Jessica Blumenthal is an Executive at ENS in the Banking and Finance practice, specialising in ESG and sustainable finance, debt and preference share finance, structured finance, restructuring, financial services regulation and alternative investment strategies.

She has deep expertise in fund formation and regulatory advisory work for private equity, venture capital and other alternative investment funds and as part of this practice area Jessica advises impact funders, start-ups and fintech clients in respect of appropriate funding instruments.

Jessica represents institutional clients both in South Africa and internationally, including banks, asset managers, funds and insurers and is considered a trusted advisor to corporate clients, high net worth individuals and family offices.

Jessica’s experience includes designing and negotiating funding and security structures, undertaking solvent and distressed restructuring, establishing alternative investment structures (such as hedge funds, offshore unlisted funds and private equity funds) and providing regulatory advice in relation to South African financial services legislation and the South African regulatory environment, particularly in relation to financial services, collective investment schemes, investment management and company law.

Jessica is a member of the Sustainability and Impact practice at ENS and has presented on ESG and sustainability to financial services sector clients, advised banks and asset managers on policy and strategy adoption, advised financial institutions on their internal processes to ensure ESG considerations are embedded in the investment process and represented both borrowers and lenders in sustainable finance transactions, including green, social and sustainability linked loans and facilities.

Jessica is a regular legal commentator and speaker, having presented widely on sustainability and financial services regulation to audiences in Africa and the United Kingdom.
Jessica serves on the Africa board and Global board of the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers.

Jessica is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• The Legal 500 EMEA 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 – Banking and Finance; 2026, 2025 (Key Lawyer) – Investment Funds (South Africa)
• Best  Lawyers® 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 – Banking and Finance, Structured Finance (South Africa) 
• Chambers Global Guide 2026, 2025, 2024 – Banking (South Africa) 
• The Legal 500 EMEA Green Guide 2024 – Green Ambassador (South Africa)
• IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide; Banking and Finance – 2025, 2024 – Highly Regarded (South Africa)

Recent Contributions

• Greater Kruger Landscape Financing Strategy | United Nations Development Programme
• Sustainable Fashion outlook 2024
• Africa regulatory round up ESG November 2023
• The launch of the Voluntary Carbon Market in South Africa
• Can sustainable finance save our planet?
• Should financial advisors consider ESG factors when advising their clients?
• The Fid Duty to Resuscitate Mother Nature: Must directors consider biodiversity impact in their decision making?uciary
• ENS webinar | ESG series 2023 (hosted by Jessica Blumenthal) - YouTube
• ESG and the rise of sustainable finance in Mauritius
• Unlocking Africa’s ESG potential
• Sustainable finance and the South African financial services sector
• Impact investing: Accessing ESG Capital in the Debt Capital Markets
  
  
  
  

Relevant experience

• Advised a Singaporean financier to a verified carbon standard afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation project to restore degraded thicket by planting cuttings of spekboom across up to 100,000 hectares.
• Advised SANParks, IFC and UNDP on the Greater Kruger Landscape Financing Strategy. I was a member of the consortium comprised of Conservation South Africa, Endangered Wildlife Trust and Rand Merchant Bank (report attached).
• Acted as lead counsel to a South African bank in respect of a ZAR2 billion green loan to an investor in renewable energy.
• Acted as lead counsel to a South African bank in a ZAR2.2 billion green facility to a South African borrower, guaranteed by an offshore sovereign guarantee for the purpose of funding renewable energy projects in South Africa.
• Acted for a consortium of South African banks and a development finance institution in a ZAR2 billion green development facility to be provided to a South African developer, secured with third party contracts with a French company, for the development of an eco-tourism project.
• Advisor to a round 1 REIPPP wind farm situated in Victoria West, South Africa, in respect of social and enterprise development funding undertaken by this project company.
• Provided regulatory advice to a social and enterprise development funder in respect of South African financial sector laws applicable to facilitating SED funding to SMEs.
• Advised the promoter of a private credit fund to be established in Namibia, including considering structuring as a bewind trust.
• Acted for the management company establishing an actively managed ETF fund housed in a trust
• Acted for a Guernsey based property fund facilitating investment by South African pension funds of GBP50 million in a real estate project in London.
•  Acted for a South African listed corporate in negotiating an unsecured, but parent company guaranteed, sustainability linked facility of ZAR2 billion.
• Contributed as a consortium member to a consultancy undertaking a feasibility study as to whether a credit enhancement facility would enable infrastructure investment in South Africa.
• Acted for an impact funder in creating the first pre-settlement guarantee to be brought to market at the time to enable a more inclusive financial services sector. This matter involved complex negotiations with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to ensure that the product met the regulatory requirements in respect of capital adequacy support, but was still commercially viable.
• Acted as lead counsel in advising the South African promoter and Echo Global Feeder Fund LP in connection with negotiating and concluding a GBP 60 million facility agreement with Vabel PGI Holdings Limited in respect of the acquisition and development of immovable properties in the United Kingdom.

Education

• BA (English) (University of Cape Town)
• LLB (cum laude) (University of Cape Town)
• Admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa

• ESG and the Rise of Sustainable Finance in Mauritius

  By Jessica Blumenthal , ENSafrica |October 2022

• ESG and the Rise of Sustainable Finance in Mauritius

  By Jessica Blumenthal , ENSafrica |October 2022

• ESG and the Rise of Sustainable Finance in Mauritius

  By Jessica Blumenthal , ENSafrica |September 2022