TRADEMARK LEADERS
SOUTH AFRICA
Simon Brown
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6315
Email: simon.brown@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Simon Brown is a partner and trademark attorney. His practice focuses largely on clearance investigations, the filing and prosecution of trademark cases and trademark portfolio management throughout Africa and internationally.
Brown is responsible for the development of the firm’s Africa practice and chairs the Africa strategy committee as well as the Africa IP committee.
As well as being a lecturer in international trademark law for SAIIPL (South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law), Brown is actively involved in a number of committees for both SAIIPL and INTA (International Trademark Association).
Godfrey Budeli
Position: Partner
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6383
Email: godfrey.budeli@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Godfrey Budeli is a partner in the trademark and copyright litigation section, and head of the anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy team. He holds an LLB degree from the University of Pretoria and an LLM degree from the University of Cape Town. His area of speciality includes customs recordals and training of law enforcement officials, border and in-market enforcement, in-market survey and in-depth investigations, parallel or grey goods and online enforcement, civil litigation and supporting criminal prosecution, watching brief in relation to anti-counterfeiting on the African continent.
He served on the firm’s management committee as the diversity representative for four years.
Nishi Chetty
Position: Partner/ Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams &Adams
Phone: +27 31 536 3744
Email: nishi.chetty@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Nishi Chetty is a partner and trademark attorney at Adams & Adams. In 2002 she was the first person from a ‘previously disadvantaged background’ to qualify as a trademark practitioner in South Africa. From 2006 to 2013 Chetty sat on the firm’s management committee as branch office chairperson.
Chetty has been recognised by various local and international award bodies for her efforts in business, and as an industry leader with a passion for development, diversity and inclusion.
Her practice areas include inter alia trademark prosecution and enforcement in South Africa and Africa.
Nolwazi Gcaba
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6439
Email: nolwazi.gcaba@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Nolwazi Gcaba is a partner and trademark attorney with over 20 years’ post qualification experience in the field of trademark law. She has in the past focused on trademarks and copyright litigation including passing-off and unlawful competition. She advises clients from diverse industries including fashion and luxury goods, hospitality, fast moving consumer goods, sports, and automotive, to name but a few.
Gcaba heads up the firm’s trademark renewals department.
Werina Griffiths
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6367
Email: werina.griffiths@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Werina Griffiths is a partner and trademark attorney with more than 15 years’ experience in litigation practices. Her practice is focused on all forms of intellectual property with a keen interest in copyright and, in particular, software, publishing and the creative industries. She has knowledge and experience in all types of enforcement matters in various African territories and has also advised clients on legislative amendments and regulatory matters.
Griffiths has been involved in the representation of, and has acted for, prominent local and international clients across many different industries including fashion, information technology, food and beverage, and retail.
Dale Healy
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6126
Email: dale.healy@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Dale Healy is a partner and trademark attorney at Adams & Adams. He advises clients on all aspects of trademark and copyright enforcement, representing many high-profile South African and global corporations in their contentious trademark and copyright matters on the African continent. His experience includes the preparation of written advice, cease and desist letters and pleadings for High Court and Tribunal matters; urgent and routine High Court motions for interim or final injunctions; and ex-parte motions for the preservation of evidence (Anton Piller motions).
Healy also runs software compliance programmes for several clients.
Alicia Kabini
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 436 6833
Email: alicia.kabini@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Alicia Kabini is a partner and trademark attorney in the trademark enforcement department. She specialises in trademark litigation, including oppositions, cancellations, domain name disputes, company name objections, passing off matters and their related interlocutory applications in South Africa and in other African countries. Kabini has recently been successful in a matter before the South African Supreme Court of Appeal and was also successful in an opposition matter before the Zambian Supreme Court of Appeal.
Kabini advises clients from a wide range of industries, including banks, apparel and retail companies, and an education and resourcing company.
David Cochrane
Position: Partner
Law firm: Spoor & Fisher
Phone: +27 12 676 1001
Email: d.cochrane@spoor.com
Website: www.spoor.com/en/home
David Cochrane, patent attorney, has a BSc (Chem) and an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
He has over two decades of experience in domestic and international patent matters, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications. An expert patent attorney, Cochrane specialises in filing applications in the pharmaceutical, nuclear medicine, chemical, petrochemical, agrichemical, explosives, metallurgical and biochemical fields, as well as plant breeders’ rights.
He is a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law and a member of the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys and the Legal Practice Council.
Samantha Copeling
Position: Consultant / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6323
Email: samantha.copeling@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Samantha Copeling is a consultant and trademark attorney in Adams & Adams’ trademark department. She graduated with an LLB from Cape Town University in 1990. She practises in the trademark prosecution department and specialises in clearance searches, all aspects of trademark registration and portfolio management. Copeling advises clients from a wide range of industries. The focus of her work is in South Africa and all African countries.
She is a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property and is a member of the South African Trademark Law Committee, INTA and Pharmaceutical Trademarks Group (PTMG).
