ENSafrica's IP department is expanding, and we are excited to welcome four new practitioners to our team: Chiraag Maharaj, Naledi Magomola, Jade Courtney and Dr Bernard Dippenaar.

Chiraag, an attorney experienced in trade mark prosecution matters, has joined our department as an Associate. With a background in trade mark registration and portfolio management, Chiraag brings valuable skills to our team.

Naledi, who previously worked in the IP team for one of Africa's largest telecommunications companies, has joined us as an Associate in the Commercial IP team. With her expertise in commercial and transactional IP matters, Naledi will be instrumental in providing strategic advice on the creation, commercialisation, and protection of IP to our clients. Naledi obtained her MSc in International Business Management from Kingston University, London. Her combination of legal and business qualifications and experience working in-house, enables Naledi to provide clients with commercially focussed, practical advice.

Jade, a qualified Trade Mark Practitioner, has joined ENSafrica as a Senior Associate in the Trade Mark Prosecution team. With her extensive experience in both local and foreign trade mark prosecution and portfolio management, she has successfully managed large scale IP projects involving global brand management and strategic planning.

Bernard, a qualified patent attorney with a PhD in computational and physical chemistry, has joined ENSafrica's growing patent team as a Senior Associate. He brings valuable expertise in prosecuting patents and designs in various fields, including chemistry, pharmaceuticals, software, telecommunications, financial systems, computer-implemented technologies, and mechanical and electronic devices. Bernard has litigation experience and has represented clients up to the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Bernard's primary focus will be the prosecution of patent and design matters but his interest in commercial IP matters will mean that he will have regular interaction with the recently expanded commercial IP team.

We are thrilled to have these new members join our team and are confident that their experience, knowledge and skills will be valuable assets to our clients and the success of our department.