Jan is a Director and the Chair of the Board of Directors. As former Chief Executive Officer of PH Attorneys, he has more than 30 years’ experience in the legal profession and has practised and specialised in all major areas of law, including property and conveyancing, litigation and dispute resolution and commercial and employment law. Jan is currently involved in the management of the firm and in new project development.

Jan’s leadership at PH Attorneys and the PH Group has seen the firm and group move from strength to strength, positioning itself as the largest group of associated law firms in South Africa, with ties to various players in the international market, leaving a key footprint on South African law.

Jan commenced his legal career as a conveyancer and notary public, but soon thereafter discovered a preference for litigation. As a litigant, Jan developed strong negotiation and arbitration skills, proving invaluable to his career. In the early 1990’s, Jan made a transition to the fields of labour and constitutional law, completing two Masters degrees in these respective fields and excelling as a specialist labour and constitutional law practitioner.

Jan’s dedication, work ethic and strong client representation abilities earned him a position as a director and the head of the Labour and Industrial Relations Department at Naudes Attorneys. Under his guidance, this department soon developed into the strongest and most diverse labour practice in the Free State, providing specialist labour, industrial relations and management advice, insight and counsel to clients.

Jan has provided extensive employment equity and employment law services to private and institutional clients, including the Heath Commission, large corporations such as Senwes, KLK Landbou, various municipalities, the Central University of Technology, Free State, the University of the Free State and various others. He has also been involved in a number of retrenchment and restructuring exercises at large organisations and institutions, and fulfilled the role of legal advisor to the University of the Free State in relation to the incorporation of the University of Uniqwa and Vista. Jan is a specialist in higher education and administrative law and has, in this capacity, acted as the legal advisor to the University of the Free State for more than 12 years.

Throughout his career Jan has acted as legal counsel to employers and employees, and has been involved in disciplinary investigations and enquiries, forensic audits, arbitrations, mediations and negotiations.

Jan served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of the Free State for three years and also lectured as a part-time instructor to candidate attorneys in litigation and constitutional law at the Free State School for Legal Practice of the Law Society of South Africa.

Jan is intimately involved with the management of PH Attorneys through his involvement in the Executive Committee of the firm, providing insight and strategic guidance to the firm and assisting to strengthen the firm and its relationships with key clients.

In advancing his passion for education, Jan employed his leadership and managerial experience and skills during a four year term as Chair of the Grey College High School Governing Body. Jan is a sport and nature enthusiast, and enjoys spending his free time with his family and enjoying the outdoors.