Bilkis Daby
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6351
Email: bilkis.daby@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Bilkis Daby is a partner and trademark attorney in the trademarks department, holding an LLB degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
A qualified trademark practitioner, fellow of the SA Institute of Intellectual Property Law and a member of the Legal Practice Council, Daby specialises in all aspects of trademark formalities and commercialisation throughout Africa and internationally.
She is a member of international organisations, including INTA and Pharmaceutical Trademarks Group (PTMG), and a co-author of “The Practitioner’s Guide to Intellectual Property”, published by LexisNexis.
Gérard du Plessis
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6301
Email: gerard.duplessis@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Gérard du Plessis is a senior partner and a trademark attorney, having served as the chairman of Adams & Adams from 2013 to 2021. Prior to that he also served for many years as trademark department chairman. He specialises in litigation relating to trademarks, copyright, unlawful competition, domain names and advertising law.
He is responsible for the trademark portfolios of many multinationals and South African companies in Africa and throughout the world.
Du Plessis has been internationally recognised in peer-selected reviews such as Managing Intellectual Property (MIP), Best Lawyers, Who’s Who Legal, Chambers Global Guide, and The Legal 500.
Name: Nola Bond Position: Director Law firm: Kisch IP
Name: Rowan Forster Position: Patent Attorney Law firm: ENSafrica
Name: Stuart Gardiner Position: Special Counsel Law firm: Swart Attorneys
Name: Rowan Joseph Position: Patent Litigator Law firm: Von Seidels
Name: Janusz Luterek Position: Patent Attorney Law firm: Hahn & Hahn Name: Simonne Moodie Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney Law firm: Von Seidels Name: Leanne Mostert Position: Partner Law firm: Webber Wentzel
Mariëtte du Plessis
Position: Senior Partner
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6378
Email: mariette.duplessis@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Mariëtte du Plessis is a senior partner in the trademark litigation section of the trademarks department. She has been a partner in the firm of Adams & Adams since 1997 and is an experienced top-tier ranked IP attorney with over 30 years of experience in IP.
Du Plessis specialises in all trademark, copyright, advertising law and domain name related disputes throughout Africa, as well as regulatory advice.
She represents high profile South African and international clients in their trademark and copyright matters throughout Africa.
She is the client relations partner for many of the firm’s top local and international clients.
Sajidha Gamieldien
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6357
Email: sajidha.gamieldien@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Sajidha Gamieldien is a partner and trademark attorney in Adams & Adams’s Trademark Department. She graduated with a BA(Hons) and LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2007. She practices in the trademark prosecution department and specialises in clearance searches, all aspects of trademark registration and portfolio management. She advises clients from a wide range of industries.
Gamieldien is a member of the Law Society of the Legal Practice Council and a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property.
Nolo Khechane
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6342
Email: nolo.khechane@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Nolo Khechane is a partner and trademark attorney in the prosecution section of the trademarks department.
Khechane specialises in availability searches, the filing and prosecution of applications worldwide, with a particular emphasis on Africa. He is also the relationship partner and involved in portfolio management for a number of high profile local and international clients.
Some of his key clients include NBCUniversal, Jack Daniel’s, Brown-Forman, DreamWorks, Puma Energy SA, FirstRand, and First National Bank, to name a few.
Khechane’s expertise, experience and considered advice is highly appreciated by his clients.
Name: Hugo Prinsloo Position: Trademark Attorney and Partner Law firm: Von Seidels
Name: Nicola Scheepers Position: Principal / Lawyer Law firm: Griffith Hack
Name: Gaelyn Scott Position: Head of Intellectual Property Department Law firm: ENSafrica
Name: Christiaan Steyn Position: Director & IP Attorney Law firm: Steyn IP
Name: Christine Strutt Position: Partner / Copyright and Trademark Attorney Law firm: Von Seidels
Name: Erik van der Vyver Position: Founding Partner / Patent Attorney Law firm: Von Seidels
Name: Ralph van Niekerk Position: Partner / Patent Attorney Law firm: Von Seidels
Name: Bernadette Versfeld Position: Partner Law firm: Webber Wentzel
Name: Ron Wheeldon Position: Founder Law firm: Ron Wheeldon Attorneys
Darren Olivier
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 11 895 1011
Email: darren.olivier@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Darren Olivier has over 20 years of experience in brand protection and intellectual property commercialisation. He is an IP adviser to the Zulu royal family and sits on the editorial board of the University of Oxford’s “Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice”.
Olivier also writes as Afro Leo on the Afro-IP blog, which he founded. He is a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, a dual qualified South African and English solicitor and a member of INTA. He holds a B.Com LLB.
Jenny Pienaar
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6396
Email: jenny.pienaar@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Jenny Pienaar is a partner and trademark attorney in the firm’s trademark department.
Her areas of practice cover all areas of trademark litigation including oppositions to the registration of trademarks in South Africa and globally, with an emphasis on, as well as litigation relating to, copyright, passing-off, unlawful competition, company name objections and related issues. For foreign and local clients, Pienaar litigates to protect their trademarks globally and not only in South Africa.
