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Garlicke & Bousfield is a well-known law firm in South Africa. Founded in 1867, it is one of the oldest law firms in the country and has established a reputation for providing high-quality legal services to its clients.
The firm offers a wide range of legal services across various practice areas, including corporate law, commercial law, litigation, intellectual property, tax law, and real estate, among others. Garlicke & Bousfield serves both domestic and international clients, ranging from individuals and small businesses to large corporations and multinational companies.
INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
Garlicke & Bousfield currently plays an integral role in the ongoing rapid expansion of the property market in KwaZulu- Natal, offering key support structures in all aspects of conveyancing for both the acquisition and selling of community scheme, commercial, and industrial properties. In fact, one could say they wrote the ‘rule book’ when it comes to the successful transitioning from a landowner large-scale planned scheme to an investor-owned commercial park or residential community.
PROPERTY MARKET LOOKS TO THE CAPE
In the last decade, investor confidence has grown in the Western Cape, and we have seen several property trends unfold.
‘Semigration’ no longer refers only to the residential market – the Cape is becoming the industrial stronghold for everything from storage to retail warehouses and data centres. For Garlicke & Bousfield to expand into the Cape makes market sense, with their growing client base in the Cape and their owning the ‘rule book’ on the supportive structures required for rapid property expansion. Garlicke & Bousfield is positioned to respond to their clients’ needs.
Yvonne Boden, CEO of Garlicke & Bousfield, says: ‘The Cape office is an expansion, not a relocation. While we learned a few things from COVID-19 about the efficiencies of online communication, there is no substitute for sitting in a room with your client if you want to build real, longstanding relationships.’
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BRICK AND MORTAR
The newly established Cape office is based in Kenilworth, and in the driver’s seat is Nicci du Plessis. Du Plessis is a seasoned attorney and conveyancer, having been admitted to the Western Cape High Court in 2002. She owned her own successful practice for many years; however, when the opportunity presented itself for her to join forces with Garlicke & Bousfield as a director and lead the practice’s new Cape-based team, Du Plessis was enthralled with the idea of the challenge.
Echoing Boden’s thoughts on Garlicke & Bousfield’s decision to extend its expertise into the Western Cape, she says: ‘Many of Garlicke & Bousfield’s client relationships have been built up over several years, and when it comes to those who have relocated or expanded their businesses into the Cape, we need to be on the ground with them. The value of a physical presence cannot be underestimated in our approach to partnering with and supporting our clients.’
Du Plessis’s extensive experience in registering developments in the Western Cape and conveyancing on behalf of foreign nationals who purchase property in the Cape will lend additional strength to the practice, as it establishes a footprint in the Cape Town property market.
While the expansion into the Cape will serve the needs of new clients, the Garlicke & Bousfield directors are acutely aware of existing relationships between the KZN office and Cape-based clients. So the expansion plan includes a transition plan – directors will continue to commute between offices, while Du Plessis and the team become au fait with client cases. The plan is also for Garlicke & Bousfield’s director Michelle Posemann to relocate to the Cape office. Posemann’s specialisation is labor and employment law and mediation. – she has been a director of the Employment Law Department at Garlicke & Bousfield since 2022. The transition plan will not only ensure that client service remains at the forefront, but Posemann’s specialisation will open up new business opportunities and offer clients additional valuable services.
Over the years, Garlicke & Bousfield has played a significant role in shaping South Africa’s urban and legal landscape. As they expand their ‘brick and mortar’ presence to optimise client service, we can see this as yet another stepping stone in the firm’s 150-year history.
