Litigation

Legal disputes are heard in various courts in South Africa.

In the case of intellectual property matters such as patent matters, the court of first instance is the Court of the Commissioner of Patents, a specialist court having the same authority as a single judge of the High Court. In other intellectual property matters, such as trademark and registered design disputes, the court of first instance is the High Court. 

An appeal against a decision of the High Court can be made to the full bench of the High Court (a panel of three judges instead of one), or to the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, the highest court of appeal in all matters except constitutional matters.

Our team has extensive experience in all forms of commercial, civil disputes and intellectual property litigation and we urge you to contact us with any specific queries you may have.