Her expertise also incorporates advertising law and regulatory compliance issues both in South Africa and, where required, in several African countries.
Tshepo Shabangu
Position: Partner
Law firm: Spoor & Fisher
Phone: +27 12 676 1001
Email: t.shabangu@spoor.com
Website: www.spoor.com/en/home
Tshepo Shabangu is a trademark practitioner, with BProc and LLB degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an LLM magna cum laude from the University of Bonn, Germany.
She is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Shabangu has over two decades of experience in the local and international selection, clearance, prosecution and registration of trademarks.
She has expertise in trademark audits, IP portfolio management and due diligence investigations, as well as drafting IP-related agreements and policies.
She has extensive knowledge in corporate governance, having sat on boards of various trusts and companies. She speaks eight languages, including German.
Kareema Shaik
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6262
Email: kareema.shaik@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Kareema Shaik is a partner and trademark attorney in the trademark litigation department of Adams & Adams.
Her practice areas include litigation relating to trademarks, copyright, passing-off, unlawful competition, domain name disputes; company, close corporation and business name objections both in South Africa and in most other African jurisdictions, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, the OAPI region, Ethiopia, Morocco and Madagascar, to name a few.
Some of the clients Shaik has worked for include international film production companies, American celebrities, international clothing retailers, pharmaceutical companies and a leading South African hotel, gaming and entertainment group.
Nishan Singh
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6151
Email: nishan.singh@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Nishan Singh is a qualified attorney and trademark practitioner, who has been a partner of the firm since March 2012. Singh has been the chairperson of the trademark litigation department since 2019 and he currently serves as a member of the firm’s management committee, which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the firm. Singh specialises in all trademark, copyright, company and domain name related disputes throughout Africa.
He represents high profile South African and international clients in their trademark and copyright matters.
Kelly Thompson
Position: Partner; Firm Chair; Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 432 6298
Email: kelly.thompson@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Kelly Thompson is a senior partner and trademark attorney in the trademark litigation group and the current chairperson of Adams & Adams.
She is an experienced, top-tier ranked attorney and trademark practitioner. Thompson advises some of the world’s top multinational organisations on the protection and enforcement of their brands and other intellectual property in Africa. She also specialises in advertising law and disputes.
Lita Miti-Qamata
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 11 895 1022
Email: lita.miti-qamata@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Lita Miti-Qamata is a partner and trademark attorney; she was admitted as an attorney in 2010. She holds an LLB degree from the University of the Western Cape. Her areas of practice include brand protection, brand enforcement, brand management and commercialisation of intellectual property, throughout Africa. She advises multinational brands in the fashion, technology and energy industries.
She is involved in various pro bono projects and works closely with organisations that educate and assist small businesses to protect their intellectual property rights.
Eben Van Wyk
Position: Partner
Law firm: Spoor & Fisher
Phone: +27 12 676 1001
Email: e.vanwyk@spoor.com
Website: www.spoor.com/en/home/
Eben van Wyk is a trademark attorney and an attorney of the High Court of South Africa, as well as a non-practising solicitor of England and Wales. He has over two decades of experience in IP litigation, including trademark, copyright, unlawful competition, domain and company name disputes, and advertising law litigation.
Van Wyk deals with domestic and international trademark prosecution, provides advertising advice and deals with commercial IP transactions, including licensing arrangements and due diligence investigations. He is a member of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, the INTA Geographical Indications Sub-Committee and the Legal Practice Council.
Charles Webster
Position: Partner
Law firm: Spoor & Fisher
Phone: +27 12 676 1001
Email: c.webster@spoor.com
Website: www.spoor.com/en/home/
Charles Webster is a trademark attorney and has a BSc (Computer Science) and an LLB. He is an attorney of the High Court of South Africa. With over three decades of experience as a trademark practitioner, Webster specialises in litigation, in particular, trademark and copyright infringement, passing off, unlawful competition, Advertising Regulatory Board complaints, company name objections and domain name disputes. He has expert knowledge of all aspects of IP portfolio management and acts for a number of local and global blue-chip companies.
He is a fellow (and past president) of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, and a member of INTA Leadership and the INTA Amicus Committee.
Steven Yeates
Position: Partner / Trademark Attorney
Law firm: Adams & Adams
Phone: +27 12 402 5035
Email: steven.yeates@adams.africa
Website: www.adams.africa
Steven Yeates is a partner, trademark attorney and co-chair of the firm’s trademark department.
He advises clients on all issues relating to trademark selection, searching, registration and enforcement. He is actively involved in creating, implementing and managing trademark portfolios, enforcement programmes and management strategies on behalf of clients, in a number of African countries. Yeates regularly advises clients in relation to trademark and copyright disputes.
His key clients include Woolworths, Foschini Retail Group, Cape Union Mart, Shoprite Checkers, Fairview, KWV, Discovery Channel, Oceana Group, Home Box Office and Burger King.
