Job Description

Associate Attorney - Litigation (Trade Marks)
Location: Pretoria
Salary: R78,000 - R85,000 CTC per month (including benefits)
Step Into a High-Impact Role
We're looking for a sharp, solutions-driven Associate to join a high-performing litigation team tackling brand-related disputes across South Africa and beyond. If you thrive under pressure, enjoy thinking on your feet, and are ready to take ownership of your matters -- this one's for you.
Duties & Responsibilities:

• Analyse instructions and factual scenarios to develop legal opinions and advice.
• Draft correspondence, including letters of demand, undertakings, and general communications.
• Prepare legal documents such as affidavits, pleadings, and notices for use in litigation.
• Contribute to thought leadership through the creation of marketing content and participation in speaking engagements.
• Conduct detailed legal research to support advisory and litigation work.
• Manage and maintain personal work schedules and deadlines, ensuring timely completion of tasks.
• Address urgent matters with efficiency and precision.
• Provide guidance and oversight to junior legal staff, including candidate attorneys, paralegals, and administrative support, particularly for routine tasks like document collation and pagination.
• Compile and maintain regular matter updates and summaries.
• Review draft invoices to ensure alignment with the work performed and billing requirements.
• Liaise with international legal professionals on cross-border issues, filings, and portfolio maintenance.
• Oversee and manage the transition of intellectual property portfolios, including large-scale transfers.
• Handle a variety of intellectual property disputes, including trade mark infringement, opposition, cancellation actions, and domain name challenges.
• Advise on copyright matters, particularly those involving software, and manage related disputes.
• Prepare IP-related sections of due diligence reports, offering insights into intellectual property issues in transactional contexts.

Requirements:

• LLB Degree
• Qualified trade mark practitioner
• Experience with trade mark and copyright enforcement in African territories (i.e. not only in South Africa)
• Knowledge of and experience with Patricia and/or Net docs
• Admission as an attorney and 2 - 5 years PQE