Our People
Meet our team
THE BEST PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR LEGAL MATTERS
Andrew Garratt
Andrew Garratt, a director, graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2000 with a BComm LLB degree matrix. Andrew started his articles with the Wits Law Clinic and thereafter completed them with Viljoen-French & Chester Inc. where he gained invaluable broad-based experience in all aspects of a general commercial, litigation and conveyancing practice.
Andrew was admitted as an attorney in September 2001 and as a Notary Public in 2002. He completed his experience with Viljoen-French & Chester as an associate in February 2005 where his responsibilities spanned both the commercial and litigation departments. In 2005 Andrew started his own law firm, Garratt Incorporated, which he successfully ran with two partners out of Parkhurst, Johannesburg, until electing to form Garratt Hugo & De Souza Inc. in 2013.
Garratt Hugo & De Souza Inc. expanded Andrew’s experience as a lawyer, manager and team wrangler, with substantial exposure to complex litigation and commercial instructions spanning a variety of industries and legal intricacies.
In 2019, on the closure of Garratt Hugo & De Souza Inc., Andrew founded Andrew Garratt Incorporated which has grown beyond original expectation through meaningful, appropriate and creative solution generation for our clients.
In 2014 Andrew started reading for an LLM degree from Queen Mary College, University of London, specializing in Corporate and Commercial Law, which degree was awarded to him in 2019.
Jonathan Kaplan
Jonathan Kaplan, director, holds BComm LLB degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand. Jonathan has extensive knowledge of property law, focused on landlord and tenant law, commercial and residential evictions and sectional title.
After practicing as an admitted attorney, Jonathan then entered the commercial arena where he worked as in house counsel for a property development and outdoor media company. In 2019 Jonathan moved back into mainstream practice where he specializes in commercial and general litigation.
Dr Andrew Rens
Andrew Rens, an in-counsel associate of the company, holds BA LLB LLM degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand. After articles at Ramsay Webber, and admission as an attorney in 1995, Andrew took up an academic post at the Oliver Schreiner School of Law, University of the Witwatersrand, convening the Masters’ Degree in Media, Telecommunications and Internet Law, and where he lectured and practiced as a supervising attorney in the Wits Law Clinic.
Andrew was then appointed as a fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation and in 2011 was awarded a student visa to study his SJD at Duke University, North Carolina.
Andrew’s doctorate focused on intellectual property in the digital and online arena. During his studies he gained extensive and insightful knowledge into international intellectual property and personal rights, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a new area of law where Andrew humbly considers himself an expert.
Magda-Marié Swart
Magda-Marié Swart, an associate attorney, graduated from the Northwest University Potchefstroom in 2011 with a B.Comm LLB degree matrix. She started her articles with Odendaal and Summerton Inc, and later ceded and completed them with Vardakos Attorneys where she obtained extensive experience in general civil and criminal litigation, including family law and deceased estates.
Magda-Marié was admitted as an attorney in October 2013. During 2015, she joined Mervyn Smith Inc as the head of the Defended High Court Litigation Department in which she obtained a range of commercial and litigation experience with an emphasis on property law.
In 2019 she joined Lynn & Main Inc as one of the attorneys in their Defended Actions Team. This allowed her the opportunity to obtain specialised skills in insolvency and debt collection related litigation. In the process she successfully completed an Advanced Programme in Insolvency Litigation and Administration Practice and obtained invaluable experience in negotiating.
Caroline Stacey
Caroline Stacey holds BSc (Hons) and LLB degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand. Caroline was admitted as an attorney in June 2008 and practised as an associate in both the commercial and environmental law departments of a large law firm.
After leaving practice in 2010, she has worked as an in-house counsel for several multinational companies in diverse industries, including mining, TIC and healthcare. In 2021 Caroline returned to practice at Andrew Garratt Incorporated, where she works as an associate and specialises in corporate and commercial law.