Spoor & Fisher

Carl van Rooyen is a Trade Mark Practitioner with Bluris and LLB degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Carl has over three decades of experience, specialising in litigation relating to trade marks, copyright and unlawful competition.  

Charles Webster is a Trade Mark Attorney and has a BSc (Computer Science) and an LLB. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. With over three decades of experience as a trade mark practitioner, Charles specializes in litigation – in particular, trade mark and copyright infringement, passing off, unlawful competition, Advertising Regulatory Board complaints, company name objections and domain name disputes. He has expert knowledge of all aspects of IP portfolio management and acts for a number of local and global blue-chip companies.  

Chyreene Truluck is a Patent Attorney and has MSc (Genetics) and LLB degrees. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Chyreene specialises in domestic and international patent prosecution, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and life sciences. She also has experience in commercial IP and plant breeders’ rights matters.

Craig Kahn, Patent Attorney at Spoor & Fisher, has BSc (Hons) and BProc degrees, and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. With almost three decades of patent experience, Craig is skilled in the filing and prosecution of patent, utility model and design applications, as well as plant breeders’ rights throughout Africa, including ARIPO and OAPI. He has particular expertise in the drafting of patent specifications for biotechnology, genetic engineering and pharmaceutical products, as well as patent and design enforcement in Africa.

Danie Pienaar is a Patent Attorney and has a BEng (Elec) cum laude and an LLB. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Danie has a decade of experience in drafting patent specifications, particularly in the fields of electronic and computer related inventions. He assists with filing and prosecuting local and foreign patent applications and industrial designs and specialises in drafting commercial agreements relating to intellectual property. Danie advises on competition law issues, specifically in relation to horizontal and vertical agreements, as well as the interface between competition law and intellectual property.  

David Cochrane, Patent Attorney, has a BSc (Chem) and an LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. David has over two decades of experience in domestic and international patent matters, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications. An expert patent attorney, he specialises in filing applications in the pharmaceutical, nuclear medicine, chemical, petrochemical, agrochemical, explosives, metallurgical and biochemical fields, as well as plant breeders’ rights.

Dina is a Patent Attorney with BSc (Physics), BSc (Elec Eng) and LLB degrees. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Qualified in 2002, Dina has two decades of experience, primarily in commercial transactions relating to intellectual property, including licensing, manufacturing, supply and distribution, technology transfer and collaboration agreements, transaction and investment structuring and related agreements, public-private transactions, ventures and collaborations, IP audits, due diligence and valuation. Dina has a special interest in the exhaustion of intellectual property rights and in arrangements involving open source and cloud-based software. She is also proficient in domestic and international patent and design matters, specifically patent specification drafting and the prosecution of patent applications.

Dirk Hanekom is a Patent Attorney and has MSc (Chem) and LLB cum laude degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Dirk has over a decade of experience in domestic and international patent matters. He specialises in the preparation and prosecution of applications relating to pharmaceutical inventions, including novel compounds, formulations and manufacturing techniques; and other general chemical technologies including petrochemicals, catalysts, polymer chemistry, pesticides, rubber and general consumer goods. Dirk also advises clients on regulatory issues relating to these technology areas. He has extensive experience in conducting freedom to operate investigations in South Africa and the rest of the African continent.  

Eben van Wyk is a Trade Mark Attorney and has BProc and LLM (IP) cum laude degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, as well as a non-practicing Solicitor of England and Wales. Eben specializes in intellectual property litigation, including trade mark, copyright, unlawful competition domain and company name disputes, and advertising law litigation. He also deals with domestic and international trade mark prosecution, provides advertising advice and deals with commercial IP transactions, including licensing arrangements and due diligence investigations.

Herman van Schalkwyk is a Patent Attorney. He has BEng (Mech), LLB (cum laude) and MBA (cum laude) degrees, and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Herman’s over 10 years at Spoor & Fisher have covered domestic and international patent and design matters, with a particular focus on the preparation and prosecution of patent and design applications within the mechanical, civil and general engineering fields. His experience also includes commercial transactions relating to IP, due diligence investigations, landscape analyses, and patentability and freedom to operate analyses. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Herman has a keen interest in the management of organisations, particularly in leadership and strategy. He enjoys serving within the management structures of Spoor & Fisher.

Herman Blignaut is a Trade Mark Practitioner with an LLB (cum laude). He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Herman has 18 years of experience in trade mark, copyright and unlawful competition litigation, including trade mark oppositions, trade mark and copyright infringement, domain names, company and close corporation name objections, trade mark searches and prosecution.

Jean McIvor is a Trade Mark Practitioner, holding a BA (Hons), LLB (KZN) and LLM (Cantab) degrees. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Jean has four decades of experience in domestic and international trade mark registration and searches, trade mark portfolio management, and the registration of copyright in cinematograph films. She is a specialist trade mark attorney who acts for various local and international clients.

