Beder-Friedland IncEST. 1949

High Court litigation · Johannesburg, South Africa

South African litigation for clients in South Africa and abroad.

Director

Steve Friedland

Steve Friedland, attorney

Steve Friedland is a South African litigation attorney and the director of Beder-Friedland Inc, a boutique High Court litigation practice in Sandton, Johannesburg, established in 1949.

He runs each matter himself. He drafts and argues his own commercial, constitutional and criminal matters, including urgent applications, Anton Piller and preservation orders, and opposed motions, appears personally in court, and works with counsel and correspondent firms across South Africa.

Role
Director, Beder-Friedland Inc
Admission
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, with a right of appearance in the superior courts (Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014)
Courts
Gauteng, Western Cape and other divisions of the High Court; arbitration tribunals throughout South Africa

For clients in South Africa and abroad

High Court and arbitration litigation

We litigate in High Court and arbitration matters, generally with an emphasis on application proceedings, for South African clients and for foreign companies, investors, insurers, law firms and individuals whose dispute is in South Africa.

Our main areas of litigation focus are commercial, delictual / tort, white collar type crime, and public procurement.

Commercial including

  • Contract and shareholder disputes
  • Sequestration / Insolvency / Enquiries
  • Liquidation / Winding Up / Enquiries
  • Voidable and undue preferences
  • Lease / Lien / Landlord hypothec
  • Interdictory relief
  • Spoliatory relief
  • Urgent applications
  • Summary judgment
  • Matrimonial
  • Setting aside of commercial agreements, search and seizure documents, subpoenas
  • Property related relief
  • Anton Piller type applications / Supervising Attorney
  • Restraint of trade
  • Deceased estate and trust related relief
  • Copyright, brand name and patent infringements
  • Anti-dissipation / Mareva type interdictory relief
  • Freezing of bank accounts

White collar type crime including

  • Fraud
  • Corruption
  • Money laundering
  • SARS, income tax and customs related
  • Statutory: firearm and related crimes
  • Setting aside of police issued search and seizure warrants, arrest warrants and subpoenas

Delictual / Tort including

  • Defamation
  • Unlawful arrest, detention and malicious prosecution
  • Unlawful interference with business interests

Public procurement and administrative law including

  • Reviews of tender awards and state decisions
  • Rule 53 records
  • Contractual claims against organs of state

For international clients

We explain the South African procedure in plain terms, give you a costed plan at the start, and report to you in writing at each stage. Instructions are taken in English, by email and video call, from any time zone.

Suing or defending in South Africa

Actions and applications in the High Court, including urgent applications, where a foreign party is the claimant or the defendant.

Security for costs and jurisdiction

Advice on the security a foreign claimant may be required to provide, and on attaching a foreign defendant's South African assets to found or confirm the court's jurisdiction.

Enforcing judgments and awards

Recognition and enforcement in South Africa of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards, and execution against South African assets.

Assets, insolvency and fraud

Freezing, preservation and Anton Piller orders, often brought urgently and without notice; claims against an insolvent South African counterparty, including recovering dispositions made before liquidation; and civil recovery after fraud, with parallel advice where a criminal investigation, a tax inquiry or a customs matter is involved.

Where we have worked outside South Africa

Where proceedings take place outside South Africa, we work with corresponding attorneys admitted in that jurisdiction.

How an international matter runs

  1. First call. A video or telephone consultation to understand the dispute and the documents. We check for conflicts before you send us confidential information.
  2. Written assessment. A short note on your options under South African law, the likely route, timing, and an estimate of fees and disbursements.
  3. Instruction and onboarding. Engagement letter and identity verification, completed electronically. Funds are paid into our trust account, and bank details are confirmed in writing and thereafter by telephone prior to payment.
  4. Conduct of the matter. We draft, issue and argue the matter, brief counsel where that serves you, and use correspondent attorneys in other divisions where needed.

Agreements

Commercial agreements

  • Registration of companies
  • Registration of trusts
  • Drafting of wills
  • Deceased estate related issues
  • Lease agreements
  • Sale / purchase of property agreements
  • Sale / purchase of businesses
  • Franchise agreements
  • Distributorship agreements
  • General company agreements

Commissions

Commissions of enquiry

  • We set up the SARFU Rugby related Commission on behalf of the ex SARFU President
  • We successfully represented one of the key players in the initial Arms related Commission of Enquiry

Reported and published judgments

Published judgments

All 41 High Court judgments in matters in which the firm acted. Each title opens the full judgment as a PDF file.

Questions from clients abroad

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign company or individual sue in a South African court?

Yes. A foreign claimant can bring proceedings in the High Court where the court has jurisdiction over the defendant or the dispute. The defendant may ask the court to order the claimant to provide security for its legal costs, and we advise on this at the outset.

Can I enforce a foreign judgment or arbitral award in South Africa?

Generally, yes. A foreign money judgment or an arbitral award must first be recognised by a South African court before it can be executed against assets here. The requirements depend on where and how the judgment or award was obtained.

Do I need to travel to South Africa?

Usually not. Most litigation in South Africa is conducted on affidavit, and documents can be signed before a notary or commissioner where you are. If oral evidence is needed at a trial, it may sometimes be given by video link with the court's permission.

How quickly can assets be frozen?

Where there is a real risk that assets will be dissipated or evidence destroyed, an urgent application can be brought within days, and in appropriate cases without notice to the other party.

How are fees charged?

We work on an agreed hourly rate or an agreed estimate for each stage, set out in an engagement letter before work starts. Counsel's fees and court costs are disbursements, which we estimate in advance.

Statutory

PAIA manual

Contact

Speak to Steve Friedland

Office
204 Alteryn, 6 Corlett Drive, Illovo, Sandton, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Telephone
+27 82 603 9640
Email
Shown on www.bederfriedland.co.za
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Hours
Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00 SAST (UTC+2). Calls outside these hours by appointment.

Protect yourself against payment fraud

Criminals impersonate law firms by email and ask for payment into fraudulent bank accounts. We will never notify you of a change to our bank details by email.

Before you make any payment to us, confirm our bank details by telephoning Steve Friedland on +27 82 603 9640. Report any suspicious message to him immediately.