John Giles delivers practical legal solutions to clients by combining knowledge, experience, insight, clear thinking, planning, project management, skilled resources, and efficient legal technology. John has years of practical experience applying his digital, data and tech law knowledge to organisations to help them grow and avoid legal problems, difficulties, or disputes.
He always tries to add value to his clients by being a lawful enabler. John embraces and uses legal tech to achieve the best possible outcomes for his clients. He believes the law should be accessible, empowering and helpful. He is a surfer and a family man.
- Stellenbosch University: Bachelor of arts and Law degree (LLB), 1992 – 1996
- Microsoft Corporation Incorporated: Systems Engineer, 1998 – 1999
John has experience in all of the firm’s focus areas, including:
- Helping organisations get data protection right by complying with complex global data protection laws (like the GDPR, PECR and POPIA) in a practical way.
- Empowering organisations to commercialise data (law)fully and leverage AI (law(fully).
- Assisting organisations to comply with their obligations to provide access to (or freedom of) information.
- Helping organisations comply with their information security or cybersecurity responsibilities under law.
- Helping organisations to address the legal aspects of IT Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) in a practical way to real issues.
- Advising on marketing (including internet marketing) and advertising, including competitions and sponsorships. Working with direct marketers.
- Running projects to convert hundreds of legal documents to plain language.
- Admitted as an attorney of the High Court: August 2001
- Registered legal practitioner (practising attorney) with the Legal Practice Council.
- For many years Who’s Who Legal has recognised John Giles as being among the world’s leading information technology, data privacy and protection and data lawyers.
- Best Lawyers have also recognised John Giles as one of the best information technology lawyers. This is especially meaningful as the research is peer-reviewed.
- Member of the King III IT Governance Sub-Committee.
- John Giles was a founder member of the IT Lawyers Forum.
John is interested in and loves playing with new technologies. He spends his weekend’s surfing, walking his dog and connecting with his family and friends.
2008 – Present: John Giles is the managing director at Michalsons
John’s specialities include: Critical thinking to reach clarity. Making complexity, simple. Documents, discussions, processes, and laws are often very complicated – they don’t have to be. Helping people understand the implications of laws. Analyzing a situation to work out a practical course of action. Syncing body, mind and soul while surfing.
As the managing attorney, John Giles performs an oversight role to ensure that we provide great legal services and is a mentor to some of the people at Michalsons. He sets the direction for the firm and manages the business of the firm. He enjoys solving big problems that add value to many organisations.
Learning
- Hosting and participating in webinars and presenting to thousands of people at hundreds of public events.
- Conducting executive briefings to provide a high-level balanced view of what the law is and what the impact will be on an organisation.
- Facilitating customised in-person and online private workshops designed to develop the knowledge and understanding of your key stakeholders (like employees).
Programmes
- Creating and directing the firm’s programmes.
- Drafting and presenting modules that make up the programmes.
Software
- Ensuring that Michalsons uses the right legal tech to ensure clients achieve the legal outcomes they seek.
- Supporting organisations in choosing, implementing, configuring or using the right software or legal tech for their specific organisation.
Services John Giles provides
- Providing legal services to clients himself but mostly supporting others to provide the services.
- Providing practical legal advice and opinions about the application of the law to a client’s unique context and giving recommendations.
- Drafting and reviewing contracts, policies, checklists, templates, guides, reports, action plans, lists, registers, frameworks, letters, briefings, and opinions.
- Managing many large projects.
John Giles joined Michalsons in 2008 and is a practising attorney.
2000 – 2006: John Giles was a partner at Harty Rushmere
John provided a broad spectrum of commercial and IT legal services relating to:
- High value, complex end-to-end commercial technology transactions, including transactions involving software and services, enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations, outsourcing, on-demand hosted solutions, and Software as a Service (SaaS).
- He advised large multi-national technology vendors (so is aware of international best practices) as well as small start-ups. He has also helped companies that procure technology and technology users.
- Marketing (including internet marketing) and advertising, including competitions and sponsorships.
Supplier, channel, and collaboration and teaming agreements. - The legal aspects of tenders.
- Commercial deals of all types, including black economic empowerment deals.
- Commercial transactions, such as sale and shareholder agreements.
- Gaming, both traditional and online.
- Electronic and mobile commerce, and the Internet, including website terms.
- Advising on the practical use of electronic signatures and the law regarding automatic or electronic processes.
- Advising on email law.
- Providing legal services regards digital or new media.
- Advising on source code escrow arrangements.
- Dealing with issues relating to intellectual property, especially copyright and confidentiality issues. Conducting various IP audits.