THE FULL STORY:
LITIGATION
Litigation: a word thrown around with reckless abandon in our favourite legal TV shows, but what does it mean? Let us break it down for you.
Simply put, litigation is a legal process that begins when one or more parties feel that their civil or human rights have been violated and seek the assistance of the court system to receive relief, restitution and/or compensation for this violation.
The first iterations of litigation as we know it today date back to the Roman Empire when Emperor Claudius publically began to regard legal advocates as professionals, resulting in citizens consulting with these advocates to gain solutions to their issues. Following this development, litigation waned and warmed in its favour and importance to society over the centuries. Today, litigation is a cornerstone of the global legal system and an integral component in the pursuit of justice.
Litigation is present in every practice area of the law. At De Beer Attorneys, we offer our clients assistance in all areas of civil litigation and white-collar litigation, with our most prominent area of litigation being intellectual property law disputes. We also have mediators on staff to assist our clients in resolving minor matters that are not best suited to find resolution through the court system.
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CIVIL LITIGATION
Civil litigation is a legal process that facilitates the resolution of a legal dispute involving two or more parties. This type of litigation can occur between people, between companies or between a company and a person. De Beer Attorneys has extensive experience successfully litigating matters across all areas of civil litigation, upholding our client's rights and supporting them through the often emotionally-taxing process. Our attorneys have nurtured close working relationships with several of the top advocates in the country, many of whom have empowered our firm to establish its formidable track record in the courtroom.
We can assist our clients at all stages of civil litigation, from the initial step of drafting and responding to a letter of demand to arguing the matter in front of a magistrate, a judge or a presiding officer.
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MEDIATION
At De Beer Attorneys, we recognise that not all litigation matters are destined to reach the courtroom. To cater for this fact, we have expanded our offering to include civil mediation to serve our client needs in multiple categories of dispute resolution. Mediation is a form of dispute resolution where parties in disagreement over a matter meet with a mutually-appointed and objective third party who will assist them in finding a suitable resolution to their dispute.
Our mediators have completed certifications in civil mediation through LEAD, the official educational platform of the Law Society of South Africa.