Lawyers

Shanaaz Mahomed

Shanaaz Mahomed

Spoor & Fisher, South Africa

Work Department

Patent Chemical

Position

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.

Career

Shanaaz has been a partner at Spoor & Fisher since about 2006. She is the first black female patent attorney in South Africa and was recognised in the Business Woman’s Regional Business Achiever Award in 2007. She was appointed by the minister to chair the Patent Examination Board and is a council member of SAIIPL since 2013.

Professional Activities

Guest lecturer of IP Law: Nelson Mandela University, 2009 & 2010 Guest lecturer of IP Law: Rhodes University, 2009 Guest speaker at Graduation: Nelson Mandela University, 2010

Market Recognition

WIPR – Influential Women in IP Award, 2020 Business Woman’s Regional Achiever Award, 2007 First South African Black female Patent Attorney, 2005

Languages

English

Memberships

Fellow – South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL) Member – Legal Practice Council (LPC) Board Member – Patent Examination Board Immediate Past President – South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (2022) President – South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (2021) Chairperson – Patent Examination Board (2015-2017)

Education

BSc (Biochemistry, Botany & Chemistry), BJuris, LLB. Admitted attorney of the High Court of SA. Patent Attorney.