a conversation.
Email EugeneLooking for ongoing support?
Put together a short brief around the needs of your business.
Build my retainerPlease send only a brief summary, without sensitive documents or urgent instructions. An enquiry does not establish an attorney-client relationship or automatically create legal privilege.
A few practical questions
Before we work together
Can I call when something comes up?
Yes. That is the point of the relationship. Bring the question or send the document while there is still time to do something about it. Your ordinary calls, questions and documents are not counted against a monthly quota.
What happens when we have a particularly busy month?
Some months need more attention than others. The fixed monthly fee smooths that out. If a particular matter needs substantially more work or external advisers, we will discuss the scope and any separate costs with you before proceeding.
Does the relationship include disputes and litigation?
Yes, we help you protect and enforce your rights. The approach to each dispute, any litigation mandate, external costs and fee arrangements are agreed in writing before the relevant work proceeds.
Do you handle company secretarial work?
Routine company administration, statutory filings and register maintenance fall outside the retainer. We can arrange those through an associate. Advice on governance and the decisions your business needs to make remains part of our relationship.
Can we meet before deciding?
Of course. We need to understand your business, and you need to be comfortable with the person advising you. Build a retainer brief or contact Eugene to arrange a conversation. There is no obligation to sign up.