Expertise

At Adams & Adams we specialise in providing superior services in the areas listed in the menu on the left-hand side of this page. Please select a category from the menu to obtain information about your specific area of interest.

Organisational structure

Adams & Adams is organised into following departments:

• the Trade Mark Department
• the Patent Department
• the Commercial, Property and Litigation Department

The Trade Mark and Patent Departments together provide the firm's intellectual property law services. The Commercial, Property and Litigation Department (CPL) provides legal services in certain specialist areas, including civil litigation in the magistrate's court as well as the High Court, property law and conveyancing, and certain commercial law matters.

Expertise of Adams & Adams

Intellectual property law

The intellectual property law practice of Adams & Adams is divided into two departments which deal with all aspects of patents, trade marks, copyright (including copyright in engineering drawings and computer software), designs and unlawful competition, including litigation in regard to these. Adams & Adams also has expertise in the field of intellectual property law contracts and agreements, including licences, franchises, assignments, collaboration agreements, etc, in the execution of intellectual property audits and due diligence investigations, and in the valuation of intellectual property.

Trade marks

The Trade Mark Department of the firm deals with all matters relating to trade marks, company formulation, franchising, counterfeit products, passing-off, unlawful competition, advertising law, copyright and related aspects. Amongst its services are:

• Preparing, filing and prosecuting trade mark applications locally, throughout Africa, and world-wide.
• Special systems have been set up to enable the firm to render a service in regard to trade mark portfolio management. These include a sophisticated trade mark management computer program and system, which is available to our clients at a relatively modest cost.
• Litigation on all aspects of trade marks including infringement proceedings, opposition proceedings, passing-off and unlawful competition, and anti-counterfeiting procedures.
• Agreements, including licences and registered user agreements, franchising and assignments.
• Advertising and media law, domain name registrations and cyberlaw.
• Company and close corporation formation.
• Valuation of trade marks and brand names, and forensic audits of intellectual property.

For further information, please contact us.

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Patents

The Patent Department deals with all matters relating to patents and industrial designs, copyright (including copyright in engineering drawings), and unlawful competition. More specifically the firm can offer the following services:

• Drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications in South Africa, in Africa and world-wide, in all technical fields.
• Technology transfer, including negotiation and drafting of licences (eg. software licences) and agreements generally.
• Searches, patent documentation, etc. Adams & Adams has a team responsible for local and international searches, including novelty searches, infringement searches, name searches, etc.
• Litigation, including infringement proceedings and revocation proceedings. The firm has wide experience in all aspects of intellectual property litigation.
• All aspects of industrial designs, including preparing, filing and prosecuting design applications in South Africa and other countries, licences and other agreements, litigation, searches, etc.
• Valuation of patents, know-how and licensed technology, and forensic audits of intellectual property.

For further information, please contact us.

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Competition law

Services in the field of competition law relating to intellectual property can be rendered by both of the intellectual property law departments of the firm. Adams & Adams partners have acquired particular expertise in regard to the interface between intellectual property rights and competition law principles.

For further information, please contact us.

Computer law

Adams & Adams has available, in its intellectual property law departments, extensive expertise in computer law and information and computer technology.

For further information, please contact us.

Copyright law

Both the Patent and Trade Mark Departments have extensive expertise in the area of copyright, and can provide services in regard to copyright protection, copyright disputes and litigation, drafting of assignment and licence agreements, international copyright matters, copyright protection of computer software, etc.

For further information, please contact us.

Anti-piracy / Counterfeiting

Adams & Adams has extensive experience and expertise in dealing with counterfeiting and piracy activity (both civil and criminal) on behalf of our clients. This enables us to act swiftly and effectively against counterfeiters and pirates.

For further information, please contact us.

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Internet law and domain names

In the Trade Mark Department, a team is fully qualified and experienced to deal with legal issues arising from the use of intellectual property on the Internet, the registration of domain names, and the resolution of disputes related to domain names (including ICANN / WIPO resolution disputes).

For further information, please contact us.

Business development and commercial

Adams & Adams is in a position to render a diversity of legal services in connection with the incorporation of close corporations and companies, negotiation and drafting of joint ventures, collaboration, licensing and franchising agreements; etc.

For further information, please contact us.

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Commercial, Property and Litigation

In the Commercial, Property and Litigation Department (CPL), which is located at the Pretoria office, a wide range of services is provided with specialised services in a number of specific areas of practice:

Commercial Law

Our commercial law team can assist with the drafting of contracts, advise on implementation and termination of contracts, and offer general legal advice and services in regard to specific facts and issues involving commercial law, insolvency law, banking law, constitutional law and administrative law.

We also register companies and close corporations and conduct company and close corporation searches. We are well positioned in Pretoria to provide these services, being in daily contact with the Companies Office and being able to address any queries in person with the Registrar or the relevant Assistant Registrar.

Property Law

The property law team, consisting of one partner, one professional assistant, two paralegals, two candidate attorneys and a support staff including experienced conveyancing typists, sees to the success of the property division. The Pretoria Deeds Registry serves the North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the biggest part of Gauteng with deeds office registrations.

The property law and conveyancing unit deals with:

• hypothecation of immovable property
• mineral leases
• sectional title schemes
• servitudes
• township developments
• transfer of immovable property
• trusts, including formation and administration of trusts, and drafting of trust deeds.

Civil Litigation

The civil litigation practice of Adams & Adams is based at the head office in Pretoria, while specific litigation matters are dealt with at the branch offices. Thus the main intellectual property litigation teams, for both patents and trade marks, work from the Pretoria office, although intellectual property litigation is also handled at the branch offices. The litigation units deal with all action and motion proceedings.

The Civil litigation team of the Commercial, Property and Litigation Department (CPL), which operates from the Pretoria office, has grown from strength to strength. The team includes 10 partners, two associates and five professional assistants, as well as 14 candidate attorneys. A secretarial and support staff, including 11 paralegals, completes the team.

High Court and magistrate's court cases are dealt with.

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For further information on Commercial, Property and Litigation, please contact us.