Matthew Van Der Want

Matthew is a senior associate in Ogier's Corporate team in Dublin, Ireland. He is a South African qualified attorney and is also an admitted solicitor in Ireland and in England and Wales. His primary focus is on transactional work including takeovers, mergers and acquisitions and restructurings. He also provides regulatory advice across a range of sectors and has a strong grounding in the underlying principles of administrative law, as it applies in common law jurisdictions.

Background and experience

Before relocating to Ireland and joining Ogier in 2022, Matthew started his legal career in one of the "big five" South African law firms in 2003. He then went on to become a director at an international law firm's Johannesburg office. In 2014 he started his own law firm, where he led a team of junior legal professionals to provide legal services to commercial clients.

Matthew has 17 years of experience in advising on a wide range of commercial contracts, shareholding arrangements, private equity transactions and company law.

Recent work includes:

• Assisting a start-up company in respect of the conversion of loan notes issued by it into equity
• Advising the majority shareholder of a privately held company in relation to a restructuring of shareholding involving a subscription for shares by a senior manager
• Advised a branch of a foreign bank in respect of its role as central securities depository participant
• Advised an alcohol distribution company in respect of its takeover of a chain of off-licence premises

Admitted in:
2023 - Ireland, England and Wales 
2005 - South Africa