John Van der Merwe Smit

John Smit obtained his B.Proc degree from the University of the Free State in 1993. In the same year he started his career as an article clerk with Honey Attorneys Bloemfontein. He obtained his LL.B degree in 1995. He was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa on 13 April 1995, as a Conveyancer of the High Court of South Africa on 9 November 1995 and as Notary of the High Court of South Africa on 31 July 1997. Following his admission as an attorney, he was appointed as a professional assistant. In 1998 he resigned to join Mutual & Federal Insurance Company, as a Senior Legal Advisor. He obtained his MBA Degree in 2002. During 2009 he successfully completed his Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test and was admitted as a Solicitor in the Senior Courts of England and Wales on 1 December 2009. He resigned from the service of Mutual & Federal Insurance Company, after 18 years and joined BDP Attorneys, as a Director in their Insurance and Legal Liability Department, in 2016. John has extensive experience and skill in: - Insurance law - Civil litigation - Commercial and Corporate Law - Legal Risk Management - Liability Risk Management - Knowledge Management - Legal training and support - Legal opinions - Negotiations - Problem solving - Managing corporate relationships - Presentations - Published author John has more than 20 years’ experience in insurance and insurance litigation. He specialises in insurance law and the law of the delict and has litigated in cases dealing with, inter alia personal injuries, motor vehicle accidents, veld fires, structural fires, engineering matters, contamination of wine, slip and fall, damages caused by animals and other forms of legal liability. John has authored or co-authored several legal publications. Together with Christo Potgieter (Director, BDP Attorneys, Insurance and Legal Liability Department) John has, since 2007, written 18 articles dealing with various aspects of farmers’ possible legal liability, which were published in “Landbouweekblad”, a leading agricultural weekly magazine.  During his 18 years with Mutual & Federal Insurance Company John has gained extensive experience in all facets of insurance. He acted as a lecturer on many occasions on different insurance and legal liability subjects. John has over the years acted as a guest speaker on numerous occasions on different topics of insurance and insurance law to brokers, conferences, insurance guilds, seminars and clients.

Formal Admissions:
Admitted to the High Court as an attorney.

Admission Status:
Practicing Roll