PROPERTY DEPARTMENT

A large percentage of the work handled by our firm is property related, and we pride ourselves in providing the best service to our clients.

Our focus is not only to provide quick and economical service to our clients, but to always keep the client’s best interest in mind. Our aim is to provide the best quality service to each of our clients, so ensuring that a good relationship is always maintained between us.

Our clients include a number of successful developers, as well as the major banking and financial institutions in South Africa, who can add quality to the service provided to their clients by having capable conveyancers as part of their team.

PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTS

We concentrate on all types of property developments, including:

Township developments;
Cluster and house development schemes;
Sectional Township development schemes;
General Commercial and Industrial developments

We pride ourselves in being specialists in the field of property development. We assist our clients with the legal aspects regarding the development of properties, in addition to obtaining the necessary Section 101 and Section 82 certificates. We furthermore assist our clients with the prompt proclamation of new townships.

Lectures on relevant topics concerning property development and township establishment are frequently given to interested bodies, clients and estate agents.

We serve on the panels of the following institutions:

• ABSA BANK (Homeloans, Corporate Property Finance & Cancellations);
• NEDBANK (Homeloans & Commercial Litigation);
• FNB HOMELOANS and FNB HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION;
• STANDARD BANK - Homeloans;
• BANK OF ATHENS HOMELOANS
• GAUTENG PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING.

Naturally, we also attend to normal property transfers and bonds on a daily basis.

CONVEYANCING AND NOTARIAL DEPARTMENT

We consider ourselves to be pioneering property specialists and as such our services include:

• Assistance with Due Diligence Investigations prior to acquisition of property, especially properties that are ear marked for development purposes and providing sound legal advice in respect of all aspects in such acquisition;
• Assistance and advising in the obtaining of the necessary consents and approvals necessary for development purposes, including the Section 82 Certificate,
• Opening of Township Registers;
• Zoning and Rezoning Applications;
• Sale of Land by Installments;
• Transfers of Immovable Property (including by private treaty, public auction, distressed sales, liquidation and deceased estates);
• Sale, Lease and Joint Venture Agreements;
• Subdivisions and Consolidations;
• Registration of Mortgage Bonds,
• Registration of Aviation Bonds,
• Registration of Notarial Bonds;
• Registrations of personal and praedial servitudes;
• Commercial and Residential developments including:
• Sectional Title Developments;
  – Freehold / Cluster Developments
  – Golf Course Estates;
  – Share Block Schemes; and
  – Retirement Villages.

We pride ourselves as being in the top performing list of attorneys for all of the major banks, ABSA, ABSA CPF, FNB, STD Band and Nedbank.

We render professional, quality legal advice across most areas of the law, whether in a court room, arbitration, tribunal hearing or other dispute resolution forum.

Our commercial team can assist with the drafting of various contracts, advice on and implementation thereof, the termination of contracts, general legal advice on matters pertaining to commercial law and general litigation.

Our commercial contract skills include, but are not limited to:

• Sale and Supply of Goods and Services;
• Partnering Agreements;
• Licensing and Franchising Agreements;
• Standard Terms and Conditions;
• Consultancy Agreements;
• Agency Agreements;
• Outsourcing Agreements; and

We undertake all aspects of corporate recovery and debt processing. Our experienced and dedicated team specializes in property disputes of all forms.

Our department is proactive in conducting and resolving disputes in the best interest of our clients. Our diverse litigation department covers most areas of litigation and we enjoy a high degree of specialization to the ultimate benefit of our clients which include:

• Corporate & Commercial litigation;
• Dispute Resolution;
• Urgent Applications and Interdicts;
• Debt Recovery in all forms;
• Foreclosures,
• Matrimonial Matters,
• Rental Claims;
• Evictions;
• Property Disputes;
• Personal Injury Litigation;
• Medical Malpractice;
• Building and Construction Disputes;
• Restraints of Trade and Unlawful Competition; and
• All forms of criminal and civil litigation.

LITIGATION DEPARTMENT

GENERAL LITIGATION

Our litigation department offers the best service in the following areas:

• Magistrate’s and High Court Litigation,
• Foreclosures and Debt Collection,
• Criminal matters,
• Antenuptial and related matters,
• Wills and estates,
• Sequestrations and liquidations,
• Trust and estate planning,
• Divorces,
• Commercial Contracts, inter alia,:
  – Sales of property,
  – Leases,
  – Sales of businesses and shares,
  – Registration of CC’s and Companies,
  – Section 21 Companies,
  – Partnership and service agreements,

PERSONAL INJURY DEPARTMENT

In the personal injury department we have experienced litigators who specialise in personal injury matters including:

• Injuries arising out of motor vehicle accidents,
• Medical malpractices suits,
• Assaults,
• Shooting,
• Unlawful arrests,
• Detention, and
• All other aspects of delictual liability.

In addition to the personal injury claims arising out of motor vehicle collisions this department also takes care of the material damage claims pursuant to motor vehicle accidents.

Employment and Labour law has become increasingly complex and we have extensive experience in resolving complicated employment issues and provide comprehensive, effective progressive and innovative advice and solutions for handling general employment, collective employment, labour law, individual employment law and employment litigation.

Our skills include:

• Arbitration and Mediation;
• Collective Bargaining Issues and industrial action related matters;
• Disciplinary Investigations;
• Chairing of disciplinary hearings;
• Conducting of poor work performance investigations;
• Attending to grievance hearings;
• Restructuring, reorganization, reduction and retrenchment;
• Facilitation of retrenchment proceedings;
• Drafting of employment guides, various policies and procedures, contracts and various labour related agreements;
• Training to various clients in respect of labour related topics;
• Policy development and drafting;
• Providing assistance in the implementation of various policies and procedures;
• Negotiation with Unions on behalf of clients;
• Attendances at the CCMA;
• Labour Court: drafting of various pleadings and notices (Review Applications, Urgent Applications, Statements of Case etc), providing clients with legal opinions and finalization of any such matters