News
Fairbridges Wertheim Becker JHB Office Launch Cocktail Party
Fairbridges Wertheim Becker was pleased to host a cocktail event for clients and colleagues on Thursday 10 March and officially unveil their new office premises at 2 Pybus Road in Sandton. Judge K Satchwell was the guest speaker and addressed those in attendance on...
The Nuclear War
South Africa's ongoing struggle for a reliable energy source: nuclear v renewable energy A month after suspending Peter Becker from the Board of the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), the Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe on Friday 25 February 2022...
The Companies Amendment Bill: A proposed revision of the tool for intra-company financial assistance under Section 45 of the Companies Act
Section 45 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 ("the Act") is headed "Loans or Other Financial Assistance to Directors". Despite the misleading heading of this section, it creates not only a mechanism for the provision of financial assistance by a company to a director...
Prohibited mergers and acquisitions: what do the competition authorities consider?
The Competition Commission (“the Commission”) has recently prohibited the acquisition of Sasol’s sodium cyanide business by Draslovka South Africa (Pty) Limited (“Draslovka South Africa”), a subsidiary of the Czech Draslovka Holding a.s. It was intended that Draslovka...
Let’s talk Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
A look at the regulatory and legal challenges to NFTs and Non-Fungible Assets in general Before delving into the regulatory and legal challenges related to NFTs it is necessary to define NFTs as a concept. An NFT represents a digital or physical asset (such as a...
Unpacking the Property Practitioners Act, 22 of 2019 (the “Act”)
The provisions of the newly promulgated Act will commence on the 1st of February 2022. The Act essentially repeals the existing Estate Agency Affairs Act 112 of 1976 and calls for stricter consumer protection measures. This Act applies to the “marketing, promotion,...
Leading pathology laboratories agree to reduce their pricing of COVID-19 tests
The Competition Commission has concluded consent agreements with two of the largest private pathology laboratories, Ampath and Lancet, which will result in an immediate reduction in the maximum price cap of COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests from R850 to...
A legal analysis of the controversial, championship-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Mercedes Benz has cried foul following Max Verstappen winning the formula one Drivers Championship, 2021. They cite regulation 48.12 and maintain that the Grand Prix should have ended under the safety car, which would have handed Lewis Hamilton the Championship. Let’s...
Lucinda Verster named the Lexology Client Choice Award winner for Competition Law in South Africa
The winners of the 2021 Lexology Client Choice Awards were announced on 14 October 2021. Fairbridges Wertheim Becker is pleased to announce that our partner Lucinda Verster was announced the exclusive winner for Competition Law in South Africa. Established in 2005,...
Customer relationships matter
Fairbridges Wertheim Becker attorney, Greer Penzhorn, is a passionate commercial litigation lawyer, committed to serving justice and fighting for what is right in the business and property sector. “There are certain things you think you are passionate about and dream...
Do You Have a Right to Renew Your Lease Agreement?
The following clause (with minor variations) is often found in lease agreements:- “The Tenant shall have the right to renew this Agreement for a period of 1 (one) year on the same terms and conditions, save that the rental shall be agreed to in writing between...
Can employers dismiss their employees for refusing to take the vaccine?
With the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination picking up momentum, the question of whether to vaccinate or not is top of mind for some. The vaccination is currently not mandatory. A decision not to get vaccinated against Covid-19 may, however, have far-reaching...
Help! A curator has control of my assets
The purpose of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 1998, (“POCA”) is to offer a civil remedy for the preservation, seizure, and forfeiture of property or assets which, as a natural consequence, are concerned with the carrying out of unlawful activities. The National...
We Are Moving To New Premises
Fairbridges Wertheim Becker is pleased to announce that both of its Cape Town and Johannesburg offices will be moving to new premises. With effect from 1 September 2021 our Cape Town office will be relocating to the Portside Building at 5 Buitengracht Street, Cape...
4IR and the Law
Introduction The Fourth Industrial Revolution (“4IR”) predominated for some time, and the COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked its acceptance. Within a few months, the whole world had to adapt to remote working, learning and living. 4IR and COVID-19 changed the way we do...
The potential for unscrupulous conduct in the voluntary winding-up process in South Africa
Two primary avenues exist under South African law for the liquidation of a company - voluntary winding up and winding up by way of a court order. A further distinction exists in a voluntary winding up between one by the company’s members (shareholders) and a voluntary...
Who’s Who Legal Recognises Lucinda Verster as a Future Leader in Competition Law for a Second Year Running
Who’s Who Legal has been identifying and recognising the most notable legal practitioners globally since 1996. On an annual basis the organisation, based in London UK, nominates leading practitioners in their field of expertise from their pool of 24000 lawyers in...
Conveyancing News
I’m selling property in South Africa but I am overseas. What now? In a property transfer, a conveyancer’s mandate begins with the offer to purchase, a thorough reading of which gives us the framework for the type of transfer that we will be dealing with. We page...
Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans 2021: Dhahini Naidu
This year the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans celebrate 15 years of showcasing South Africa’s eminent and accomplished young people. This year’s theme was 'Resilience and Innovation for Excellence', and Mail & Guardian identified and awarded young...
Court Rules in Favour of National Arts Festival’s Claim Against the NAC
The Gauteng South High Court has ruled in favour of the National Arts Festival for the balance of the sum that was carried over for consideration from a court ruling in late March 2021 when the National Arts Festival took the National Arts Council (NAC) to court. The...
Deadline to comply with Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act is 1 July 2021.
2.1.The Deadline to Comply with PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION ACT, ACT NUMBER 4 OF 2013 IS 1 JULY 2021. 2.2. GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER BEFOREHAND. 2.3. SEVERE PENALTIES FOR NON -COMPLIANCE. 2.4. WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE TO GEAR UP. Our...