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Werksmans Attorneys
Headquarters Johannesburg, South Africa
No. of offices3
No. of lawyersOver 200
No. of employees410
Major practice areasCorporate law
Commercial law[1]
Key peopleDavid Hertz (Chairman)[2]
Jeremy Botha (CEO)
Date founded1917
FounderNathan Werksman
Company typeLegal Practice
Websitewerksmans.com

Werksmans Attorneys is a South African law firm[3][4] with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Stellenbosch.[5] It was established in 1917. In 1993, Werksmans was one of the founding members of LEX Africa, currently the oldest and largest African network.

The firm has recently been considered as the latest a member of the "Big Five law firms" of leading South African law firms.

History

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Werksmans was founded in Johannesburg in 1917 by Nathan Werksman, a Jewish South African lawyer.[6][7][8][9]Werksman opened his practice, initially known as N. Werksman, on 21 April 1917, his 21st birthday, at Melahske's Building on the corner of Market and Harrison Streets in Johannesburg.[6] The practice expanded through partnerships and mergers. By the end of the 1940s it was known as N Werksman and Partners, and in the 1960s and early 1970s its name became N Werksman, Hyman, Barnett and Partners.[6] In 1976, the firm adopted the name Werksmans Attorneys, becoming one of the first South African law firms to abandon the practice of incorporating partners' names into its name. Nathan Werksman remained associated with the firm until his death on 15 December 1987, aged 91.[6]

Pro bono and public-interest work

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Werksmans provides pro bono legal services to people who cannot afford legal representation and to non-profit, public-benefit and civil-society organisations.[10][11] Its pro bono activities include staffing legal clinics, providing legal advice and representation, assisting organisations with advocacy initiatives, and undertaking strategic and public-interest litigation.[10]

In 2012, Werksmans established a law clinic in Diepsloot, Johannesburg. The clinic provides pro bono legal assistance to people in the area, including advice and representation concerning consumer law, child maintenance, property disputes and labour-related matters.[12] Trialogue reported that the clinic was established with community partner Afrika Tikkun, which had identified the need for access to pro bono legal services in the area.[13]

The firm has also undertaken pro bono representation in individual cases reported by South African media. In 2013, Werksmans represented Comrades Marathon winner Ludwick Mamabolo on a pro bono basis in proceedings arising from a doping allegation; Mamabolo was subsequently cleared.[14] In 2017, Werksmans senior associate Jyoti Narshi represented District Six resident Yusuf Williams pro bono in proceedings concerning his threatened eviction.[15]

Practice areas

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With a focus on corporate and commercial law,[1] the firm's practice areas include banking and finance; business recovery, insolvency, and restructuring; competition law; labour law; environmental law; health, pharmaceutical, and life sciences; and mining, energy, and natural resources. It also provides legal advisory services for intellectual property, litigation and dispute resolution (and alternative dispute resolution in the form of mediation and arbitration), media and communications, mergers and acquisitions, property transactions, sports and entertainment, tax, and information technology.

In the news

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In November 2019, the firm was representing celebrity Boity Thulo in her legal attempt to terminate her contract with her management agency.[16]

After an apparent issue with non-payment of fees, Werksmans severed ties with its client the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa in February 2020.[17]

References

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  1. 1 2 "About". Werksmans. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  2. ↑ "People Profiles: Africa". Werksmans. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  3. ↑ "Werksmans Attorneys". The Legal 500. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  4. ↑ "Company Overview of Werksmans Attorneys Incorporating Jan S. de Villiers". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  5. ↑ "General Enquiries". Werksmans. Retrieved 2018-06-22.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Celebrating 100 years". Werksmans Attorneys. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  7. ↑ "THE JEWISH SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIENCE: 1841-2016" (PDF). jewishaffairs. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "Werksman, Nathan". South African Jewry 1929 and 1967-68. 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  9. ↑ malcolm (2025-10-27). "The Short History: The Business of Law in South Africa - Tech4Law". Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  10. 1 2 "Pro Bono". Werksmans Attorneys. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  11. ↑ "Probono Panel | ProBono.org". Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  12. ↑ Motsiri, Naledi; @werksmans (2019-06-05). "Probono@Werks". Werksmans Attorneys. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  13. ↑ Admin, Trialogue (2022-11-02). "Capacity building in the non-profit sector". Trialogue Knowledge Hub | Resources for CSI & sustainability in Africa. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  14. ↑ Sapa (2013-05-01). "Comrades winner Mamabolo delighted to be cleared of doping". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
  15. ↑ News24, Jenna Etheridge. "District Six pensioner faces trauma of second eviction". News24. Retrieved 2026-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "Gatvol Boity wants out of management agency". Sunday World. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  17. ↑ Liezl Human (6 February 2020). "End of the line for Prasa as frustrated law firm resigns over unpaid millions". DispatchLIVE. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
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