Gildenhuys Lessing Malatji (GLM) has been in existence for 20 years. Previously known as Gildenhuys van der Merwe, the firm of attorneys based in Pretoria specialises in top-level commercial transactions, litigation matters, insolvency law, property development, labour, conveyancing and estate matters.
The firm was established in 1987, from the amalgamation of Gildenhuys and the Pretoria branch of Hofmeyr van der Merwe. Gildenhuys was established in the late 1950s under the leadership of Antonie Gildenhuys. The Pretoria branch of Hofmeyr van der Merwe, established in 1975, derived its name from Billy van der Merwe, a prominent attorney and business figure. Antonie Gildenhuys was first director, and later consultant to the firm, until his appointment to the land claims court. He serves as a judge in the high court of SA, Witwatersrand local division.
WHAT IT MEANS
 People are the most valuable asset
Quality of people determines success
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The firm's name changed to Gildenhuys Lessing Malatji in 2004. "The name has a very symbolic meaning within the evolution of the firm," says managing director Tebogo Malatji. "Gildenhuys represents the natural leader of the old generation and one of the original co-founders; Lessing represents the forward thinking transformer of the middle generation; while Malatji symbolises the dynamism of the new generation of South African legal professionals."
Malatji says the firm has transformed itself over the past decade. "We believe that it is as important to acknowledge the past as it is to embrace a future which we deem to be filled with opportunities. This philosophy is carried through to our name, which acknowledges our past and our future," he says.
GLM has taken the road less travelled when it comes to transformation.
"There was a mad rush to get black legal expertise on board in the early 1990s," says Malatji. "The result was that a number of established white law firms merged with black law firms. Other firms significantly increased their intake of black candidate attorneys, and trained existing black attorneys."
GLM considered its options: merging two cultures seemed problematic, resulting in a cultural mismatch, while training black candidate attorneys appeared to be time-consuming and risky.
The firm decided to adopt a different approach, in keeping with a philosophy centred on the importance of people and maintaining the culture it had worked so hard to achieve, while at the same time allowing each employee within the firm to co-exist respectfully and individually.
The firm increased its intake of candidate attorneys, but at the same time, it embarked on a search for the best individual lawyers in the industry.
"We acknowledge and celebrate individualism. We employ all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds, irrespective of race, gender or creed. To some extent, there has been an accommodation of cultures," says Malatji. "People at this firm have respect for others."
People make the difference
GLM is upheld by three pillars: people, its service offering, and the fact that it is a truly South African law firm.
"We recognise that people are our most valuable asset. We therefore spend time and money on each employee's personal development," says Malatji. Recognising each employee's unique qualities means that the firm nurtures its people in all aspects of their lives, rather than considering only work-related issues.
"The legal industry is stressful, so we provide employees with the tools to deal with stress in the form of external interventions with a facilitator who runs self-empowerment courses. In addition, we have a number of social events with staff, including weekend getaways for the professional team and potjie cook-ups."
Malatji says it is the quality of the people on board that determines the level of success a company is able to achieve. "Without quality people, you are unlikely to retain clients," he says. "Our business is largely about relationships and instilling confidence in our clients. Clients look to us for our legal skills, expertise, and the fact that we act in their best interests. It's the cherry on top to be an empowered company."
Rendering outstanding service
GLM offers a wide spectrum of legal services. Individual members of its professional team specialise in various fields of practice, ensuring that the firm is able to offer services of the highest calibre to a top-level client base. Areas of specialisation include commercial and corporate law, admin law, insurance law, property law, insolvency law and estates, labour law, litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
More importantly, says Malatji, "what we offer is a complement of legal services which cuts across the colour spectrum. The result is that the firm has become one of the more acceptable legal advisers in the public sector."
On offer, however, is more than expert legal services. "We're concerned about our clients' legal health. In our interactions with clients, we emphasise how to divert them from potential legal pitfalls," says Malatji.
One of the factors which gives GLM the edge is its ability to execute projects in a cost-effective manner, ensuring optimal results for clients within the shortest possible time.
Projects benefit from across-the-board expertise, with professionals supported by highly qualified and well-trained secretarial and administrative personnel. In addition, a large legal library with a full-time librarian enhances the ability of the professional team to do research in a timely and cost-effective manner.
The firm's location in Pretoria and its well-established relationships with government support services such as the registrar for companies, registrar of deeds, local authorities, and master's office, ensure minimum delays and maximum efficiency.
A truly South African law firm
GLM considers itself a truly South African law firm. "We transcend colour," says Malatji. "We employ the best lawyers we can find, and we expect their unique abilities to contribute to the greater success of the firm. Our philosophy is firmly centred on the concept of embracing each other in our diversity."
He points out that the firm has as many black and female lawyers as it does white male lawyers. This did not come about by fortuitous accident, however, but by clever design and an active drive to find the best lawyers.
"We are now in the fortunate position of being able to pick and choose only the best lawyers, irrespective of colour, because we have a sufficient number of black lawyers on board," says Malatji.
An impressive client base
The firm's clients include a number of listed companies such as Sasol, Absa Bank, Afgri, Glenrand, Mutual & Federal, Sanlam Insurance and Sasol; nonlisted companies such as Assupol, Africon, Admiral, Namib Mills Investments; and public institutions such as Arivia.kom, Safcol, the State Information Technology Agency, Denel, Armscor, Landbank and the Road Accident Fund.
It is also active within the health-care industry, with clients such as the Council for Medical Schemes, Government Employees Medical Scheme, Health Professions Council of SA, Intercare, Medcor, Medihelp, Bathabile Holdings, Pretoria Urology Hospital, Pretoria Eye Institute, Bonitas and the Gen-Health Medical Scheme.
"The health-care industry operates in a highly regulated environment, and we are able to bring an understanding of that environment to clients," says Malatji. The firm also has a good understanding of the needs of private business merging with public-sector considerations, and of constitutional dictates.
Corporate social responsibility
GLM has been involved in a number of community programmes, including the development of a housing project adjacent to Atteridgeville township with Denel, and generous annual donations to the Child Welfare Society of Pretoria.
It is a member of the National Business Initiative, an organisation pioneering ground-level skills development and economic empowerment projects with a special focus on designated groups.
GLM director Derik de Beer is a commissioner of the small claims court, while both De Beer and fellow director José da Silva serve on the disciplinary committee of the Law Society of SA. Kobus Markgraaff and Aneesa Mahomed lecture at the School for Legal Practice of the Law Society, while the MD lectures to candidate attorneys.
The firm has also made staff available to the magistrates' court in Pretoria. Nine professionals were involved in the Mamelodi Project, part of the Funanani outreach programme, which focuses on upliftment in underdeveloped areas. Funanani works in conjunction with the Law Society to make people more aware of their legal rights. GLM provides ground-level legal advice and acts on a pro bono basis in meritorious cases.
The firm's corporate social responsibility doesn't end there - it also sponsors an up-and-coming Soweto soccer team, the Ama-GalaGala.
