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DML is a mid-sized law firm focused on Litigation, Technology, Corporate and Commercial, Property Law and Forensics. Our directors provide big firm experience and expertise, at effective rates, to South African and international clients across a broad range of industries. Our focus is on our clients, and we take pride in our quick action, the high quality of our work, and the results we achieve.
Our Five-pillars
We have focused our legal expertise and services into five pillars, namely: Litigation, Technology, Corporate and Commercial, Property Law and Forensics. Each pillar is expertly led by an experienced director and supported by a team of lawyers with a broad collective understanding.
DML is a client-centric law firm that offers big firm experience and expertise, at effective rates, to a diverse range of clients both nationally and internationally, across a broad range of industries.
Our depth and breadth of knowledge and experience enables us to offer a wide range of specialist services.
We strive to become our clients’ trusted advisors, with intimate knowledge of their businesses and strategic visions, allowing us to provide tailored and effective solutions.
We are proud to be an “employer of choice”, with the aim of growing our firm, reputation and practice areas in a way that both anticipates and is responsive to our clients’ needs.
We are experienced professionals, down to earth in our approach, providing sound legal advice at a reasonable cost to our clients. With the depth of large law firm expertise, we offer the personal attention and agility of a smaller firm. We make decisions in the legal arena quickly and accurately, ensuring an optimal turnaround time on matters.
We ensure a high quality of work and exemplary care for our clients.
We also provide Expanded services in labour law, competition law, consumer law, cyber crime and insurance law, gambling law, social media law, insolvency, privacy and data protection law, and more.
Latest News & Features
Labour Law
Recent Developments: The Constitutional Court, Parental Leave and Van Wyk
This judgment marks a decisive shift towards gender-neutral caregiving and equal parenting in the workplace. While full legislative clarity is pending, the interim order is already binding, and employers who fail to comply face material legal and reputational risk.
Labour Law
Double Trouble: Double Jeopardy and SAMWU Obo Malatsi v SALGBC & Others
Where an arbitrator has already sanctioned specific conduct, an employer cannot “try again” internally. Its only lawful recourse is to take the award on review in an attempt to have it set aside.
Employers must therefore treat arbitration awards as not merely procedural setbacks, but binding decisions with disciplinary force. Anything less risks costly reinstatements years later.
Labour Law
Case Law Update: Retrenchment and the Duverge Judgment
In April 2025, the Labour Court delivered a significant judgment in Duverge v Spanish Farm Guest House Lodge CC t/a Sky Villa Boutique Hotel & Sky Villa (Pty) Ltd (C04/24; C252/2024) ZALCCT 24, highlighting critical aspects of retrenchment procedures under South African labour law. The judgment serves as a
Labour Law
The new code of good practice: Dismissal and the small business
In a recent article, we broadly addressed the relevant effects of the new Code of Good Practice Dismissal (“the new code”) and the ways in which it amends, and in many instances, improves upon, the legal approach to dismissals adopted by the previous version of the new code and the Code of Good Practice on Operational Requirements (collectively “the previous codes”).
In this article, we will be focusing on the specific effects of the new code on small business, and the methods employed to lessen the administrative and legal obstacles historically faced by small enterprises when faced with dismissal-related issues in the workplace.
Labour Law
One code to rule them all: The new code of good practice: Dismissal
4 September 2025 saw the implementation of the new Code of Good Practice: Dismissal (“the new Code”) replacing the long-standing Schedule 8: Code of Good Practice on Dismissal and the Code of Good Practice on Operational Requirements.
Litigation
Broken Promises and Premium Consequences: Promissory Warranties in South African Insurance Law
There is no excuse that the insured party can use for their non-compliance with the promissory warranty in the traditional circumstances. They are not able to rely on the fact that the term in the warranty was immaterial to the risk that the insurer acceded to, nor can they rely on the argument that the breach they committed was one which was innocent, in good faith or unavoidable. As stated previously, they cannot even rely on the fact that the breach made no contribution to the loss which was suffered. The lack of a causative requirement or a materiality requirement places the insured party at a significant disadvantage in comparison to the insurer
Competition Law
Joint Ventures and Competition Law – do JVs require merger notification?
Joint ventures (JVs) are not defined in the Competition 89 of 1998 however, general principles of competition regulation are applied in determining whether the formation or expansion of a JV constitutes a notifiable transaction. It should be noted that even if the JV does not, in the parties’ assessment or the assessment of the Commission, the parties conduct may still be subject to the Competition Act and must ensure that they do not fall foul of its provisions, for example, by engaging in prohibited practices (sections 4, 5, 8 and 9).
Labour Law
Consistency is key: Restraints of Trade and the Pitfall of Selective Enforcement – A review of Altron Nexus (Pty) Ltd v Maurice Fowler and MST Critical Communications (Pty) Ltd
Accordingly, and in the event that an employer does apply a policy of selective enforcement of restraints of trade in its operations, it must, at the very least, be able to provide cogent, persuasive and reasonable justification for such a policy failing which its prospects of success in restraints-based litigation will be significantly diminished.