Jeremy Speres is a Trade Mark Attorney with BA, LLB and LLM degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional / Europe – CIPP/E. With over a decades experience, Jeremy practises intellectual property and IT law, with broad transactional, contentious and prosecution experience around the world. He has extensive knowledge and experience in global internet law, including domain name law and online IP protection. Jeremy is a World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) domain name dispute panellist, adjudicating complaints under the UDRP and other policies, as well as a .za domain name dispute adjudicator. He advises on data protection and privacy, cybersecurity legal concerns, software licensing and development agreements and intermediary liability. Jeremy leads the firm's domain names and online brand enforcement department and is lead counsel in South Africa's first site blocking case. He has good technical knowledge of the internet protocol suite and cybersecurity, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, HTTP(S), SSL/TLS, BGP, email protocols and DNS, including DNS security concepts such as DNSSEC, CAA, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, DNS over HTTPS (DoH) & TLS (DoT) and Encrypted Server Name Indication (ESNI). Jeremy is a long-standing Linux user. Jeremy has experience handling contentious and transactional aspects of internet numbering resources, including IPv4, IPv6 and Autonomous Systems (AS), and dealing with Regional Internet Registries. He also has a good technical knowledge of and experience with internet governance and the intermediary ecosystem, including enforcement actions on all major platforms, as well as dark web investigations and payment gateway actions.

Prof. John McKnight is a Patent Attorney with Spoor & Fisher. He has BSc (Hons) and LLB degrees and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He is also a Chartered Patent Attorney in the United Kingdom, a European Patent Attorney and a Solicitor of England & Wales (non-practising).   With over three decades of experience in domestic and international patent and design matters, John specialises in the filing of applications in the chemical, biochemical and pharmaceutical fields, and related litigation. He is also proficient in commercial transactions involving IP, including confidentiality, joint development, supply, licensing and technology transfer agreements. As a former Deputy Head of Patents at Reckitt Benckiser in the UK, John has experience of both registered and unregistered IP rights in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) environment.

John Foster is a Trade Mark Attorney with BCom (Law) and LLB degrees.  He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. John specialises in domestic and foreign trade mark prosecution and trade mark, copyright and unlawful competition litigation. This includes trade mark oppositions, trade mark and copyright infringement claims, domain name disputes and company name objections. John has a keen interest in advertising law and has been involved in numerous litigious matters before various advertising regulatory bodies, in South Africa and various African countries. He regularly provides advertising pre-clearance advice to a number of multinational companies. John also deals with commercial IP transactions, licensing arrangements and due diligence investigations.  

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.

Juli Hopf is a Trade Mark Practitioner with BA and LLB degrees from the University of South Africa. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. For almost two decades, Juli has focused her expertise on domestic and international trade mark searches, prosecution of trade mark applications, domestic trade mark litigation and portfolio management.

Kay Rickelman is Spoor & Fisher’s foreign trade marks counsel. She has BS cum laude and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Illinois. She is an Attorney of the State of Illinois, as well as Attorney of the Seventh Circuit, US Federal Court. Kay has over three decades of experience in domestic and international trade mark registration, searches and clearance, and international trade mark litigation. She specialises in portfolio management and oversees trade mark matters in Africa and abroad, on behalf of international companies. Kay is an expert in obtaining and enforcing trade mark protection in foreign countries.

Lance Abramson is a Patent Attorney and has BSc (Elec Eng) and BProc degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Lance has over two decades of experience, with a focus on domestic and international patent and design matters, including the preparation and prosecution of patent and design applications. He is an expert patent attorney, specialising in the filing of applications in the electrical, electronic, software and nanotechnology fields, and related litigation.  

Linda Thilivhali is a Trade Mark Practitioner with an LLB degree. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. With over a decade of experience, Linda specialises in the selection, clearance and registration of trade marks, both locally and internationally. She also assists clients in the prosecution of trade mark applications, conducting IP due diligence investigations and handles IP portfolio management Linda serves as a former council member of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL).

Lodewyk Cilliers is a Patent Attorney with BEng (Mech) and LLB degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a registered professional engineer (Pr Eng). Lodewyk has almost two decades of experience, specialising in the filing and prosecution of patent and registered design applications locally and abroad. He focuses on mechanical, civil and general engineering inventions. Prior to joining the patent profession, Lodewyk worked as a mechanical engineer in the nuclear energy environment.

Louise Myburgh is a Trade Mark Practitioner and has BEcon (Hons) and LLB degrees. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Louise has over two decades of experience in domestic and international trade mark registration and litigation, searches and renewals, domestic and international copyright, advertising objections, unlawful competition, passing off, company name objections and domain name disputes.

Marco van der Merwe is a Trade Mark Practitioner and head of the Trade Mark Department at Spoor & Fisher. He has a BLC and LLB from the University of Pretoria, a certificate in computer programming as well as a Diploma in Labour Relations. Marco is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. For the past three decades, Marco has specialised in domestic trade mark registration, searches and maintenance, domestic and international copyright, information technology law, and domain name disputes. He is a specialist trade mark attorney with experience in computer-related litigation and information technology.

