Unlocking your IP in the World’s Largest Free Trade Area

Nicole Smalberger is a Partner in the trade mark litigation department of Adams & Adams.

Ms Smalberger advises clients from a wide range of industries, including, for example, the consumer goods, retail, agriculture, automotive, construction, telecommunications, entertainment, and IT industries, in relation to the protection and enforcement of their brands and intellectual property rights in Africa.

Ms Smalberger’s practice includes IP-related High Court litigation, trade mark oppositions and cancellations, domain name disputes, advertising law issues, company name objections, across the African continent, the overseeing of settlement negotiations and drafting of settlement agreements.

Godfrey Budeli is a partner in the firm’s trade mark and copyright litigation section, and head of the anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy team.

His area of speciality includes Customs Recordals and training of law enforcement officials, border and in-market enforcement, in-market survey and in-depth investigations, parallel or grey goods and online enforcement, civil High Court litigation and supporting criminal prosecution, watching brief relating to criminal cases in relation to anti-counterfeiting on the African continent.

Nthabisheng is a partner in the Africa Patent Department.

Nthabisheng joined Adams & Adams in 2007 and has been responsible for patent and design enquiries, transactional matters in respect of patents and designs as well as filing and prosecution of patent and design applications throughout African countries outside of South Africa.

At present, Nthabisheng is a member of the firm’s Management Committee in her capacity as the chairperson for Diversity Committee. She is also involved in committees of various International Organizations relating to Intellectual Property and Diversity.

Mohamed Jameel Hamid is a qualified attorney and trade mark practitioner specialising in the filing and prosecution of trade marks throughout the world, with a special focus on Africa.

He is experienced at conducting portfolio reviews and developing trade mark strategies, having spent a number of years in intellectual property litigation, prior to joining the trade mark prosecution team.

Serving a broad local and international client base, Jameel has experience in litigation relating to trade marks, copyright, passing-off, unlawful competition, domain name disputes and company/business name objections.

Danie Dohmen is a partner at Adams & Adams in the patent litigation section.

He specialises in patent, design, plant breeder’s rights and intellectual property agreement litigation, commercialisation and opinion work. Danie has for a number of consecutive years been ranked in tier 1 for patent litigation in South Africa.

Danie is a director and president of the Licensing Executives Society of South Africa, a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association as well as the American Bar Association and a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. He is further a lecturer and examiner for the Patent Examination Board of South Africa.