South Africa

Firm overview

Von Seidels is a leading African intellectual property (IP) law firm renowned for protecting, managing, and enforcing IP rights across the continent. The firm assists local and international clients with obtaining and managing all forms of IP protection with a strong focus on patents, trade marks, designs and copyright. The firm also deals with all IP related commercial activities, including transactions, structuring, IP aspects of exchange control, agreements, licensing, transfers, valuations and litigation.

Von Seidels has become one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest and most respected IP firms, backed by a team of 130 people. Its attorneys combine deep technical expertise with sharp commercial acumen and a commitment to client-centric service.

The firm provides IP services throughout Africa with regional offices / service hubs located in:

South Africa (headquarters in Cape Town, satellite office in Johannesburg)
Nigeria - serving West Africa
Kenya - serving East Africa
Namibia - serving the ARIPO region (20+ African countries)
Cameroon - serving the OAPI region (17 African countries)

The firm delivers a full suite of IP services, including patents, trade marks, designs, copyright, anti counterfeiting, licensing, commercial transactions, portfolio strategy, and high impact litigation. Its client base spans startups, research institutions, and leading global technology companies.

Von Seidels is consistently recognised for excellence and ranked as a top tier IP law firm in South Africa, recognised for its cross border strength, standout results in patent and trade mark matters, and its ability to translate complex IP challenges into strategic business outcomes.

As the first African IP firm to achieve ISO 9001 certification, Von Seidels sets the benchmark for service quality and reliability. Its recent expansion into Kenya reflects its ongoing commitment to strengthen on the ground expertise and support Africa’s accelerating innovation economy.

Firm overview

Werksmans is a pre-eminent corporate and commercial law firm in South Africa, a status it strives to maintain each and every day.

We deliver a unique client experience, going far beyond the application of law by partnering with each client and delivering highly specialised attention, focused solutions and the best possible outcome. This disciplined approach has resulted in Werksmans being regarded as one of the most innovative firms in Africa, and beyond.

Ever aware of changing dynamics in the corporate and commercial sphere, we remain at the cutting edge of legal developments across a broad range of industries, through insightful, pragmatic, solution-driven thinking. The above-and-beyond approach we adopt in every matter ensures optimal outcome that position our clients for success.

Our unwavering commitment remains to provide elegant, simple solutions to the most complex of legal matters, and to do it with our clients’ interests at heart. A firm like ours boasts far more than just 100-years of experience and expertise. We have refined success in the corporate and commercial legal environment underpinned by the versatility of the multi-faceted and leading specialists who constitute our team.

A strong supporter of the national transformation agenda, Werksmans is fully committed to transformation and the principles of equal opportunity, inclusivity and diversity; all fundamental to our ongoing success.

This is not just a place where matters are resolved and answers are found. It is a place where new ways of thinking lead to outcomes that raise the bar for excellence. The way we work and the passion which underpins everything we do, sets the standard for legal excellence in the South African Market.

Our culture is the framework around which we have built our coveted reputation as one of the oldest, most prestigious law firms in Africa. This reputation speaks to the calibre of corporate and commercial lawyers who make up the firm; many of whom are recognised as experts in their fields by their peers both locally and abroad.

Download the firm brochure here.

Explore the Werksmans Practice Areas.

Firm overview

Spoor & Fisher handles the filing, registration, prosecution and enforcement of trade marks, patents, designs and copyright. Clients also choose us to draft agreements for their commercial intellectual property (IP) transactions and to negotiate the best terms. Our intricate knowledge of over 80 different IP laws and practices across our core geographical regions - Africa and the Caribbean - means that we create and implement robust protection strategies. Where we do not have offices and where we cannot file directly, we work with carefully selected local associates.

Consistency in quality and record-keeping comes with having Spoor & Fisher as a single point of contact to manage entire IP portfolios. We work directly with corporates - global companies to small businesses - their main legal advisors as well as inventors. Clients from across the globe, including Africa-based businesses, have asked us to help protect and enforce their IP assets in their chosen markets.

