WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM 9 and Natural Resources Industry, and I am extremely grateful for their support. This support underpins one of my core principles namely to assist and expose as many young practitioners as possible to mining and natural resources law. While I remain extremely passionate about health and safety in the Mining and Natural Resources Industry, I have had the privilege of working on significant mergers and acquisitions, other commercial transactions, ground-breaking regulatory matters, and increasingly, on environmental compliance. I am also extremely fortunate to have long-standing loyal support from major mining companies, but, at the same time, we have had the pleasure of working with new entrants to the Mining and Natural Resources Industry as they have developed to become medium and large role players in the industry. What areas of mining law do you specialise in and what type of clients do you assist? My primary focus historically has been on health, safety, and environment, where there are extremely few experienced practitioners. Almost every transaction in the Mining and Natural Resources Industry involves health, safety, and environmental elements, and as a result of this, I have become increasingly involved, over the years, in significant mergers and acquisitions and other commercial work, including supply agreements, contract mining arrangements, off take, pre-funding arrangements, and related aspects. As a result, my current practice is also significantly focused on the corporate and commercial aspects. As a natural consequence of my practice, I also focus on the regulatory and compliance aspects, and, unfortunately, in certain instances, on criminal prosecution arising from the complex health, safety and environmental compliance framework. We are extremely privileged to have continued support from key stakeholders in the Mining and Natural Resources Industry such as the Anglo American Group, BHP Billiton, South32, Glencore, and contracting and service provider companies such as Aveng, Wilson Bayly Holmes, Murray & Roberts, and other similar companies. All of this would not be possible without a dedicated, competent team, which we have at Beech Veltman Incorporated. What are the top legal issues and challenges for the African mining sector? It is a well-known fact that many countries in Africa are endowed with significant minerals including gold, copper, nickel, platinum group metals, iron ore, diamonds, lithium and other metalliferous and non-metalliferous minerals. Unfortunately, Africa has not necessarily benefitted to the maximum, from these mineral resources. There are certain common reasons for this, including political instability, regular changes in government, inconsistent policies and mining laws which are uncertain and subject to interpretation by the government of the day, capacity All of this would not be possible without a dedicated, competent team, which we have at Beech Veltman Incorporated.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz