GARLICKE & BOUSFIELD

When perfection COUNTS

CARLA MARTIN, A NEW DIRECTOR AT GARLICKE & BOUSFIELD, ENJOYS THE CHALLENGE AND PERFECTION THAT COMES WITH PROPERTY LAW

Being greeted by the words, “I am really not very interesting, one of three children, all very ordinary and yes, I do have middle child syndrome!” by Garlicke & Bousfield’s newest director certainly piqued my curiosity.

Born in Durban, Carla Martin and her two brothers were educated locally, Carla at Durban Girl’s High School, and her brothers at DHS, following in their father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. “My childhood was spent playing tennis and cricket with my brothers in the back yard of our home, breaking windows on numerous occasions and frequently having to retrieve stray balls from our neighbour’s garden.”

Despite spending most weekends at Westridge Tennis Club – or following the various family members’ participation in tennis, cricket and hockey matches – Carla was always serious about school. She attributed her conscientiousness from a young age to the fact that she is by nature competitive, and because her friends were all clever, she aspired to keep up with them academically. Modest, yes, but as I was to find out, the woman I was interviewing is clearly a force to be reckoned with.

“Why law?” I asked. Carla’s response was interesting: “It was law or teaching. I registered for a BA initially, then converted this to a BCom. On the strength of a bursary from Toyota and support from my parents, my BCom Degree was paid for, but my parents were unable to subsidise further tertiary

RIGHT: Carla Martin is highly regarded in the field of property law.

education. Numerous part-time jobs enabled me to Carla explained that no two days are the same in finance my law degree.” her practice. “In property law you have to consider

It turned out Carla has been working part time the impact of a variety of other legal issues, such since the age of 16, holding down jobs such as as tax, commercial considerations, contract law, working in clothing shops, a well-known high end banking law, family law and the effect of marital department store, and as a cashier at Unisa over status on transactions. Every day you are being the annual registration period. She also tutored examined by the Deeds Office – every transaction students in Jurisprudence and Family Law while you lodge is scrutinised and anything less than 100% studying for her LLB Degree. Clearly Carla’s can mean financial prejudice to clients.” Clearly Carla experience of student life was not the totally is a perfectionist and years of grit and determination carefree social experience that many enjoy. She in successfully completing and funding her studies filled most of her spare time with employment to has made her a quietly formidable attorney. fund her education and hours in the law library at At 47 Carla is a proud mother of two children Howard College accessing the textbooks she could and her decision to accept the position as a not afford to purchase for herself. “Failing was not director was made with the acknowledgement an option,” explained Carla. that both children are at an

On graduating, Carla joined Every age where they can cope with the litigation department of a local law firm. The transaction the demands of school life independently. “My husband, adversarial and unpredictable you lodge is Patrick, says he parents by nature of litigation did not scrutinised and instinct, while I parent by the appeal to Carla, and while she studied towards her anything less than book.” Patrick is a successful structural engineer and a professional exams as an 100% can mean hands-on dad, and his close attorney, she also studied financial prejudice involvement with the children for her conveyancing exams, achieving both and being to clients” and their extracurricular activities, which include violin and piano admitted as an attorney and a lessons, has allowed Carla to conveyancer of the High Court on the same day! take this next step in her professional career.

“Why conveyancing?” I asked. “I enjoy the An interest in music is another common thread collaborative and mostly co-operative process of in this family with Carla describing growing up to conveyancing. The task is usually completed with a the sounds of the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel positive result for all parties,” she responded. Carla and expressing the view that, “Paul McCartney joined Garlicke & Bousfield in December 2001 as an is timeless; he still draws a crowd after all these associate. “I was very excited about joining G&B. years and truly bridges the generation gap.” By The firm had an enviable reputation in property introducing music to her children at a young age law, and I was looking for a challenge. On my first and fostering a love of playing an instrument, Carla day I remember feeling absolutely overwhelmed, hopes to offer some balance to the materialism but my mentor, Graeme Phillips, would not indulge and the pressures of social media the younger such feelings and I was immediately exposed to generation is exposed to. development work and a wide range of issues There is no doubt that Garlicke & Bousfield will affecting property ownership in this country. I benefit hugely from the work ethic and measured worked with some seasoned paralegals and my views of this experienced property lawyer. As for the learning curve was literally exponential.” middle child syndrome – I saw no signs of that!