Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) grappling with the impact of the recent devastating riots and looting in South Africa will be able to access free legal resources and a complimentary one-hour virtual consultation with an attorney. This is thanks to an initiative by legal technology company, LexisNexis South Africa, and NGO, ProBono.Org, which works with the private legal profession to provide pro bono legal services to the poor and vulnerable.

In the aftermath of the civil unrest, LexisNexis used its expertise to set up a freely available online resource to support affected individuals and businesses with knowledge on their legal rights pertaining to losses.“The Rebuilding and the Rule of Law online platform is designed to provide individuals and businesses with legal information, available resources and advice as they begin the process of rebuilding their lives and businesses, following the looting and devastation,” said LexisNexis South Africa CEO and Chairperson of the Board, Videsha Proothveerajh. 

“We are additionally excited about the partnership with ProBono.Org which will now provide individuals and business owners with the added benefit of a free, one-hour virtual consultation with an attorney in ProBono.Org’s network,” added Proothveerajh. 

KwaZulu-Natal Regional Director of ProBono.Org, Shamika Dwarika, said, “During the 10 years that our Durban office has been in existence, we have assisted thousands of the most vulnerable and marginalised members of society. “We are therefore very proud to be partnering with LexisNexis SA to assist SMMEs as they rebuild. ProBono.Org prides itself on the free, quality legal assistance that we are able to offer through our network of private legal practitioners that undertake pro bono work through us. Our organisation and our legal practitioners are ready and eager to assist and we are confident that SMMEs that access the resource portal and avail themselves of the resources and services on offer, will benefit greatly.”  

To maximise the value of the virtual consultation, business owners will first be directed to questions and answers on the area(s) of the law relating to their individual matters. 

The Rebuilding and the Rule of Law platform provides access to content such as pertinent primary law and expert commentary and guidance around topics such as financing options for rebuilding and recovery, force majeure, disaster management, insurance claims, violent protests, loss of intellectual property, data breaches, cyber-crimes and security, and rights and duties of Community Policing Fora members, particularly relating to civilian neighbourhood patrols. 

Examples of the content LexisNexis SA and partners will include on this evolving platform include: 

Insurance Advice

What is covered by business interruption insurance

How to start the claims process

How to simplify and shorten the claims process

What to do if your claim is repudiated

SASRIA’s ability to pay out claims 

Labour/IR

Basic conditions of employment

Unemployment insurance and benefits

Retrenchments and the LRA if the business has to close or downscale

Dismissals and the LRA if an employee was caught looting

Discrimination (Promotion of Equality) 

Property Law

Rental Obligations and Rights 

Banking Advice

Bridging finance/loans – what is available and pitfalls to look out for

How to access low- and medium-cost funding from private/government sources

Bank charges in the wake of the destruction of ATMs Data Protection, Consumer Law and IP Law

Guidance on POPIA compliance

Guidance on how to simplify contractual terms and conditions and required paperwork for SMMEs that may not have dedicated commercial teams.

Data breaches, cyber-crimes and security Tax Advice

Assistance on various remedies available, including:deferral of the payment of employees’ tax liabilities for tax compliant SMMEs

Legal professionals interested in submitting content for the Rebuilding and the Rule of Law online platform can contact John de Villiers on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

“We believe that the sustainable economic development needed to create a stronger and more stable South Africa goes hand in hand with advancing the Rule of Law, which is our mission at LexisNexis. With the support of ProBono.Org, we are helping businesses and individuals to fast-track their recovery and rebuild their businesses, while meeting their responsibilities in terms of the law,” said Proothveerajh.   

To access the content and set up a free, one-hour virtual consultation with a private attorney, go to: Rebuilding and the Rule of Law platform

Eight historically disadvantaged Mthatha legal professionals have been recognised and rewarded with tools to grow their legal practices, while at the same time advancing transformation of the legal sector.  

