Lydia Shadrach-Razzino

Partner & Head of Corporate M&A Practice | Baker McKenzie

Lydia Shadrach-Razzino is a partner and head of Baker McKenzie's Corporate M&A Practice Group in Johannesburg.

She specialises in public and private M&A and private equity transactions across various industries including telecommunications, consumer goods and retail, financial services, healthcare and mining.

Lydia also advises on empowerment transactions, corporate governance, equity capital markets and general corporate finance.

Lydia’s expertise expands beyond South Africa, having advised on numerous cross-border transactions.

She has built up an impressive client list, which includes The Foschini Group, Massmart, L'Oréal, Google, SPAR, Equinix, The Bidvest Group Limited, Infinite Partners, Royal Bafokeng, RMB Ventures, Helios Towers Plc and Kleoss Capital.

Lydia has advised on several award-winning transactions including Vodacom on its acquisition of an interest in Vodafone Egypt, which was awarded Deal of the Year by DealMakers in 2021. She advised Ascendis on its disposal of its Animal Health business to Acorn Private Equity, which was awarded Catalyst Private Equity Deal of the Year by DealMakers in 2021.

Lydia is continuously recognised for her legal proficiency and was most recently included in the Legal 500 Private Practice Powerlist 2024: M&A | Africa - a meticulously researched guide that showcases Africa’s very best. She was a shortlisted finalist for Dealmaker of the Year in 2020 and again in 2021 and received the award in 2021, making her the first woman in the history of the award to have won.

In 2022, Lydia was also awarded the Client Choice M&A Lawyer of the Year award. In 2014, she was awarded the ABSIP Corporate Finance Lawyer of the Year award. She is also recognised by Chambers Global for M&A and Private Equity, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers, and is featured in Who's Who Legal.