Chennells Albertyn, established in Stellenbosch in 1988 and in Cape Town in 1993, has always been committed to providing excellent professional legal services.
During the apartheid years we were one of a handful of law firms in the private sector that was at the cutting edge of human rights law, and many of our legal interventions were in the form of test cases.
In the post 1994 era, we have focussed our practice to play a leading role in providing legal support to people involved in building the economy, and advise and act for many entrepreneurs, both large and small. Our clients range from the owners of listed companies, to parastatals, small and medium enterprises, and our background and experience enables us to deal with clients from all walks of life.
We are committed to striving for excellence in representing our clients, whether in the commercial field, in protecting their property rights, or in advancing fundamental human rights and democracy in South Africa.
We provide commercial legal services, property law services, civil litigation, labour law expertise, environmental law, and constitutional and administrative law. We rely not only on a high degree of efficiency, but also an excellent success rate.
FIELDS OF SPECIALITY
Whilst endeavouring to meet all of our clients’ diverse legal needs, we focus on the following areas of legal practice:
- Civil litigation
Our litigation team has a wealth of experience in the High Courts, Labour Courts and Magistrates Courts, to ensure that our clients’ rights are properly protected, promoted, and enforced.
Glyn Williams, Camilla Rose, Johan van der Merwe, Fiona Bester
- Conveyancing & Property Law
We have a competent, efficient and experienced conveyancing and property department providing a full range of services relating to property transactions over residential, commercial and agricultural properties. - Labour Law
We have for many years specialised in labour law acting for employers, small businesses, and non government organizations on the one hand, and organized labour and individuals on the other. We have appeared before the CCMA, Bargaining Councils and in the Labour Court. - Environmental Law
We have acted for a number of environmental watchdogs and litigated successfully on their behalf in a number of cases. More notable interventions have been on behalf of the Wildlife & Environmental Society of SA. We also assist developers where appropriate, to ensure just administrative decisions in response to development applications. - Administrative Law
We regard the application of the principles of natural justice as one of our areas of expertise. We have been involved in a number of planning disputes at local government level on appeal and review to the High Court.Glyn Williams, Camilla Rose, Johan van der Merwe, Fiona Bester
- Land Reform
We are involved in a number of land reform initiatives, which often include the constitution of appropriate legal entities for commercial endeavours. - Trusts
We establish and administer trusts as vehicles for various purposes, such as community trusts, trusts for the purpose of estate planning, and trusts for the care of beneficiaries, unable to care for themselves. - Commercial Law
We deal with all aspects of company and commercial law including the drafting of commercial contracts; commercial civil litigation; consultancy and advice; the drafting of founding documents for the formation of legal entities. - Estate Planning & Wills
We recognise the importance of a comprehensive approach to asset management and estate planning, and work closely with financial advisers, clients' tax consultants and auditors, and private bankers to provide efficient and accurate estate planning services. - Deceased Estates
We administer deceased estates. - Alternative Dispute Resolution
Glyn Williams and our consultant, Roger Chennells, are mediators and arbitrators on the panels of private arbitrators and the bargaining councils. - Local Government Transformation
We have advised local government on the implementation of the suite of constitutional laws that has led to its transformation and is intended to provide for its good governance. - Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
Our existing corporate clients increasingly request our assistance in the transformation of their businesses to ensure that they embrace the requirements of BBBEE scorecards. We also assist previously disadvantaged communities to negotiate the benefits of entrepreneurial development with corporations that bring development to these communities. We have been engaged by the developers of Boschendal Estate to assist the communities of the Dwars River Valley in which that development is situate. - Indigenous Peoples Rights
The firm has acted for a number of years for the various San communities in both South and Southern Africa and has successfully pursued land claims on behalf of these communities.