Representing two spheres of the legal industry that are heavily reliant on one another, the four Mthatha advocates and four attorneys were honoured at a consultative workshop at the Garden Court Mthatha on Friday, 27 May. The event was hosted by Attorney Development Fund in partnership with LexisNexis South Africa – a leading provider of content and technology solutions for the legal, professional and academic sectors – and Korbitec – developers of market-leading desktop software, online products and data solutions for all spheres of the South African property industry.  

The eight candidates are the latest beneficiaries of LexisNexis South Africa’s Advocate Advancement Programme and its new Attorney Advancement Programme, both of which aim to foster and promote entrepreneurship among previously disadvantaged, newly qualified legal professionals by reducing the financial burden on them as they establish new legal practices.  

LexisNexis South Africa’s Commercial director, Thabo Molefe, said: “This is a start of great things to come and our way of ensuring that independent, Black legal professionals are able to level the playing field. Starting a legal practice requires a big investment into technology and superior legal research tools. Through these programmes we are hoping to lighten the load for PDI legal professionals and thereby advancing the Rule of Law, in line with our company’s underlying global purpose.”  

Advancement  

At the workshop, LexisNexis honoured Mthatha advocates Mzamo Swana, Zuko Badli, Zandile Ndesi and Lungelwa Mncotsho-Boya, as the 2016 LexisNexis Advocate Advancement beneficiaries from the Mthatha branch of the Eastern Cape Society of Advocates. They each received  sponsorships valued at over R56 000, which include 12 months of free platinum access to the MyLexisNexis online legal research tool, a laptop and a 12 month 3G data contract, including sim card and modem.  Through a programme endorsed by the General Council of the Bar of South Africa the four advocates are among 52 nationally this year – and more than  174 nationally since the programme was started in 2012 – who have received  such sponsorships at a combined value of over R9 million in the past four years.   

As of this year PDI attorneys are being given the same opportunity, through the Attorney Advancement Programme, a new partnership launched at the consultative workshop by LexisNexis, its division Korbitec and the Attorney Development Fund. Three attorney firms – Lesley-ann Raunel Brauns of Lesley-Ann Brauns & Associates Inc, Zuko Tshutshane of Z. Tshutshune Attorneys and Zincedile Monde Tiya and Simphiwe Patric Pata of Tiya Pata Attorneys – received the same package valued at over R56 000. A fourth attorney – Mr Ganga of Q.T Gcanga and Associates received a package sponsored by Korbitec which includes 12 months of free platinum access to the MyLexisNexis online research tool, and a 12 month 3G data contract, including sim card and modem.   

Molefe explained: “One of our recently released reports, which looked at the landscape of independent law in South Africa across 160 small law firms, found that black-owned law firms were generally positive about their outlook and were receptive to contributing to the industry. They advised that there had been an increase of work from civil clients and big corporates. However many pointed out that the legal field remained a largely white landscape with the concept of ‘Black only on paper’, and that the environment was not always conducive to the growth of the black lawyer,” explained Molefe.  

“As a leader in the field of legal content and solutions, LexisNexis is aware of our role. Our advancement programmes hold remarkable value and are designed to drive transformation by ensuring that previously disadvantaged lawyers and law firms are given an equal opportunity for growth and success,” he said.   The workshop further served as a networking session and a platform to outline the various programmes within the region which are assisting previously disadvantaged local advocates and attorneys to develop themselves.  

In addition to the Advocate and Attorney Advancement Programmes, LexisNexis has partnerships in place with NGOs including ProBono.Org, which partners with private legal professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to provide pro bono legal services to the poor, as well as the Women’s Legal Centre, the National Freedom Network, Umgeni Community Empowerment Centre, the Salvation Army and others. The company hosted its inaugural LexisNexis Rule of Law Champion Award in 2015, which is aimed at celebrating and acknowledging significant members of the South African legal fraternity who have led efforts to advance the rule of law and strengthen civil society. Recipients of the inaugural awards included Judge Dennis Davis as the Dept. of Justice Champion and Nic Swart, Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of South Africa, as the Industry Champion.

For more information on LexisNexis research solutions, visit http://www.lexisnexis.co.za/. For highlights and updates from the Advocate Advancement Programme handover sessions, visit LexisNexis South Africa’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LexisNexisSA/