Festive trading days: Please note we will be closed from 10h00 on Friday, 13 December 2024 and will open on Friday 10 January 2024. In the event of an emergency, please contact Bruce Scott on +27 82 339 6885
Our Philosophy
Our law firm is based in Pietermaritzburg, with clients located across the country. We service a wide range of clients, from sole proprietors to multinational companies. Every member of our team is committed to providing mature and sensible legal services, guided by integrity in every aspect of our work.
Our Services
Commercial
(business) Law
We provide comprehensive support in our commercial law services: the restructuring of businesses; mergers and acquisitions; and the purchase and sale of businesses. Although we are based in Pietermaritzburg, we regularly handle commercial law matters from clients in Johannesburg and other major centres.
We are fortunate to have a number of trusted accounting firms and tax practitioners who enjoy collaborating with us to service their clients.
Divorce Mediation
We have an established base of psychologists who refer family law matters to us for mediation. We adopt a holistic approach to this difficult and sensitive process, drawing on the expertise of social workers, psychologists, and accountants where necessary, to navigate the complexities of family law matters with empathy and expertise.
Estate Planning and Structuring
We provide efficient estate planning advice for our clients and receive regular referrals from financial planners. We offer expert advice to help secure your legacy, draft Wills, and where necessary, engage with tax practitioners and accountants to ensure the best possible solutions are achieved. We understand the importance of winding up deceased estates efficiently but with empathy.
Litigation
We provide a wide range of services in this space, ranging from boundary disputes between farmers to recovering debt for medical practices. Where possible, we endeavour to resolve matters through alternate dispute resolution as this approach is often more efficient and cost-effective.
Property Law and Conveyancing
Our property law department is regularly involved with leases, notarial leases, servitudes, rights of way, and sectional title schemes. When attending to conveyancing matters, our primary focus is to ensure the efficient transfer of properties, whilst communicating regularly with all the parties involved in the transaction.
Road Transport and Logistics Law
We have acted for a number of national and multinational road transport businesses over the past twenty years. This work extends to both 3PL and 4PL businesses. We frequently draft bespoke transport contracts for clients and are adept at carrying out risk assessments for both transporters and suppliers, ensuring legal compliance.
Fiduciary Law
(Trusts)
We have an efficient fiduciary law department which looks after all aspects of fiduciary law, from drafting Trust Deeds though to administering Trusts on a day-to-day basis. We serve as professional independent Trustees for a large number of Trusts, which provides our clients with peace of mind.
Our Team
Bruce Scott
BA LLB
Bruce started his legal career with Hathorn Cameron & Co. in 1999, before co-founding Hay & Scott Attorneys with Paul Hay in 2003. While Bruce particularly enjoys commercial and fiduciary law, he also dedicates a significant portion of his time to guiding couples through the process of divorce mediation. Besides practising law, Bruce has had interests in a wide range of successful businesses including the Manna House Restaurant, Diamond Vlei Farming and EG Plant Hire.
Faadela Essop
LLB
Faadela started her legal career in 2002 with Cajee Setsubi and Chetty Incorporated before meeting Bruce at Hay & Scott Attorneys in 2007. She oversees the firm’s litigation department. Faadela is an experienced attorney who holds postgraduate qualifications in Advanced Labour Law, Advanced Corporate Law, and Advanced Tax Law.
Marie Sharp
LLB LLM
Marie started her legal career at Hay & Scott Attorneys in 2015. Besides being a commercial attorney, she is also a Conveyancer and Notary Public. She has an LLM in Business Law and enjoys the academic challenges that law poses. Marie works closely with Bruce on commercial law assignments as well as fiduciary law and property law matters.
Russell Merton
BA LLB
Russell is a seasoned Conveyancer and Notary Public, with extensive experience in property law. He started his legal career with Hathorn Cameron & Co. in 1990. Bruce met Russell at Hathorn & Cameron & Co. in 1999. Russell takes care of our firm’s conveyancing and notarial work.
Get in touch
Our location
Gresham House, Suite 1, Ground Floor, 11 Wembley Terrace, Pietermaritzburg
Opening Hours
Mon-Thurs: 8am - 4pm
Friday: 8am - 1pm
Contact
Phone: 033 015 5205
Email: bruce@brucescottattorney.co.za