INTRODUCTION Rooth & Wessels 50% black owned

Transcription

1 COMPANY PROFILE

2 INTRODUCTION We wish to thank you for affording us an opportunity to introduce to you Rooth & Wessels as a firm as well as the members of the professional team, whom we believe possess the required experience and expertise in order to meet the professional service requirements of our clients. The firm was established in 1889 and in July 2013 the firm celebrated 124 years of existence. This makes the firm one of the country s oldest and most established law firms. Throughout its existence the firm has promoted and actively pursued in its practice, core values and principles which should characterise the legal profession at large, i.e. independence, honesty, integrity, reliability and service excellence. The firm also believes that any business, including a professional services firm, should be able and prepared to adapt to changes in environment and society without compromising the aforesaid values and principles. We strongly believe that this approach and ability has enabled the firm to prevail for over a century and forms the foundation of its approach to professional services into the future. The firm is currently 50% black owned in terms of Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment and rated as a level 2 BEE contributor. The firm has a staff compliment of 71. We have 27 professionals inclusive of directors and candidate attorneys. The range of our services is set out in more detail in this profile. Also included is a brief curriculum vitae of each senior member of the professional team.

3 SCOPE OF LEGAL SERVICES OFFERED BY THE FIRM The depth of our knowledge and expertise coupled with our effort to understand the businesses of our clients culminates in a service offering practical advice and appropriate legal solutions. Working together in teams, enables us to perform mandates with the required depth and expertise. The team structure clarifies our understanding of the project objectives, allowing for the assignment of personnel that are particularly relevant and appropriate to the requirements of the client. OUR SERVICES COMMERCIAL Corporate Law Building and Construction Law Companies, close corporations, trusts and joint ventures Commercial contracts Financial services and Pension Tax Law Insurance Law Intellectual property Arbitration & Mediation Labour Law Aviation Law Funds Law

4 PROPERTY Land transactions Bond registrations and cancellations Developmental agreements Group and cluster housing Mining and Mineral Law Notarial leases, servitudes and LITIGATION restrictions Sectional title schemes Banking Law Financial Services Law Family Law Constitutional Law and Human Rights Administrative Law Insurance litigation Insolvency Law (liquidations, Share block schemes Subdivisions and consolidations Township planning and establishment Transfer of immovable property Antenuptial and postnuptial contracts Environmental Law sequestrations and rehabilitations) Medical malpractice Motor vehicle accidents and claims Personal injury claims Contractual disputes Debt collections and foreclosures Expropriation Wills and Law of Succession Environmental and Water Law

5 SPECIALISED SERVICES Servitudes Mining and Mineral Law Local Government Law Professional Ethics Medico-Legal Matters Drafting new and amending existing legislation Legal compliance Aviation Law Banking Law and Regulations Financial Services and Pension Fund Law Tax, Customs and Excise OUR BEE STATUS Rooth & Wessels complies fully with the requirements of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act. Rooth & Wessels is a level two contributor with 50% of the shares belonging to black shareholders. BUILDING SKILLS AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE During the recruitment process for candidate attorneys and other professional staff, individuals are carefully selected to ensure that everyone who joins the firm has the energy, drive, enthusiasm, motivation, morale, determination, dedication and commitment to be a successful practitioner. We place a high premium on motivating both professionals and other staff in our teams. Continuous training and transfer of skills are employed in achieving our objectives.

