Barnard makes its next move: Dirk Swanepoel appointed as Director from 1 March 2026

Barnard is pleased to announce that Dirk Swanepoel will be appointed as a Director with effect from 01 March 2026 - a move that signals real momentum in the firm’s growing Corporate & M&A capability.

Dirk currently leads Barnard’s Corporate & M&A department. Over the past period, he has been steadily building a team and a practice that is designed for the way modern businesses actually operate: Fast decisions, tight risk windows, serious governance - and no appetite for vague advice.

With 20 years’ post-admission experience (admitted 2005), Dirk advises clients across the corporate lifecycle, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, transaction structuring and B-BBEE ownership models. He is known for an organised, pragmatic style - the kind of adviser clients want in the room when the deal becomes real and the clock starts running.

Dirk also brings a valuable blend of transactional strength and dispute discipline. His practice includes high-value contract drafting and negotiation, regulatory and contractual disputes and guiding clients through mediation and arbitration with commercial outcomes firmly in view. A Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), he adds forensic sharpness to due diligence and breach investigations - especially where the risk is not only legal, but reputational.

Earlier in his career, Dirk acted for Momentum Short-Term Insurance (2012–2018), advising on disputed claims recoveries, liability litigation, policy wording and the drafting of UMA and binder agreements - experience that continues to inform his approach to governance, approvals, and risk management in complex mandates.

Douw Breed, Managing Director of Barnard, said; “Dirk is one of those people who makes progress feel inevitable - calm, organised, commercially sharp. He’s building a Corporate & M&A practice that clients can trust when the stakes are high and time is tight. This appointment recognises the leadership he already shows, and it’s a strong signal of where Barnard is going.”

Dirk added, “I’m grateful for the confidence placed in me. The focus now is to keep building a team clients can rely on, advice that is clear and usable and execution that matches the commercial urgency of the matter.”

Outside of practice, Dirk is a committed family man and remains actively involved in his children’s school and sporting life - a steady, values-led presence that mirrors the way he leads his team.