Author
Nikita Young
BrowsingNikita Young is an associate in the litigation department in Johannesburg and focuses her practice primarily in the corporate and commercial area. Ms Young has considerable experience in insolvency-related disputes and resolution of claims in estate administration, business restructuring and business rescue. She also has extensive experience in local labour laws and human resource issues and general contractual disputes. She co-authors the chapter for South Africa in the annual Dispute Resolution Review.
Practice Focus
Ms. Young routinely handles issues relating to insolvency, business rescue and labour law as well as general commercial and contractual disputes. She has exposure to multijurisdictional mediation and arbitration proceedings in the construction and engineering sphere, and to commercial advisory work in the IT, banking and finance, energy and other commercial sectors.
Representative Legal Matters
Represented and advised one of the largest international oil and natural gas service companies in relation to a lease and development agreement in Ghana, with an estimated contingent risk of some USD10 million over the lease period, including the recovery of in excess of USD1.4 million.
Represented and advised the liquidators of a temporary service provider in civil claims for the recovery of ZAR20 million from a parastatal as well as the resolution of further civil disputes with and claims against erstwhile directors and shareholders.
Advised the local branch of an international company regarding the investigation of a senior executive for conduct in breach of certain codes and policies, including the termination of the executive's employment.
Acted for and assisted the minority shareholder of a company through a campaign of minority oppression and an opposed exit from the business for full value.
Advised a statutory body in relation to a number of employee and labour-related issues.
Assisted in representing and advising a statutory body on the closure of a number of so-called Ponzi schemes throughout South Africa.
Assisted in advising a parastatal on tender processes and certain disputes arising out of three tenders with a cumulative tender award value well in excess of ZAR2.2 billion.
Assisted in representing two senior brokers in a restraint of trade and unlawful competition dispute, resulting in the brokers' ability to compete with their erstwhile employers and retain and service an established client base.
Assisted in representing and advising a public listed company in cross-border arbitration and mediation proceedings relating to uranium mining operations in Namibia and Malawi.
Assisted in representing and advising a leading banking institution in South Africa in respect of its duties as a trustee of a collective investment scheme.
Professional Associations and Memberships
INSOL International - Member
South African Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners Association - Member
Admission
High Court of South Africa (2013)
Education
University of Pretoria (Certificate in Disciplinary Enquiries in the Workplace) (2013)
Rhodes University (Master of Commerce Taxation cum laude) (2012)
Centre for Business Law of the University of South Africa and the Law Society of South Africa (Advanced Certificate in Business Rescue Practice cum laude) (2012)
Rhodes University (LL.B.) (2009)
Rhodes University (B.A. Psychology & Legal Theory) (2007)