6 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRACTICE CHAIRMAN Joseph Maluleke (Chairman of the Board), Dip Personnel Management & Public Relations, H Dip Tax Joseph is an admitted Attorney, Conveyancer and Notary Public. Joseph heads the Corporate and Commercial Law team. His experience ranges from registration of companies and close corporations, Trusts, Co-operatives, to drafting and vetting of commercial agreements, sale of business, shareholders agreements, BEE equity acquisitions and joint ventures, due diligence investigations, regulatory compliance and, mining and mineral law with specific reference to the administration and application of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the Mining Titles Registration Act (MTRA). Joseph assists companies to comply with the New Companies Act 71 of 2008 and its regulations. Joseph has been a director since Joseph is a member of the tax committee of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces. He has been appointed by SARS as Chairperson of the Tax Board in the North Gauteng to preside over tax disputes between SARS and Taxpayers. Joseph has also been appointed by the Ministry of the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development in terms of section 54 of the Sectional Titles Act as member of the Sectional Titles Regulations board to advise and make recommendations to the Minister in respect of matters which requires the Minister to make Regulations under the Act and to regularly review the Act and recommend to the Minister which amendments need to be made to the Act. He has also been appointed by the Minister of Health as Chairperson of the Appeals and review Committee of the Allied Health Professions Council in terms of the Allied Professions Health Act. Practice areas: Property Law Tax matters Regulatory Compliance Company Law Registration of companies, trusts and co-operatives Mining and Mineral Law MANAGING DIRECTOR Andre Bloem (Managing Director) BLC, Andre is a seasoned and experienced litigation attorney with specific emphasis in his practice on Professional Ethics and Financial Services Regulatory Law. André joined Rooth & Wessels in 1992 and has been involved in litigation ever since. He acts for clients in matters in the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal. André was appointed as Managing Director of the firm in December André represents the Northern Province (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West) on the High Court Committee of the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) and he is a member of the Pension Lawyers Association. Andre has been involved in ground breaking litigation which has resulted in 26 reported judgments, 21 of which were reported by the Supreme Court of Appeal. Practice areas: General High Court Litigation Financial Services Regulatory Law Banking Law Litigation Administrative Law Professional Ethics

7 DIRECTOR Faathima Asmall (Director) BA, Faathima is a member of the litigation and labour law team. Her work entails High Court litigation and appearances in the High Court. She has a special interest in Financial Service Regulatory matters and Pension Fund Law. Faathima represents her clients at CCMA arbitrations, the Bargaining Councils and at the Labour Court. Faathima has been a director since Practice areas: Family Law Labour Law Pension Fund Matters General High Court Litigation DIRECTOR Hannelie Basson (Director) BLC Hannelie is a director and heads the property department. She attends to general and specialised conveyancing. She has more than twenty years experience in conveyancing and property law matters. She also specialises in drafting commercial contracts. Practice areas: Commercial Law Property Law DIRECTOR Joseph Leotlela (Director) Joseph Leotlela is an admitted Attorney with a right of appearance in the High Court. He specializes in litigation (both general and commercial). He conducts applications, trials and appeals in the High Court. Joseph renders opinions to a variety of clients in litigation matters. He also represents clients in settlement negotiations where it is necessary to curb the costs of litigation. He currently conducts litigation matters for clients in the finance and manufacturing industry as well as regulatory bodies. Practice areas: General and Bank Litigation DIRECTOR Marianne van Rooyen (Director) Marianne is an admitted Attorney with right of appearance in the High Court. Her experience ranges from General High Court and Magistrate s Court Litigation to Bank Litigation and Debt Collections. Marianne s services also include Medical Negligence. Practice areas: Bank Litigation General Litigation Debt recovery

8 SENIOR PRACTISING CONSULTANTS Graeme Polson (Senior Practising Consultant) BA,, LLM, H Dip Tax Graeme has been practising for the past 38 years with Rooth & Wessels and he had been a partner for 34 years. He holds the master s degree in Banking Law and has been involved for many years in Banking Regulatory Law. He has acted as appointed curator of financial institutions and has advised also curators of banks in terms of the Banks Act. He has vast experience in the drafting of commercial agreements and in Commercial and Tax litigation. He has served as a Commissioner on The Tax Board of SARS in the past. He has lectured at various occasions on invitation in Contract Law and other topics falling within his expertise. Practice areas: Commercial Law Banking Law Finance Law Insolvency Law Mining and Mineral Law Tax Law International Trade Law Competition Law Disciplinary Matters in Education, Medical, Legal and Engineering Matters Boet de Jager (Senior Practising Consultant) BSc, BIuris Boet has been practising for many years as a Conveyancer and Notary Public. He is a former director of Rooth & Wessels. Currently his main focus is the registration of servitudes and general conveyancing work. Practice areas: General Conveyancing Servitudes Township Registration Mortgage Bonds Sectional Titles SENIOR ASSOCIATES Hilgard Botma (Senior Associate: Third Party Claims) BIuris, Hilgard is the Head of the Third Party claims Department. He is a former Advocate and has 19 years experience in Third Party claims. He is also a Conveyancer. Practice areas: Third Party Claims

