Faan Coetzee

Faan Coetzee

Executive Consultant

Faan Coetzee is an Executive Consultant in our Employment practice. His areas of specialisation include labour and employment law, employee benefits, defamation and media law. Over the past 42+ years, Faan has advised large corporates, both locally and abroad, on some of the most complex and challenging restructurings, retrenchments, disciplinary matters, transfer of undertakings, collective bargaining issues and individual labour law matters.

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Career

Faan began his career in 1972 as a lecturer at the University of the North. He joined the City Council of Johannesburg in 1973 as legal adviser to the Town Planning Committee and Valuation Department. He served on a number of committees of the Law Society and the steering committee for the Small Claims Court when it was first established in South Africa. Faan joined Hofmeyr (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) in 1974 and became a Director in 1978.

  • Regularly represents clients in the Labour Court and before the CCMA.
  • Involved in restructuring medical aid schemes and litigation pertaining to medical aid compliance issues.
  • Contributed as a panellist on a panel of the Labour, Employment and Discrimination Law Conference of the International Bar Association during April 2008.
  • Represented Transnet in a major international arbitration in the UK.
  • Advises corporations such as Transnet, Sasol, Astral Operations and Media 24.
  • Acting Judge of the Labour Court.
  • Tokiso Panellist.
  • Chambers Global 2010 ranked Faan as a leading lawyer in Employment and Labour.
  • Who’s Who Legal - The International Who’s Who of Management Labour and Employment 2008 to 2013: Faan has been selected by clients and peers as being among the world’s leading Management Labour and Employment lawyers.
  • Who's Who Legal - International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 - 2013 lists Faan among the world's leading Management Labour and Employment lawyers.
  • Practical Law Company (PLC) Which Lawyer? 2008 – 2010 and 2012: Faan is endorsed, "with a practice emphasis on employment and labour law. Strong corporate client base providing advice on restructuring, collective bargaining, general employers' rights, pension funds and medical aid schemes."
  • Legal 500 EMEA 2010 to 2016: Faan is recommended for "his insight, knowledge and promptness" in Labour and Employment Law.
  • Expert Guides 2009 and 2011 rates Faan as a pre-eminent practitioner in Labour and Employment Law.
  • Best Lawyers International South Africa 2008 – 2011, 2013 – 2019 listed Faan as a 'best lawyer' in Labour and Employment as well as Litigation.

Publications

  • Faan is acknowledged as a contributor to International Labour and Employment Laws, 2nd edition (BNA 2003), authored by J Lubbe of Littler LLP (USA).
  • Co-author: Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act – Some comments on Practical Considerations when Drafting Agreements (ILJ 2013 (34) 1658)
  • Co-author: Can an employer still raise the retrenchment flag in interest negotiations? The Fry's Metals case under the Labour Relations Amendment Bill 2012. De Jure 2014

Education

  • BA LLB, University of the North-West
  • LLM (Labour Law), University of Johannesburg
  • H.Dip (Tax Law), University of the Witwatersrand
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 1976

Memberships

  • Law Society of the Northern Provinces and the Cape Law Society