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DLA Piper adds Natalie Keetsi as a Director in its Johannesburg office
Global law firm DLA Piper has continued its recent growth in South Africa with the revelation that Harvard-trained litigation expert Natalie Keetsi has today joined the firm as a Director
The addition of Natalie Keetsi as a Director in DLA Piper’s South Africa disputes team, starting today 1 September 2025, is a great fit, says Kirsty Simpson, Head of Litigation & Regulatory in South Africa. “Her cross-border expertise will further enhance our ability to support clients in major investigations and construction matters.”
A rising star in the field of multinational corporate criminal investigations and white collar crime law, as well as an academic star, Natalie brings a global perspective and a solutions-driven approach to navigating high-stakes matters, says DLA Piper.
Natalie's practice focuses on corporate investigations and construction-related disputes. She has experience in complex, cross-border dispute resolution proceedings in various sectors, including related to significant construction, infrastructure, and energy projects in South Africa, Africa and the Middle East
A top 10 graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, Natalie received several awards for academic performance, and in 2013 was featured in the legal publication "Without Prejudice", as one of the top law students in South Africa.
She went on to complete her articles and practice as an associate at ENSAfrica, before becoming a founding attorney of global firm Pinsent Masons LLP’s first South African office, rising to Senior Associate at the global firm, before accepting a Fellowship to study for a Master of Laws at Harvard Law School in 2022-2023.
Natalie has been part of a legal team that led a high-profile corruption-related corporate criminal investigation that secured the largest civil recovery in the history of law enforcement authorities in South Africa. “Working on a case of this magnitude was career-defining, not only because of the outcome but also through working with and learning from the best legal minds in South Africa and the US,” she said in 2023.
Natalie has since become a Board member of the Harvard University Alumni Association of South Africa, and also recently served on the Advisory Board of the African Women Against Corruption Network (AWACN).
Natalie’s addition as a Director in the Johannesburg office of DLA Piper continues the global firm’s strong recent growth in South Africa. It is the latest of several significant appointments made over the past 15 months, including the addition last July of Lorica Elferink as a Director in Corporate, and the internal promotion of three staff to senior associate on 1 July 2025 - Callie Jo Bouman, Malachizodok Mpolokeng, and former in-house lawyer Dharshini Naidoo - along with the recent arrival of senior associate and corporate expert Annastasia Nair, formerly of Baker McKenzie.
“We’re excited to welcome Natalie to the firm and confident that she will make a valuable contribution to the team and our clients,” says Kirsty Simpson.