Fiona Leppan
Fiona Leppan is a Director in our Employment Law practice. She has extensive experience in the field of employee relations both from a litigation perspective and in terms of strategic planning. Training and development in this field has been a focal point. Fiona has actively trained clients on how to deal with internal disputes and to conduct enquiries and arbitrations. Fiona previously served as Joint Head of the Mining & Minerals sector. She has also established entire dispute resolution processes for a number of mining houses where disputes were dealt with by way of private conciliation and arbitration. Fiona works in various industries including mining, metals, engineering, retail, broadcasting, financial services and the commercial distributive trade. She has also been involved in occupational health and safety work.
Fiona's sector specialities include Employment litigation, individual labour law, collective bargaining law and strategic planning and Occupational Health & Safety in Mining & Minerals.

About Fiona
About Fiona
Fiona began her career as registrar to Mr Justice Margo in the then Supreme Court. In 1983 Fiona joined Webber Wentzel as a Candidate Attorney where she was later promoted to Partner. She subsequently joined Deneys Reitz as a Partner. In 1998, she left Deneys Reitz to establish the law firm Leppan Beech Attorneys. In 2007 Fiona joined Cliffe Dekker (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) as a Director.
Credentials
Credentials
Education
- BA LLB, University of Witwatersrand
- LLM (with distinction), University of the Witwatersrand
- HDip (Advanced Company Law), University of the Witwatersrand
- Certificate course (Mining and Prospecting Law) with distinction, Mandela School of Law, University of Witwatersrand
- Year of admission as an attorney: 1986
- Registered with the Legal Practice Council
Memberships
- Member of the SAEFA Industrial Relations Forum in the Metals' Industry
- SASLAW
About Fiona
Fiona began her career as registrar to Mr Justice Margo in the then Supreme Court. In 1983 Fiona joined Webber Wentzel as a Candidate Attorney where she was later promoted to Partner. She subsequently joined Deneys Reitz as a Partner. In 1998, she left Deneys Reitz to establish the law firm Leppan Beech Attorneys. In 2007 Fiona joined Cliffe Dekker (now Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) as a Director.
Credentials
Education
- BA LLB, University of Witwatersrand
- LLM (with distinction), University of the Witwatersrand
- HDip (Advanced Company Law), University of the Witwatersrand
- Certificate course (Mining and Prospecting Law) with distinction, Mandela School of Law, University of Witwatersrand
- Year of admission as an attorney: 1986
- Registered with the Legal Practice Council
Memberships
- Member of the SAEFA Industrial Relations Forum in the Metals' Industry
- SASLAW
Experience
Ground breaking cases
Conducted many ground breaking reported cases in the Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court, High Court and Land Claims Court.
Lonmin Platinum
By way of example, she represented the then Lonmin Platinum at the Marikana Commission of Inquiry. She represented Sibanye Gold in the recent 2019 Gold Strike and played an imported role in the resolution of that matter.
Occupational health and safety
Undertaken occupational health and safety work and conducted serious incident and fatal accident inquiries.
Developed Land Law
Developed Land Law as an area of expertise, inclusive of community relocations and land claims.
News

Blowing the whistle: Informant reform in South Africa
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has promised greater protection for whistleblowers in South Africa, with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development releasing a discussion...

Webinar - Employment impact: State of national disaster: Electricity
Employers need to consider the impact that loadshedding and increased disruptions in electricity supply may have on the workplace.

Hybrid Event Recording | Economic recession, State of Disaster and business: Navigating the tide
A second national state of disaster has been declared in the space of three years this time due to constrained electricity supply at a time of imminent economic recession and a significant...

Non-compliance with the Labour Court Rules and Practice Manual vs Access to Justice: A balancing exercise
In Greater Taung Local Municipality v South African Local Government Bargaining Council and others ZALAC 1 (16 January 2023), the employer sought to review an arbitration award but...

Quiet hiring: The next employment trend?
In the recent past, economists and employment lawyers, among others, have identified and analysed employment trends in the workplace such as the “great resignation” and “quiet quitting”....

How well do women fare in the South African labour market
Employment Director Fiona Leppan joined Newzroom Afrika to take a look at whether South African employers are being sufficiently receptive to the additional burden of family responsibility...

Gender parity in the workplace
Fiona Leppan, Director in the Employment practice joined Morning Live on SABC 2 to discuss gender parity in the workplace.

Criminal charges laid by employer? An employer can still take disciplinary action!
The Labour Court held that criminal charges laid by the employer against an employee can never stand in the way of that employer subjecting the employee to a disciplinary enquiry in...

Can an employee be dismissed for refusing to obey an instruction to work overtime?
Recently the labour court handed down a judgment in which it had to consider whether dismissal for insubordination was an appropriate sanction for employees who refused to obey an...

Four day work week
During her interview with 702, to discuss the global trend of a four-day work week, Fiona Leppan, Director in our Employment Law practice noted that, "doing collaborative sessions...

Firefighter injured on Duty – A closer look into inherent job requirements and reasonable accommodation
Recently, the Constitutional Court decided the case of Adam Damons v City of Cape Town, where an employee firefighter who was injured at work and sustained a disability (as a result...

Religious and cultural wear at work
Religious and cultural expression is of paramount importance among South Africans, and as we come down from the high of Heritage Day on 24 September, the conversation around religious,...
Recognition
2016-2023
Chambers Global
Chambers Global 2018, 2020 - 2023 ranked Fiona in Band 2: Employment. In 2016–2017 she was ranked in Band 3.
2012-2023
Legal 500 EMEA
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022-2023 Fiona was ranked for Mining. From 2019 - 2023 Fiona was ranked as a leading individual for labour and employment. From 2012–2018 Fiona was recommended for labour and employment.

Chambers Global
Chambers Global 2018, 2020 - 2023 ranked Fiona in Band 2: Employment. In 2016–2017 she was ranked in Band 3.
Legal 500 EMEA
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022-2023 Fiona was ranked for Mining. From 2019 - 2023 Fiona was ranked as a leading individual for labour and employment. From 2012–2018 Fiona was recommended for labour and employment.
Expertise

Employment Law
CDH offers support to clients engaging in the complex and constantly evolving people management space.

Occupational Health & Safety
Our Occupational Health & Safety team delivers clear and precise legal advice.

Mining & Minerals
We help our clients navigate legal and administrative complexities in this key economic sector.

Industrials, Manufacturing & Trade
We provide a multidisciplinary approach to legal and commercial matters across Africa.

Technology & Communications
Our team offers advice on a wide range of functions and sector-related issues.