Mark Kemp is a Patent Attorney and has BSc (Hons) (Chem) and BProc degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Mark’s almost three decades of experience have covered domestic and international patent matters, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the chemical, metallurgical, nanotechnology and biochemical fields, and related litigation. He files and prosecutes patent applications internationally for a wide range of local and foreign clients, most notably from the US and UK – from start-up to blue-chip companies, as well as universities and other parastatals Consequently, Mark has taken over and successfully prosecuted a number of large patent portfolios for local and international clients. He also has extensive experience in advising pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies on launching new products to the market.

Megan Reimers is a Trade Mark Practitioner with a BLC and LLB (cum laude).  She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Megan has over two decades of experience across all aspects of IP law, including prosecution, portfolio management, litigation, trade mark and copyright infringement, passing off, unlawful competition, Advertising Regulatory Board complaints, company name objections and domain name disputes.

Mohamed Khader is a Partner at Spoor & Fisher, specialising in anti-counterfeiting, copyright and trade mark law, with a special emphasis on litigation. He has a BProc and LLB from the University of Kwazulu-Natal and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. With two decades of experience, Mohamed heads the firm’s anti-counterfeiting unit. He has played a prominent role in the development of anti-counterfeiting practices and procedures in South Africa and has presented numerous seminars to Customs and Excise officials, members of the South African Police Services (SAPS), and state prosecutors employed by the National Prosecuting Authority.

Paul Ramara is a Trade Mark Practitioner and has a BProc and HDip Cyberlaw, from the University of Pretoria. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Paul has over two decades specialising in trade mark and anti-counterfeiting litigation. He has handled big cases relating to anti-counterfeiting in Southern Africa and East Africa, and successfully represented clients in a number of litigation cases in Kenya and Zambia.  

Reinard is a Trade Mark and Copyright Attorney with LLB and LLM cum laude degrees. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Reinard has spent the past nine years specializing in the enforcement of IP rights. This includes trade mark infringement and prosecution, passing-off, unlawful competition matters, trade mark oppositions, copyright opinions and litigation, company name objections and domain name disputes. He has experience in foodstuffs and cosmetic labelling complaints, as well as in the enforcement of anti-counterfeiting, with a focus on anti-counterfeiting in Africa.  

Shamin Raghunandan is a Trade Mark Practitioner with an LLB degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. With over a decade of experience, Shamin specialises in domestic and international trade mark law, trade mark clearance searches, filing and prosecuting trade mark applications and trade mark portfolio management. She has specific expertise in counselling and assisting clients with planning and obtaining trade mark protection throughout Africa.

Shanaaz Mahomed is a Patent Attorney. She has BSc (Bot, Biochem, Chem), BJuris and LLB degrees, and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.   Shanaaz has over two decades of experience in the prosecution of South African national phase patent applications. She specialises in the prosecution of patent applications at the South African patent office, including filing of amendment applications, dealing specifically with patent matters in the pharmaceutical, chemical and biochemical fields. Shanaaz has served as the Head of the Patent department at Spoor & Fisher during 2019-2020, and has been appointed by the Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition to serve on the Patent Examination Board.

Stephen Goldberg is a leading Trade Mark Attorney with a BProc and LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and Namibia. Stephen has well over three decades of experience in domestic and international trade mark registration, searches and domain name disputes. He acts for a number of local and internationally listed blue-chip companies. Stephen practises in both South Africa and Namibia, assisting clients throughout Africa and in many other countries worldwide.

Tertia Beharie is a Patent Attorney and has BSc (Hons) Chem and LLB degrees. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Her 12 years of experience have covered domestic and international patent matters, including the preparation and prosecution of patent applications. Specialising in filing applications in the chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, agrochemical, metallurgical and biochemical fields, Tertia also deals with biodiversity and traditional knowledge issues. Tertia handles patent and design applications received from abroad, as well as the prosecution of domestic patent and design applications.  

Tshepo Shabangu is a Trade Mark Practitioner, with BProc and LLB degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an LLM (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Bonn, Germany. She is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and a Notary Public. Tshepo has over two decades of experience in the local and international selection, clearance, prosecution and registration of trade marks. She also has expertise in trade mark audits, IP portfolio management and due diligence investigations, as well as drafting IP related agreements and policies. She has extensive knowledge in corporate governance, having sat on boards of various trusts and companies. Tshepo speaks eight languages, including German.

Tyron Grant is a Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences department at Spoor & Fisher. He has MSc (Genetics) and LLB degrees, and is an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.   Tyron has over a decade of experience in domestic and international patent matters, particularly in the field of biotechnology. He specialises in the drafting, preparation and prosecution of patent applications. Tyron also assists with litigation matters related to biotechnological inventions and providing advice in respect of the Genetically Modified Organisms Act, Plant Breeders' Rights Act and National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act.