The female talent at Adams & Adams have pushed boundaries and broken the mould of what it means to be a woman in the legal profession in South Africa.

In 2019/2020, 11 women in the firm received global, and national, recognition for their exceptional work in the field, receiving more than 23 awards and accolades. Their skill and expertise have made a significant impact, not only on the legal landscape, but also in presenting powerful female role models for young women and girls to aspire to.

Multifaceted, passionate, and compelling, that is what Adams women are. The achievements of these amazing women have significance because they represent the strength, resilience, and proficiency of women within the legal profession.

Ensuring representation and gaining recognition

Adams & Adams is proud of the firm’s track record on gender equality and diversity.  More than a third of partners at the firm are women, 13 of those are people of colour. We appointed 3 new female partners, all women of colour, on 1 March this year. Beyond the leadership group however, our statistics are even more impressive, with 76% of our staff compliment being female.

Furthermore, the women at our firm are making waves within the legal profession by:

• Serving as president of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL)
• Serving as Regional President of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region for the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA)
• Receiving recognition as being listed as the Top 250 Women in IP by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) for three years running
• Becoming the first IP practitioner from Africa to serve on the Board of International Trade Mark Association for a period of three years
• Serving as members of the Working Group of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO)
• Representing South Africa in the International Visitors Leadership Programme in the United States, as part of a professional exchange programme
• Being requested for their insight by tier 1 media on topics around commercial, litigation and family law
• Ranked as some of the top patent and trade mark professionals and most outstanding lawyers in key jurisdictions around the world by IAM Patent 1000, Chambers Global, World IP Review, World Trademark Review, Who’s Who Legal , Best Lawyers and Legal 500.
• Acknowledged as trailblazers and influential women, as well as some of the most highly respected attorneys globally.

The well-deserved recognition received by the formidable women at Adams was achieved through their dedication, high level of skill and depth of experience within their respective fields.