An area that we have pursued with particular success is this; we conduct informal workshops for clients relating to various subject matters that clients are interested in.

1 Typically a workshop is held at about 16h00 on a work day (Monday – Friday) and is attended by those of our clients’ officers (middle and senior management) who the client believes will benefit from same:

• Restraints of Trade; valid or not? How to negotiate and structure same to achieve the optimum therefrom;
• Memoranda of Understanding (“MoU”); do they have any value? when are they binding or not? do they advance negotiations or compromise negotiations? why conclude an MoU anyway?
• various components of labour / employment law;
• leases; the value of a good lease and the risks of a bad one; how to position yourself (whether as landlord or tenant);
• how wording in an agreement that may appear to make sense and/or have commercial rationality often creates unintended consequences and generally dealing with examples of agreements drafted by reputable and well known law firms that – when scrutinised – were found wanting. There are many such examples which can create dire circumstances for one or both parties.

2 The workshops are conducted at no charge; it is our way of thanking our clients for the support they have given us, educating certain of our clients’ officers and representatives in the areas which form the subject matter of the workshop (and their areas of responsibility) and after the workshop (which lasts approximately 2 hours and includes a Q & A session) there is a sharing of ideas and thoughts over drinks and snacks. On occasions other of our professional staff (in particular candidate attorneys) attend the workshop.

You are more than welcome to contact Etta Marais (email address: etta@briankahn.co.za) and we can start the conversation. If we can assist and accommodate you, we would be delighted to do so; call it appreciation for past support and an investment in the future!