Congratulations to Fairbridges Amabutho Warriors action soccer team for yet again winning the Five Futbol League (Law Firm Division) beating all the big guns on the way with style, finesse, tenacity and by far the best goal average in this highly competitive and popular sport. The final league standings were: 1. Fairbridges 2. Norton Rose 3. Bowman Gilfillan 4. Edward Nathan … Read More

Louis Rood has been nominated for the exclusive Litigation position in South Africa on The Lawyer Network, a comprehensive international guide to legal services in over 95 countries. Andrew Hewitt has been selected by Who’s Who Legal for inclusion in The International Who’s Who of Sport & Entertainment Lawyers 2013 as a leading expert in the specialist category. Read More

The August 2013 edition of Succeed magazine features lessons in longevity from three of South Africa’s oldest companies, including Fairbridges. The importance of consistency, adaptability and relationship-building is emphasised. Fairbridges Chairman Louis Rood is extensively quoted: “Sustainability depends on not overpricing services, irrespective of the market conditions. If you remain grounded and take exceptional care of clients and employees, you will … Read More

Shortly after Fairbridges was founded in 1812, Christoffel Brand, on leaving school at the age of sixteen entered the office of our founder John Merrington and worked there for two years before proceeding to the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. His great-great-grandson was Michael Corbett, Chief Justice of South Africa from 1989 to 1996. He administered the oath to … Read More

“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”  – Martin luther King (1929 – 1968) An important function of our courts was illustrated in a recent full bench decision of three judges in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. An application for committal for contempt of court had been brought against the National Department of … Read More

“There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.” – Christopher Morley (1890 – 1957) Judge Plasket sitting in the Eastern Cape High Court in Grahamstown has given an important judgment concerning the fundamental right of children attending public schools to a basic education. This is enshrined, without qualification, in Section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution, which states that everyone … Read More

All Candidate Attorneys are required to serve a period of articles, usually two years, before becoming eligible to be admitted to practice. during that time they must pass the Attorneys’ Admission exams. More importantly, they have the opportunity for practical training under a principal attorney. It is a period where the aspirant attorney learns the trade, gains experience, and becomes familiar … Read More

“Most usually our virtues are only vices in disguise.” – Francois, duc de la Rochefoucauld (1613 – 1680) The Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein has heard a case where in terms of a will money had been left to a trust with the sole purpose of providing bursaries to assist white students completing a Master’s degree in organic Chemistry at … Read More

“The world is disgracefully managed, one hardly knows to whom to complain.” – Ronald Firbank (1886 – 1926) A High Court order which evicted a number of men, women and children from a certain block of flats in Jeppe Street, Johannesburg which they unlawfully occupied, gave the City of Johannesburg six months to make suitable arrangements to provide them with temporary shelter. … Read More

“I slept, and dreamed that life was Beauty; I woke, and found that life was Duty.” – Ellen Hooper (1816 – 1841) The Supreme Court of Appeal recently had to evaluate the conduct of the conveyancing attorney of a seller of immovable property. There had been certain errors and mistakes which resulted in a considerable delay for bonds to be cancelled, as … Read More

“If we stop loving animals, aren’t we bound to stop loving humans too?” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918 – 2008) Carte Blanche recently aired a piece on the cruel treatment of circus animals. Protesters were seen outside Brian Boswell’s circus in Johannesburg after the show. A less public part of the campaign against performing circus animals played out in the North Gauteng … Read More

“There is no debt with so much prejudice put off as that of justice.” – Plutarch (46 – 120 AD) Before the adoption of the interim Constitution, rural landowners were not required to pay municipal rates, as rural properties did not fall within the area of jurisdiction of municipalities. this position changed with the transition to democracy and the introduction of … Read More

Fairbridges has been awarded the Administrative Law Firm of the Year in South Africa for South Africa 2012 by international ratings agency, Corporate INTL, confirming our pre-eminent position as the leading administrative law firm in the country. Read More