Adams & Adams Overview
Established in 1908, Adams & Adams is an internationally recognised and leading African law firm that specialises in providing intellectual property, corporate and commercial services. With primary office locations in South Africa [Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban] and branches and associate offices in a number of African countries, our firm’s leadership position as the largest intellectual property law practice in Africa, and one of South Africa’s foremost corporate, property and commercial law firms is reflected in the ground-breaking work we do and the valuable client relationships we have with many of the world’s largest corporations and organisations, as well as small to medium-sized companies.
The partnership (69 partners) and professional staffing environment at Adams & Adams is characterised by diversity, ingenuity, professionalism, as well as stability. The breadth of our practice areas and impressive levels of legal knowledge and expertise allows clients the opportunity to rely on our firm as a comprehensive resource for the most challenging and complex legal needs. We are pioneers in the areas of legislative advancement and knowledge, which allows our Partners to provide exemplary legal representation with efficiency and mastery.
Our Intellectual Property law practices work with clients around the globe and across many industries to protect, enforce and commercialise their intellectual property. The group offers clients a full range of legal services relating to the acquisition, enforcement and commercialisation of intellectual property rights.
Additionally, the general commercial legal service practices of Adams & Adams boast competent and powerful teams that are purposed to represent clients in expertise areas such as commercial and contract law, commercial litigation, property services, public procurement, banking and finance, mergers and acquisitions, tax, exchange control, franchising, competition, labour, personal injury, arbitration and dispute resolution, among others.
Location map for Adams & Adams (Pretoria)
Directions to Adams & Adams (Pretoria)
Lynnwood Bridge, 4 Daventry Street, Lynnwood Manor, Pretoria, South Africa
Areas of Law
Lawyers and Consultants
Alexis Apostolidis
Director/Partner
BSc (CHEMISTRY, LAW) - University of Witwatersrand (1998)LLB (CUM LAUDE) : University of Witwatersrand (2002)Postgraduate Diploma EU Competition Law (with merit): Kings College, London (2012)
Andrew Molver
Director/Partner
BCom (Law) (Cum Laude) - University of Pretoria (2005)LLB (Cum Laude) - University of Pretoria (2007)Certificate in Advanced Administrative Law (2010)QualificationsQualified attorney (2010)
Blain de Villiers
Director/Partner
BA (Law) - University of Cape Town (1992)LLB - University of Pretoria (1995)Admitted attorney (1998)Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (1998)
Colin MacKenzie
Director/Partner
BSc Eng (Mech) - University of Witwatersrand (1982)BProc - University of South Africa (1987)Professional Qualifications:Qualified Patent agent (1987)Admitted attorney (1988)Registered Patent attorney (1988)
Dale Healy
Director/Partner
LLB – University of Pretoria (2002)Professional Qualifications:Admitted attorney (2005)Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (2005)
Danie Strachan
Director/Partner
LLB (cum laude) UP, LLD (Doctor of Laws) UP
Danie Dohmen
Director/Partner
BSc (Physics & Chemistry) - Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit (1993) LLB - Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit (1996)
Dario Tanziani
Director/Partner
BSc (Chem & Maths) - University of Pretoria (1981)
BProc - University of South Africa (1987)
Professional Qualifications:
Admitted attorney (1988)
Qualified Patent agent (1986)
Registered Patent attorney (1988)
David Scheepers
Director/Partner
BIuris (University of South Africa (1992)), LLB (University of South Africa (1995)), Admitted attorney 1998
Debbie Marriott
Director/Partner
BSc (Chemistry) – WITS (1996)
LLB - WITS (1998)
Admitted Attorney (2001)
Solicitor (England and Wales) (2004) (non-practising)
Trade Mark Practitioner (2006)
Practice Areas:
Trade mark and Copyright litigation
Unlawful competition & passing-off litigatio
Dieter Welthagen
Director/Partner
BEng (Civil) - University of Pretoria (1990)
LLB - University of Pretoria (2001)
Professional Qualifications:
Professional Engineer (1998)
Admitted Attorney (2003)
Registered Patent Attorney (2003)
Godfrey Budeli
Director/Partner
LLB - University of Pretoria (2002) LLM - University of Cape Town (2003)
Grègor Wolter
Director/Partner
BBus Sci (Hons) - University of Cape Town (1991)LLB - University of Cape Town (1993)Professional QualificationsAdmitted attorney (1996)
Jac Marais
Director/Partner
BA - University of Stellenbosch (2004)LLB - University of Stellenbosch (2006)Advanced Certificate in Competition Law - University of Witwatersrand (2008)Postgraduate Diploma in European Competition Law – University of London, King’s College (2012)Was
James Davies
Director/Partner
BEng (Electronic) - University of Pretoria (2000)
LLB - University of Pretoria (2003)
Admitted attorney (2006)
Registered patent attorney (2006)
Jani Cronjé
Director/Partner
BCom Law, LLB
Attorney (2009)
Trade Mark Practitioner (2009) SAIIPL