9 Leon du Toit (Senior Associate: Estates) BProc, LLM SENIOR ASSOCIATES (continued) Leon is an admitted Notary and Conveyancer and is the Head of the Estates Department. He deals with the administration of Deceased estates, Curatorship estates as well as the administration of Trusts. He holds the master s degree in Commercial Law and has many years experience as a legal practitioner. Practice areas: Curatorship of Private Estates Trustee Administration Estate Administration Marike Meyer (Senior Associate: Conveyancing) Marike is an admitted Conveyancer and Notary Public in the Property Department. She deals with general Conveyancing matters, which includes Property Transfers, Mortgage Bond registrations and Bond Cancellations. She also deals with matters relating to Notarial Practice. Practice areas: Property Transfers Mortgage Bonds Bond Cancellations Notarial Practices Denis Peterson (Senior Associate: Commercial) BCom MBA Denis is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He completed his at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium specialising in International Business Law, International World Trade Organisation Law, International Transport Law and International Criminal Law. In his career he acted as a Senior Legal Advisor for various private companies and a State Owned Enterprise. This gave him a vast understanding in providing technical and accurate legal advice, in a transformative manner, to reach the overall business strategy of the companies. He has experience in employment law, general corporate and commercial law, consumer protection, Public Finance Management Act and drafting of commercial agreements. In relation to employment law, Denis has been involved in major restructuring exercises, collective bargaining on national levels, Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court, Constitutional Court, CCMA, retrenchments, executive disciplinary inquiries and transfer of businesses as going concerns in major transactions. Practice areas: Labour Law Commercial Law Sajida Abdulla (Associate: Conveyancing) ASSOCIATES Sajida is a Conveyancer in the Property Department. Conveyancing, Mortgage Bonds and Notarial Practice. She specialises in general Practice areas: General Conveyancing Mortgage Bonds Notarial Practices

10 ASSOCIATES (continued) Jarina Bekker (Associate: Litigation) Jarina is a member of the litigation team and her experience ranges from General High Court and Magistrate s Court Litigation to Bank Litigation and Debt Collections. Jarina s services also include Medical Negligence and Family Law. Practice areas: Bank Litigation General Litigation Debt Recovery Natashua Coetzer (Associate: Commercial) BCom Natashua commenced her articles of clerkship at Rooth & Wessels and was admitted as an Attorney during March Her experience ranges from general litigation to commercial and corporate law including the registration of companies and drafting and vetting of commercial agreements. Practice areas: Corporate Law Commercial Law Tatum- Jean Cooper (Associate: Litigation) Tatum is an admitted attorney in the Litigation Department. She deals with general litigation and also assists in the firm s Professional Ethics practice. Tatum s services also include Family Law. Practice Areas: General Litigation Family Law Quintin Badenhorst (Associate: Litigation) Quintin commenced his articles of clerkship at Rooth & Wessels and was admitted as an Attorney during April His experience ranges from General High Court and Magistrate s Court Litigation to Bank Litigation and Debt Collections. Practice Areas: General Litigation Bank Litigation Abigail Mokalapa (Associate: Litigation) Abigail is an admitted attorney in the Litigation Department. She has experience in general Magistrates and High Court Litigation and more than 6 years experience in Legal costs, including Quality Assurance and Complaints. Abigail is the firm s in-house Cost Consultant. Practice Areas: Legal Costs General Litigation

11 Marco Schepers (Associate: Commercial / Litigation) BCom Marco is an admitted attorney in the Commercial and Litigation Departments. His experience ranges from general and commercial litigation to corporate and contractual law. Marco s services also include employment law and labour litigation. Practice Areas: General Litigation Commercial Law Employment Law CANDIDATE ATTORNEYS Malebo Moropa Neo Molefe Melanie de Vries Karin Pretsch BCom

12 CANDIDATE ATTORNEYS (continue) Siyabonga Tembe BCom Marli Güldenpfennig Busani Khwelemthini LLM Christian Jooste

13 LOCATION BROOKLYN OFFICES CENTURION OFFICES Walker Creek Office Park Second Floor, Walker Creek 2 90 Florence Ribeiro Street Muckleneuk, Pretoria P O Box 2265, Brooklyn Square 0075 Tel: +27 (12) Fax: +27 (12) Second Floor, ABSA Building, Heuwel Avenue, Centurion P O Box 7997, Centurion Tel: +27 (12) Fax: +27 (12) [email protected] Website: