We're your team in difficult times
About Us
Why Choose Us?
TRC Introduction:
We strive to assist financially distressed SME’s through an innovative programme addressed at providing real-time financial management that unlocks private equity finance and venture capital to ensure the growth and sustainability of SME’s in South Africa.
Our team has been specialising in turnaround practice for the past 11 years and we have built this programme with extensive research and practical experience in turnaround management and business rescue in South Africa.
The Team
Werner Cawood
Dillon Wessels
Werner Cawood has been specializing in turning companies around for more than 9 years.
Throughout his career in crisis management, Mr. Cawood has served as an interim executive
officer and reorganization director for both medium and small companies, public and private, with annual revenues up to R250 million.
In addition to offering expert-witness testimony regarding business valuations, turnarounds, and plan feasibilities, he has served as a court-appointed business rescue practitioner throughout South Africa. Mr. Cawood’s corporate restructuring and workout experience span over a broad range of industries, and he also uses his skills to help boards of directors prevent future crises from happening. Moreover, he is known for his lateral approach to problem solving in distressed corporate environments and he is not afraid of approaching the Courts in order to achieve his goals in this relatively new industry for South Africa.
Mr. Cawood is a Principal at the prestigious law firm, Cawood Attorneys, based in Pretoria,
Gauteng, South Africa. Mr. Cawood established Cawood Attorneys in March 2009 and
established the firm as specialists in the National Credit Act, consumer and company related
matters until the inception of the New Companies Act in April 2011, when the focus of the firm
expanded to Corporate Renewal Solutions and Turnaround Management in terms of Chapter 6
of the Companies Act.
Prior to establishing Cawood Attorneys, Mr. Cawood was a partner of Potchefstroom based law
firm, Naeema Gabru attorneys between 2007 and 2009 and established himself as a commercial litigation expert.
For more than 9 years Mr. Cawood has researched new methods and law to utilize in the
turnaround and renewal of corporate entities which has led to numerous precedents being
created in South African Courts. In addition, Mr. Cawood has served as a financial and legal
advisor to individuals and trusts.
Notable Engagements:
Mr. Cawood has served as an executive officer or reorganization expert for numerous private
companies with public debt, including the following:
1. Open Window Institute of Arts and Sciences
2. White Rivers Exploration
3. Lebaka Construction (Pty) Ltd
4. Phakathi Milling (Pty) Ltd
5. Glasrite CC
6. Gondwana Marketing (Pty) Ltd
7. Journey Cars (Pty) Ltd
8. East Rand Stereo
Mr. Cawood has served as interim officer or director of reorganization at more than 45 closely
held companies for various industries, including financial services, education, real estate,
computers/IT, media, telecommunications, electronics, consumer products, distribution,
entertainment, leisure, retail, manufacturing, materials and construction, metals, petroleum,
energy and mining.
Mr. Cawood serves as trustee on a number of trusts and also specialize as secretarial work for
companies, corporations and trusts including all inclusive administration of these entities and/or
structures.
Expert Testimony
Mr. Cawood has provided expert testimony in many Court cases as part of his restructuring
responsibilities. In addition, he has been an expert witness in the feasibility of corporate
restructuring plans.
Specialties
• Financial Restructuring
• Business Rescue
• Insolvency
• Commercial Litigation/ Arbitrations
• Restructuring Bank Debt
• Asset Liquidations
• Alternative Restructures to Business Rescue
• Corporate Due Diligence
• Bond Restructuring
• Corporate Downsizing
• Estate Liquidations
Awards & Publications
• “Business Rescue- The age of the creditor is over” published by FM Essentials
• “Business Rescue-possible after the granting of a final liquidation order” published by
Lexology
• “Business Rescue- Companies starting to rise from the dead” published by Financier
Worldwide
• 2014 Turnaround Business Rescue Award Winner
• 2001 Golden Key International Honour Society Award
Education:
Bachelors of Law (LLB) – Potchefstroom University
Advanced diploma in Business Rescue – UNISA
Licenced Business Rescue Practitioner – CIPC
Dillon Wessels has been specialising in Turnaround Management Practice for more than three years. Apart from leading a department, he is one of the youngest qualified and licensed Business Rescue Practitioners in South Africa and is a member in good standing with the South African Restructuring Insolvency Practitioners Association (SARIPA).
Mr. Wessels currently serves as a court-appointed practitioner and has been appointed as Rescue Practitioner overseeing both medium and small companies with up to 100 Million in annual revenue. His role as Business Rescue Practitioner is to fulfil the supervisory role, managing the duties of a company director, with extensive powers over the pre-existing management with ease and emphasises diligence and unique problem-solving ideas. Mr. Wessels operates with a strong sense of justice, and his moral and ethical values are above reproach. Mr. Wessels has an innate understanding of Business and the ability to see the shortcomings or mistakes that had placed the company in the position it had found itself in and has been able to correct these on more than one occasion.
Notable Engagements:
Mr. Wessels has served as a business rescue practitioner and assisted business rescue practitioners, with great success, including the following:
- Tshipata Technologies CC
- De-Jay Hiring (Pty) Ltd
- Glenhaven Hyde Park (Pty) Ltd
- 20 Elevation Constructions and Landscaping CC
Dillon Wessels has served as a head of departments, as a director of his own companies, and key to the reorganisation and cost savings implemented in many companies in various industries within South Africa.
Specialities:
· Financial Restructuring
· Business Rescue
· Insolvency
· Alternative Restructures to Business Rescue
· Corporate Due Diligence
Education:
· Bachelors of Commerce in Law – IIE
· Certified Rescue Analyst – University of Pretoria
· Insolvency Law and Practice – University of Pretoria
· Business Rescue Decision Making – University of Pretoria
· Licensed Business Rescue Practitioner – CIPC
· Business Restructuring Professional – SARIPA