Mr Jonathan Whittaker > Spoor & Fisher > Pretoria, South Africa > Lawyer Profile

Mr Jonathan Whittaker

+27 12 676 1026 j.whittaker@spoor.com

Work Department

Patent Litigation

Position

Jonathan Whittaker is a Patent Attorney with a BSc (Civil Eng), BProc, LLB and PGDip OL. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Jonathan has spent almost three decades in intellectual property litigation and opinion work. His areas of expertise include patents, designs, technical copyright, unlawful competition and plant breeders’ rights.

Jonathan has extensive litigation experience in a broad spectrum of fields including the mechanical, mining, metallurgical, construction, electrical, electronics, telecommunications, medical, chemical and pharmaceutical fields.

Career

Jonathan obtained his BSc in Engineering (Civil) from The University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in 1991, and thereafter worked for two years as an engineer on a large construction project.  He joined Spoor & Fisher in January 1994 as a candidate attorney, and simultaneously commenced his studies in law.  Jonathan obtained his BProc degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1996 and was awarded his LLB degree from the same university in 1997.  He qualified as an attorney and a patent attorney in 1997.  Jonathan initially worked in the firm’s mechanical department where he specialised in patent prosecution.  In 1999 he was appointed an associate of Spoor & Fisher, and he was promoted to equity partner of the firm in 2000.  Jonathan joined the patent litigation department of Spoor & Fisher during the course of 2000 where he has specialised in litigation for the past 17 years.  He has been a member of various committees of Spoor & Fisher and the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law.  He has served as Chair of the firm’s Executive Committee and the firm’s Remuneration Committee since December 2009.  Jonathan has been an examiner for the Patents Examinations Board and is currently the moderator for the drafting of patent specifications.

Professional activities

• Author of Chapter 91 Laws of South Africa with Commentary – Designs, World Intellectual Property Rights and Remedies (Centre for International Legal Studies), 2001 – present
• Lecturer on practical legal problems: Patent Examination Board, 2019-2021
• Lecturer and moderator on drafting of patent specifications: Patent Examination Board, 2003-2021

Market Recognition

• Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers Intellectual Property: Patents (Band 2: 2019 – present); (Band 3: 2016 – 2018)
• Ranked – Legal 500 EMEA, 2019-2020
• World’s Leading Practitioners – Euromoney’s Expert Guides: Patents, 2016-2021
• Listed – Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars, 2014-present
• Listed – IAM’s World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, 2012-present
• Listed – IAM’s Global Leaders 2020-present
• Listed – Who’s Who Legal – Patents, 2011-2021
• Best Lawyers – Intellectual Property Law: South Africa, 2022

Languages

English, Afrikaans  

Memberships

• Fellow – South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL)
• Member – International Bar Association (IBA)
• Member – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI)
• Member – Congress of Fellows of the Centre for International Legal Studies (CILS)
• Member – South African Institute of Civil Engineering (SAICE)
• Member – Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA)
• Member – Legal Practice Council (LPC)

Education

BSc (Civil Eng), BProc, LLB and PGDip OL. Patent Attorney, Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.