Environmental Law
What is EPR? Sorting Through the Waste Regulations
Although it is clear that at this early stage, many market participants do not take EPR, the EPR Regulations, nor their enforcement seriously, and although ignoring the implications thereof may seem a tenable and attractive option, the Department has indicated that such an attitude will not go unpunished and will result in severe consequences further down the line.
Regulatory Law
New section 34A of PRECCA has significantly increased the risk to companies of being entangled in corrupt activities
The new section 34A in the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act 12 of 2004 ("PRECCA") has significantly increased the risk to companies of being entangled in corrupt activities.
Competition Law
Mergers and Acquisitions: When is a merger notifiable, what are the consequences of failing to notify the Competition Authorities and what must I do?
In order to trigger a notifiable transaction, the transaction must be considered a merger in terms of the Competition Act 89 of 1998 (“the Act”). The second requirement is whether the transaction meets the financial thresholds.
Social Media law
Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech: The Legalities for Social Media Users
While freedom of expression is a cherished right introduced to South Africans against the historical backdrop of thought control and censorship, it comes with responsibilities. Social media users must exercise caution and respect the legal boundaries when expressing their views online.
Litigation
Tax Judgments: What are they? What do I need to know?
A debt is legally enforceable when it is made an order of court. Chapter 11 of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 regulates the recovery of tax by SARS. Part B thereof relates to the civil judgment procedure. Section 172 of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 (“TAA”)
Litigation
Con Court Sets the Record Straight: Tax judgments can be rescinded
If a taxpayer owes money to SARS and does not pay, SARS may file a certified statement with a competent court, which will be “treated as a civil judgment” (section 174 of the Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011 (“TAA”)). Recently the Constitutional Court finally set the record straight in
Commercial Law
More transparency or more trouble? A look at the Companies Amendment Bill, 2021
If passed, the Companies Amendment Bill will be the first substantive amendment to the Companies Act since it came into force in 2011. The Bill includes a contentious requirement for large companies to disclose their executive remuneration policy to the shareholders for approval including a ratio comparing the compensation of
Commercial Law
Electronic signature of sale of immovable property agreements – what’s new?
If you asked a year ago whether you could sign a sale of immovable property agreement electronically, the short answer would have been that an electronically signed agreement of sale is not valid or binding on the parties. With the swift advances in technology, and more people than ever working
Property Law
Real change to the real estate industry: how does the Property Practitioners Act affect your firm?
The new Property Practitioners Act provides a substantive change to the real estate market in South Africa with a bigger focus on transformation and consumer protection The Act introduces new restrictions on the conduct of ‘property practitioners’ in their interactions with consumers, including obligations relating to the display of Fidelity
Litigation
We are proud to announce that Peter Turner has been promoted to Senior Associate at DML.
Peter was admitted as an attorney in December 2012 and holds LLB and LLM (Constitutional Law) degrees obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Since his admission as an attorney, Peter has practiced mainly, although not exclusively, in the fields of commercial litigation / dispute resolution and labour law. Before joining
Consumer Law
I bought a vehicle from a dealer and found it is defective – now what?
We are receiving an increasing number of queries concerning defects in motor vehicles bought from dealers and this article summarises your rights and possible next legal steps in these circumstances. Requirements and Standards in terms of the CPA In terms of Section 56(2) of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of
Litigation
Bool Smuts v Herman Botha – Right to Privacy v Freedom of Expression
On 10 January 2022 the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down a landmark judgment in the matter of Smuts and Another v Botha and Another (887/2020) ZASCA 3 (10 January 2022) which gives us an inside look at how our privacy laws are applied by the courts. Summary In
Health & Safety Law
Mandatory Workplace Vaccination Polices: So it Begins…
On 21 January 2022 the CCMA delivered its findings in the unfair dismissal dispute of Mulderij v The Goldrush Group (case number: GAJB-24054-21), where it confirmed that the dismissal of an employee pursuant to a refusal to adhere to an employer’s mandatory workplace vaccination policy (“MWVP”) may be considered substantively
Commercial Law
A step-by-step guide to having your documents commissioned
“Please, go back to the commissioner of oaths and repeat the process – you skipped a page!” – do these words sound familiar? Having documents commissioned should be a relatively simple task. In practice, however, minor mistakes, like a missed initial, can undermine the integrity of the entire process. Unfortunately,
ICT Law
Commencement of the Cybercrimes Act
The President has proclaimed the commencement of the lion’s share of the Cybercrimes Act, No 19 of 2020, with effect from the 1st of December 2021. The sections omitted from commencement are largely related to the implementation of enforcement mechanisms, and are presumably omitted so as to allow the necessary
Litigation
M Booysen v J Dolley-Major (Case No: 5043/2021) Landmark case – Naming an alleged rapist on social media
We are all aware of the serious legal consequences of defamatory posts on social media, but as discussed in my article on defamation and the elements that need to be proven, it is an intricate area of law and there is a constant weighing of individual rights by the courts.
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