Emma Smith
Emma SmithAssociate

An overview

Emma has a broad range of legal interests. She is very interested in how people manage and protect their assets whether it is shares and companies, intellectual property rights or their own reputation.  She has a special focus on competition law and particularly how it impacts on digital and internet business. She prefers to express solutions in plain language and is passionate about making the law accessible and helpful.

University of Cape Town: LLB 2013 – 2015

Rhodes University: Masters in Science (Zoology) 2009 – 2011

Rhodes University: Bachelor of Science Honours (Zoology) 2009

Rhodes University: Bachelor of Science (Geology and Zoology) 2006 – 2008

  • Company restructuring
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Competition and Anti-Trust Law
  • Intellectual Property
  • Defamation
  • Data privacy and protection
  • Member of editorial team for the book ‘Introduction to International Law’ by TW Bennett and J Strug, Juta (2013)
  • Lead author for the revision of Uniform Rule of Court 14 and Magistrate’s Court Rule 54 for the Rules Board of South Africa
Besides Emma’s interest in new technologies, her hobbies include music, art and hiking. In her spare time, you will find her rummaging through furniture junk shops looking for great bargains.
Emma took a circuitous route to law and started out by qualifying as a Zoologist, however she soon found her true passion in the law and the positive effect that it can have on society. She uses her scientific training to approach legal issues with meticulous and systematic thinking.

She has undertaken extensive academic research. Her final dissertation dealt with liability for occupational damages on a class action scale with reference to the mining sector. The development of class action suits and labour law continue to be an area that she follows closely.

Emma is a confident and competent public speaker who has experience in presenting at academic conferences and colloquiums. She enjoys using public speaking to explain complex ideas in a clear, simple and engaging way.