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Ahmed Mokdad

Ahmed Mokdad is an associate based in the Johannesburg office, and a member of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations and Anti-Corruption Practice Groups, as well as the Privacy and Cyber Security Practice Group. With a depth of experience representing clients across various sectors, Ahmed regularly assists clients navigate and mitigate a broad spectrum of regulatory and compliance risks.

Ahmed’s investigations practice includes internal and government investigations into anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, fraud, and financial crimes matters more generally. Complementing his investigations practice, Ahmed has a broad-based compliance advisory practice in these areas and in data protection and information security matters. This includes assisting clients in numerous sectors with compliance under South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

Adding to his investigative, regulatory and compliance advisory experience, Ahmed has extensive experience advising on numerous M&A and complex financial transactions. He has also been involved in several high profile international arbitrations, and litigious matters before the South African courts relating to, among other things, commercial and tax disputes, exchange control violations, government procurement irregularities, and defending white collar crimes. This experience gives Ahmed valuable perspectives and insights when advising on compliance advisory matters.

For international clients facing compliance issues cutting into Africa, Ahmed regularly advises on a range of issues that can arise in such context, e.g., labor and employment considerations, legal professional privilege, whistleblower protections, corporate governance reporting obligations, and control processes and protocols for engaging with government and law enforcement agencies. Ahmed is recognized by clients for providing practical advice and solutions on complex legal issues in ambiguous statutory regimes.

What has happened?

The African Continental Free Trade Area (“AfCFTA”) has emerged as a pivotal opportunity that will set the framework for future trade across Africa. Amid the prospects, one of the challenges has been the fragmented and diverse regulatory environment, coupled with regulators adopting policies that are not conducive

Continue Reading Africa Technology Regulatory Update: Adoption of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade

In Episode 12 of our Inside Privacy Audiocast, together with special guest Advocate Pansy Tlakula, Chairperson of the Information Regulator of South Africa, we discussed the Information Regulator’s mandate, and the implementation of data protection legislation in South Africa.  Now, with less than a month to go before South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (“POPIA”) is set to go into full effect on July 1, 2021, it is critical for organizations operating in South Africa to ensure that they are ready if and when the Information Regulator comes knocking.

It is only when organizations start their POPIA journey that they realize just how wide the POPIA net is cast, and that very few businesses fall outside of its reach.  The road to POPIA compliance should be viewed as a marathon, and not a sprint.  While implementing and maintaining an effective POPIA compliance program will take continued effort and resources well beyond the July 1, 2021 go-live date, here we outline five steps to which companies subject to POPIA should give their attention in the short term.
Continue Reading Final Countdown to POPIA Compliance – Five Critical Steps to Take Before July 1st, 2021

On June 22, 2020, the South African President announced that certain provisions of POPIA would take effect on July 1, provisions which most regard as essential to the statute, such as those imposing conditions on the lawful processing of personal information, procedures for handling complaints, and general enforcement provisions. Only
Continue Reading Inside Privacy Audiocast: Episode 5 – View From Johannesburg Part I: GDPR vs. POPIA – What Should Businesses Be Considering?

Commencement of the AfCFTA. The landmark African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is slated to go into force on July 1, 2020. When fully implemented, the trade agreement will eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, and substantially increase intra-regional trade to volumes worth over $3.3 trillion. Twenty-nine countries have deposited their
Continue Reading Top Issues to Watch in Africa in 2020

Companies today face increasingly complex regulatory frameworks globally and intense levels of corporate scrutiny from government enforcement agencies around the world. As government agencies embrace sophisticated crime-busting technology and the world shrinks through greater inter-agency cooperation, there are more ways than ever for governments to identify misconduct and hold companies
Continue Reading Five Key Considerations For Handling Internal Corporate Investigations