James van der Meulen

James van der Meulen is an Associate in the Corporate & Commercial team at Thomson Wilks in the Durban office. He advises clients on general corporate and commercial matters, with a particular interest in banking and finance, and assists with transactional and advisory work across a range of industries. His practice includes contract drafting and negotiation, legal compliance and support on mergers and acquisitions.

James has developed experience supporting both domestic and multi-jurisdictional commercial operations. His work includes assisting with transaction management, commercial agreements and regulatory considerations, as well as advising businesses operating within emerging and technology-driven sectors. He has also provided strategic partnership advice in the web3 and metaverse retail environment.

Alongside his practice experience, James has a strong academic and research background. He previously served as an Academic Associate in the Department of Private Law at the University of Pretoria, where he was involved in Property Law and Intellectual Property modules, and also served as a Judge and Senior Judge on the Constitutional Tribunal. This experience supports the structured and research-driven approach he brings to complex commercial matters.

James holds an LLB cum laude and an LLM in Mercantile Law from the University of Pretoria, with his postgraduate studies specialising in banking and insolvency law.

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James’s experience includes:

James assists clients with corporate and commercial advisory and transactional matters, including the drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements, merger and acquisition support and legal and regulatory compliance. His work also extends to businesses with multi-jurisdictional operations and emerging business models, where he assists with commercial structuring and strategic partnership considerations.

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James’s areas of speciality

• Corporate & Commercial Law
• Banking & Finance
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Commercial Agreements
• Contract Drafting & Negotiation
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance
• Multi-Jurisdictional Transactions
• Emerging & Technology-Driven Business Models

James combines a strong academic foundation with growing transactional experience, bringing a methodical and research-led approach to the commercial and regulatory matters he handles.