LEGAL
CONQUERING THE MALE-DOMINATED LITIGATION SPACE Representation is important. I believe that as more female lawyers make their mark as experts in their fields and leaders in their firms, more young women will be encouraged to stay in the profession.
By Dumisani Hlatswayo
W
hile female lawyers remain underrepresented in the ligation space, many young women don’t let the snail’s transformation progress discourage them. Demi Pretorius is one such woman.
to conduct corporate and procurement related investigations in collaboration with Adams Forensics, the forensic leg of Adams & Adams. She holds two degrees: a BCom Law and an LLB degree from the University of Stellenbosch.
process and the pros and cons of every decision. I work closely with advocates to get the matter ready for a hearing before a judge or arbitrator. The preparation involves a lot of research and procedural arrangements,” adds Demi.
Demi has fond memories of her childhood before she was admitted as attorney: “I grew up in Pniël, a small town near Stellenbosch. The benefit that I had was that I didn’t have just my parents taking care of me and supporting me, but the whole community as well,” she says.
Demi made the most out of her time at university. While most students focused only on attending classes, Demi made time to help other students as well. She sat on the Student Council of the law faculty and was a mentor in her university residence.
With the fourth industrial revolution vigorously forcing companies to transform, law firms also had to adapt to changes. “The shift to digitising our law practices has been exciting and has brought about major efficiencies. Most court hearings are now conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams, which cuts traveling time and costs.”
Demi has always been opinionated and brave to speak out about various issues. Those two etiquettes coupled with a desire to help people were significant motivating factors in choosing the law career path. Today Demi is a Senior Associate in the commercial, property, and litigation department of Adams & Adams based in Pretoria.
Her first involvement with Adams and Adams was around 2011, prior to commencing her LLB degree, when she was interviewed for a bursary. Ten years later, Demi is employed by the same firm. “I advise clients on how best to resolve or avoid disputes, focusing on solutions that make business sense. When I start a new matter, I look at all the relevant facts, and I consider that against the legal framework to assess the merits of the case” she says.
According to Demi, transformation should
As a litigation specialist, she predominantly deals with document intensive cases across multiple fields, including contract, company, and insolvency law. She is also routinely requested
“I then advise clients on the legal remedies available and how best to achieve their desired outcome. If that involves litigation, I make sure the client understands the different phases in the litigation
promote equal opportunities, enable exposure and equal representation. While she believes South Africa still has a long way to go, Demi believes it is still possible to achieve those three fundamental goals.
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www.transformsa.co.za
Women in the legal profession are still on the back foot in comparison with their male counterparts. Sexism and lack of gender transformation are the issues that still dog this industry that employs about 27200 people in South Africa.