Janice Galvad
Director/Partner
BSc (General) - University of the Witwatersrand (1992)LLB - University of South Africa (1999) LLM (Specialization in Commercial Law) - University of South Africa (2002)Admitted Attorney (2001)Patent Attorney (2004)
Jenny Pienaar
Director/Partner
BA - University of Stellenbosch (1988)
LLB - University of Cape Town (1991)
Admitted Attorney (1994)
SAIIPL Trade Marks, Copyright, Designs, Patent and
Comparative Trade Mark Law Examinations (2002)
Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (2004)
Johan du Preez
Director/Partner
BA LLB - Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit (1981)
Admitted attorney (1986)
Joseph Goedhals
Director/Partner
BCom (Law) - University of Pretoria (1995)
LLB - University of Pretoria (1997)
Admitted attorney (1998)
Qualified Trade Mark practitioner (1998)
Kelly Thompson
Director/Partner
BA – University of Stellenbosch (1996)
LLB – University of Stellenbosch (1998)
Admitted attorney (2001)
Trade Mark Practitioner (2001)
Lauren Ross
Director/Partner
BProc - (cum laude) - University of South Africa (2002)
LLB - University of South Africa (2002)
Admitted Attorney (2003)
SAIIPL Trade Mark, Copyright, Design, Patent and Comparative Trade Mark Law exams
Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (2004)
Leander Opperman
Director/Partner
BLC - University of Pretoria (1994)
LLB - University of South Africa (1996)
LLM - University of South Africa (2003)Advanced Certificate in Insolvency Litigation and Adminstration of Insolvent estates
Admitted attorney (1999)
Louis van der Walt
Director/Partner
BEng (Chem Eng) - University of Pretoria (1990)BProc - University of South Africa (1995)Admitted attorney (1997)Registered Patent attorney (1997)
Lucy Signorelli
Director/Partner
BProc (Cum Laude) - University of Pretoria (1994)
LLB (Cum Laude) - University of Pretoria (1996)
Admitted attorney (1999)
Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (2001)
Mandy Swanepoel
Director/Partner
BA - University of Stellenbosch (2000)LLB - University of Stellenbosch (2002)Admitted attorney (2005)Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (2006)
Mariëtte du Plessis
Director/Partner
BLC - University of Pretoria (1984)LLB - University of Pretoria (1986)Admitted attorney (1989)Qualified trade mark practitioner (1991)
Megan Moerdijk
Director/Partner
BA - University of Witwatersrand (1985)LLB - University of Witwatersrand (1989)Admitted attorney (1996)Trade Mark Practitioner (2004)
Nelia Hickman
Director/Partner
BA - University of Stellenbosch (1975)
BA (Hons) - Unisa (1981)
LLB - University of Stellenbosch (1984)
Admitted attorney (1987)
Nicky Garnett
Director/Partner
BA - University of Natal (1995)
LLB - University of Natal (1997)
Admitted Attorney (1999) (Zimbabwe)
Nicolette Koch
Director/Partner
BCom (Law) Cum Laude - University of Pretoria (1996)LLB - University of South Africa (2000)B.Compt - University of South Africa (2002)Admitted Attorney - (2002)Conveyancer (2006)
Nicolette Biggar
Director/Partner
B.Soc. Science (UKZN) (1993)
LLB (UKZN) (1995)
LLM Specialising in Intellectual Property Law (UNISA)(2007)
Admitted Attorney - 1998
Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner
Nishan Singh
Director/Partner
LLB (summa cum laude) - University of Natal - 2005Trade Mark Institute Exams - 2008Admitted Attorney - 2008Trade Mark Practitioner - 2008
Nolo Khechane
Director/Partner
BA - University of Durban (1998)LLB - University of Durban (2000)Admitted Attorney (2003)
Nolwazi Gcaba
Director/Partner
B. Juris - University of Fort Hare (1992)LLB - University of Natal (1995)Qualified Trade Marks Practitioner (2001)Admitted attorney (1998)
Nthabisheng Phaswana
Director/Partner
LLB - University of Pretoria- 2002
LLM- University of Pretoria - 2008
Admitted Attorney- 2005
Pieter Visagie
Director/Partner
BEng (Chem Eng) (Stell.) 2006 LL.B (UNISA) 2011
Roelof Grove
Director/Partner
BIuris - University of the Free State (1996)
LLB - University of the Free State (1998)
LLM (Commercial law) - UNISA (2000)
Qualifications
Admitted attorney, notary and conveyancer (2000)
Russell Bagnall
Director/Partner
BSc Eng (Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Science Option) - University of Witwatersrand (1989)BProc - University of South Africa (1995)Qualified Patent Attorney (1996)Admitted attorney (1996)
Samantha Copeling
Director/Partner
BA - University of Cape Town (1988)
LLB - University of Cape Town (1990)
Admitted attorney (1993)
Trade Mark Practitioner (1998)
Somayya Khan
Director/Partner
BA - University of Natal (Dbn) (2000)
LLB - University of Natal (Dbn) (2001)
Admitted Attorney (2003)
Werina Griffiths
Director/Partner
LLB (Stellenbosch University, 2005)
Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (2011)
Admitted attorney (2008)
Wilhelm Prozesky
Director/Partner
Hons. BSc (Genetics) - University of Pretoria (2001)LLB - University of Pretoria (2005)Admitted as an attorney in 2008Admitted as a patent attorney April 2010
Claire Bothma
Senior Associate
B.Com (Law) - University of Pretoria - 2000
LLB - University of Pretoria - 2002
Admitted Attorney, Conveyancer and Notary Public - 2005
Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner - 2008
Nicole Smalberger
Senior Associate
LLB cum laude
Trade mark practitioner
Member of SAIIPL