Sector expertise:

Spoor & Fisher is responsible for the African and/or Caribbean intellectual property portfolios for some of the largest global brand owners across all main industry sectors.

We are pioneers for IP in Africa in particular - our lawyers have written the leading text books - including Dean & Dyer: Introduction to Intellectual Property Law - drafted laws and been involved in several of the most important cases in Africa.

History

1920 saw the creation of Spoor & Fisher in South Africa by founding members, Alfred Leonard Spoor and Len Fisher. With a growing business across Africa and limited local communications to support our business needs, the firm expanded in 1977 with the opening of an office in Jersey, Channel Islands. Jersey was chosen because of its excellent telecommunications and infrastructure. Jersey, being so close to Europe, gave us easy access to many clients, as well as straightforward travel links to Africa, the US and Asia. Although the historic issues that existed in South Africa have disappeared, our Jersey office is now well-established.

Trade Marks

Validity and enforceability of international registrations in African countries through to long response times from local registries are examples of the concerns and challenges that international brand owners face when looking to protect their trade marks across such a vast continent with numerous laws and practices. Similar issues exist in the Caribbean. We work with companies to ensure that, as a minimum, their house trade marks are protected in African countries that are known as counterfeiting hotspots, those with strong economic markets where their goods and services are available, and countries where their brands are being manufactured. Our trade mark search, formalities and prosecution teams manage trade mark portfolios at all stages.

Patents

Similar issues exist for patentees who wish to protect their inventions across such vast regions with numerous laws and practices. Our team of registered patent attorneys and professionals handles not only the drafting and analysis of patent and utility model specifications but also the filing, prosecution and renewal of applications across Africa and the Caribbean. We also work with local South African-based patent owners to assist with their patent portfolios in other countries. Clients rely on our multi-disciplinary expertise and experience to handle their patent matters across all technical disciplines. We have six main patent teams including biotechnology and life sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering and pharmaceuticals, electrical, electronics and software engineering, mechanical, civil and mining engineering, patent agency filings and patent enforcement. Our specialists also form part of our multi-disciplinary teams covering various industry sectors including clean technology, gas, oil and energy, food beverage and FMCG, healthcare, therapeutics and medical technologies, mining and resources, and nanotechnology.

Registered Designs

Designs involve substantial investment. Registering designs prevents the blatant copying of a design and should often be used with other forms of IP protection such as patents and trade marks. Although a registered design only safeguards the appearance of an article and offers a limited form of protection, it is beneficial to register. A product may be the subject of both patent and design protection - patents and registered designs should not be viewed as mutually exclusive. Our designs team has the necessary technical and legal qualifications as well as experience in the preparation, filing, prosecution and renewal of design applications across Africa and the Caribbean.

Firm overview

Adams & Adams is a leading African law firm that provides intellectual property (IP), commercial law, real estate and dispute resolution advice and support, tailored to clients’ specific needs.
The firm is locally and internationally recognised for its work in South Africa and across the African continent and prides itself on its valuable client relationships and expertise of more than 100 skilled attorneys.

As the largest IP law firm in Africa, Adams & Adams works with clients across industries to protect, enforce and commercialise all forms of IP on the continent. With offices in four major cities in South Africa and another 23 associate offices in the rest of Africa, the firm serves as a gateway into Africa for IP clients, providing support in all jurisdictions on the continent and surrounding islands. Its IP service offering is complemented by a full spectrum of transactional and dispute resolution services offered by its multi-disciplinary commercial law, real estate and dispute resolution practice.

Through the firm’s extensive African network, it can assist its clients to expand into Africa by facilitating the establishment of effective business structures. Adams & Adams leverages its geographic footprint and depth of expertise in a unique manner. Through its strong network of associate offices, it reduces complexity, creates efficiencies, and provides economies of scale that enable it to offer expert services cost effectively.

This, in conjunction with its strong commitment to professionalism, driven by service excellence and partner accessibility, sets it apart from any other law firm on the continent.