Qualifications: BJuris, LLB, HDip Man Prac, HDip Tax Prac.
Status: Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
Experience: 37 years (25 years as managing director/partner)
Specialist expertise: Commercial and Corporate Law, Commercial Litigation, Taxation and Tax Structuring, Energy and Regulatory Law, Transaction Advisory and Structuring, Construction Contracts, Administrative and Constitutional Law, Procurement Law, Competition Law, Corporate Governance, Business Strategy and Planning
MC Botha is the founder and director of MC Botha Inc.
Deeply rooted in the Eastern Cape, MC hails from Somerset East, was educated at Gill College and the former University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University), and proceeded to become the managing director of one of the province’s largest corporate law firms.
MC is known nationally as a successful commercial litigator in ground-breaking cases, particularly in the arena of energy regulation and tariffs, acting on behalf of organised business across South Africa. He is a long-standing legal advisor to leading South African listed companies and large corporates, as well as entrepreneurs, family businesses, organised business formations and government entities.
MC joined the Port Elizabeth law firm Joubert Galpin and Searle (JGS) as an associate in 1987, became a partner in 1990 and managing director in 1997, a position he held for 25 years. Under his leadership, JGS grew exponentially to become the leading firm in the Eastern Cape in several fields of law, developing a national standing in some areas, notably energy, procurement, and labour law.
The unique performance management and reward system that MC developed for JGS was a key driver of the firm’s growth and success. This innovative system is considered a benchmark for managing performance in the delivery of legal services, and its values underpin the service delivery approach of MC Botha Inc. to its clients.
Within his broad corporate and commercial law practice, MC’s focus areas include constitutional, construction and procurement law, corporate governance, competition law and the structuring of commercial transactions and tax regimes.
MC has developed a particular interest and expertise in the field of energy law and regulation, and the impact of energy regulations and decisions on the sustainability of commerce and industry. As the lead attorney for several teams of legal professionals acting on behalf of organised business, they changed the electricity landscape for the entire South Africa.
As passionate about his profession as he is about serving his clients, MC has contributed to legal education and access to justice on a number of fronts. He has served as chair of the Eastern Cape chapter of Lawyers for Human Rights and on the Faculty Advisory Board of the Faculty of Law at Nelson Mandela University.
A strong believer in the societal need for a vibrant synergy between organised business and government, MC served the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber as a board member for 10 years, as its vice-president for two terms, and continues to consult to the Chamber’s governance committee.
A passionate art lover and collector and keen traveller, MC is also an avid cyclist and enjoys reading widely, photography and wildlife. He is married to Joanna, a professor in human rights law at Nelson Mandela University, and a proud dad to Lauren and James.