DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal boutique law firm Cox Yeats says its relocation to its very own purpose-built office on the Ridge is significant step for the firm and the realisation of a long-term goal to grow its people and expertise - boosting its legal offering.
The company is moving to its custom-built offices in Ncondo Chambers, Vuna Close, which is off Umhlanga Rocks Drive.
Managing partner at Cox Yeats Michael Jackson says the firm needed a bigger space to accommodate the steady growth being experienced.
“The past year was a busy one with the building being completed and also required careful adherence to budget in challenging economic times.It is the next step in realising a vision for the future of this specialist boutique law firm.”
Over the past nine years, Cox Yeats had outgrown its first premises on the Umhlanga Ridge with the number of professionals more than doubling over this period, he says.
About 10 years ago, Cox Yeats moved from Victoria Embankment to uMhlanga Ridge, making it one of the first law firms to relocate north of the city centre. Since then, the firm has grown almost threefold and rapidly outgrew their Ridgeside Offices.
Partner Richard Hoal describes the architectural theme of the whole building, interior and exterior, as “mid-century modern” – a timeless blend of modern and tradition with internal skylights and wrap-around library, as well as spectacular ocean views, befitting the ethos of the firm and its 45 lawyers. This move will allow the firm the necessary growth for at least the next 10 years, he says.
Cox Yeats has a national and international reach and offers growing expertise and specialisation on par with any national law firm, in corporate and natural Resources; Construction, Engineering & Infrastructure Law; Insolvency & Business Rescue; Labour Law; Maritime & Insurance Law and Property Services Law. It also provides legal services to a large number of KZN’s ‘long-standing and established businesses and focuses on the mining , sugar , shipping, banking, manufacturing, property, timber and construction sectors and has done so for more than 50 years.
Cox Yeats competes against the emergence of national and international law firms in the Durban market.
“The trend in Cape Town has been that firms have been swallowed up by the bigger national and international law firms. We have managed to retain our independence and still be successful, ” Jackson says.
The boutique specialist law firm has this year, for the second consecutive year, received the PMR.africa diamond arrow award for the Highest Rated Medium-sized law firm in South Africa.
Jackson says to remain relevant as a legal firm, Cox Yeats needs to remain adaptable to change and continuously grow in expertise.
“To that end we focus on ongoing training and development programmes, searching and recruiting top legal talent in the country, mentorship programmes.”
Jackson says Cox Yeats strive to understand their clients’ operations and the detail of the legal landscape in which they navigate.
“We view client relationships as long-term commitments. Our preferred approach is to build relationships and rapport, which allows clients to be confident with our legal expertise and ability to offer pragmatic legal solutions.”
Jackson says the world of information technology is rapidly evolving and law firms like theirs now operate in a challenging business environment where managing their information is increasingly viewed as vital in efficient legal service delivery.
“In legal practice, information management technologies, for example intranets, portals, case management systems, the firm’s website, electronic document storage and retrieval systems, etc are important means of our legal service delivery.