BEE

Basic principles in regard to empowerment of members of previously disadvantaged groups

MacRobert recognises that the inequities and injustices which have arisen in South African society need to be addressed. This also applies to the legal system and the legal profession in our country. The legal profession needs to reflect more closely the society in which we live and in which MacRobert conducts its practice. MacRobert has accepted that empowerment action is necessary and that MacRobert can be of assistance in providing assistance to fellow practitioners and trainee lawyers who have, in the past, been disadvantaged.

MacRobert is mindful of the fact that the company is a highly specialised legal practice providing legal services of high quality to demanding clients. The implementation of our policy is effected in such a way that the provision of quality services will be enhanced. MacRobert does not believe in window dressing or token appointments. MacRobert has taken, and will continue to take steps to alter the composition of our staff at all levels to more accurately reflect the composition of our South African society.

Implementation

MacRobert accepts and trains persons from previously disadvantaged groups as candidate attorneys with a view to retaining their services as professional assistants, associates and as directors. Recruitment of candidate attorneys is done on this basis, ensuring an intake of previously disadvantaged persons.

MacRobert participates in projects such as the Integrated Bar Project of Yale University and the Centre for Human Rights in the Law Faculty of the University of Pretoria. Through projects such as these, disadvantaged black students are given the opportunity of visiting the company and experiencing the nitty-gritty of legal practice.

MacRobert has assisted black firms to gain access to panels of attorneys of financial institutions to undertake conveyancing work. We have extended assistance in regard to the undertaking of the work and in regard to training persons to do conveyancing. Such training has, for example, included a black attorney from another firm spending a period of four months working at MacRobert in order to provide hands-on training in the undertaking of conveyancing work. We have also successfully undertaken the training of black attorneys and candidate attorneys from other firms to prepare them for the conveyancing and notarial admission examination. We are currently implementing the expansion of our training programme to a number of identified black firms.

We have identified, and will identify, capable black advocates who will increasingly be used in appropriate matters. Our policy also includes the undertaking of work in alliance or association with black firms. Certain Government work where tenders are invited is approached on this basis. This does not entail a fixed relationship but is reviewed on a matter by matter basis. This is a practical method that will allow a sharing of expertise by the firms involved to benefit the client.