Department profile

Employment

Global Guide 2026 : South Africa

Rankings

Ranked Individuals

About

Provided by ENS

ENSafrica houses the largest and most experienced of the leading employment teams in Africa and is renowned for its involvement in high-level matters throughout the continent.

Our key differentiator is our leveraged approach to teamwork, which sees all our team members – from senior executives to candidate attorneys – working together on matters. This means that you benefit from the best possible service, at the best possible rates.

Our dedicated employment team advises African and international companies in all major industries on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment law, as well as pension and employee benefits, such as the employment of expatriates, global mobility and cross-border matters. We also advise on all aspects of collective labour law, including dealing with trade unions, organisational rights issues, and industrial action.

We are well known for our expertise in transfers of business, restructuring, retrenchments, outsourcing, executive terminations, collective bargaining disputes and discrimination law, and we are the recognised industry leader in employment-related insolvency, liquidation, distress and business rescue matters.

We also have a strong litigation and restraint of trade work reputation, with our own internal counsel and most practitioners appearing personally in litigation matters rather than using external counsel.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Employment - South Africa

Band 1

What the Team is Known For

ENS has one of the largest employment teams in South Africa. The law firm has experience across a plethora of employment issues, including industrial action, lockouts, whistle-blowing, wage issues and employee misconduct. The firm is additionally noted for its expertise in employment issues stemming from corporate restructuring, as well as executive terminations and unfair discrimination cases. The firm's dispute resolution practice is also highly respected and has significant expertise in employment disputes. Its enviable roster of clients includes major South African and international companies, with particular activity in mining and telecoms.

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Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

ENS represented Eskom in a dispute with trade unions over the unbundling of the company into separate entities.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

ENS' client service is excellent.
Employment respondentGlobal
The team is very responsive and knowledgeable and provides quick turnaround, quality advice and guidance.
Employment respondentGlobal
The law firm has a deep subject matter expertise on employment law.
Employment respondentGlobal
ENS goes above and beyond to provide a world-class service with a client-centric approach and innovative legal strategies.
Employment respondentGlobal

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Senior Statespeople
Senior Statespeople
Peter le Roux
Peter le Roux is a revered lawyer who is valued for his decades of experience in the field. He is known for his work assisting the firm's clients with issues relating to discriminatory wage gaps and collective agreements.
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Band 1
Band 1
Brian Patterson
Brian Patterson is sought out by high-profile South African corporates for his counsel on the employment consequences of business rescue proceedings and large-scale business restructurings. He also provides accomplished advice on employment disputes.
Brian Patterson is a leading employment lawyer in South Africa. He provides excellent advice not just under South African law but also across several other African jurisdictions.
Employment respondentGlobal
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Band 2
Band 2
Dion Masher
Dion Masher has developed a prominent name for himself as an employment litigator. He acts for a number of blue-chip South African clients on restructuring processes, dismissal disputes and trade union issues.
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Band 2
Band 2
Fritz Malan
Fritz Malan is well versed in labour relations, such as exemption applications and disputes involving unfair dismissals. He is well placed to represent clients in corruption and misconduct cases.
Fritz Malan possesses superior technical knowledge.
Employment respondentGlobal
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Band 3
Band 3
Ross Alcock
Ross Alcock maintains a notable employment practice, offering particular expertise advising on employment considerations of corporate transactions and restructurings. He is also well positioned to advise on misconduct in the workplace and related unfair dismissal disputes.
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Band 3
Band 3
Stuart Harrison
Stuart Harrison is an accomplished lawyer with an extensive labour and employment practice. He offers clients holistic advice on wage disparity issues, whistle-blowing matters, executive termination and misconduct cases, as well as employee benefits and labour relations.
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Band 4
Band 4
Joe Mothibi
Joe Mothibi has a wide-ranging employment law practice covering both advisory and contentious mandates. He possesses deep experience of employee and executive termination, as well as advising on unlawful conduct cases and strike actions.
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Band 4
Band 4
Muzi Khoza
Muzi Khoza assists both public and private sector clients with a range of labour law issues. He regularly advises on employment litigation and workforce restructuring.
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