Adams & Adams

Trade Mark Prosecution

Partner | Chair - Trade Mark Prosecution

Steven Yeates is a Cape Town-based partner and co-chair of the firm’s Trade Mark Department.

Steven advises clients on all issues relating to trade mark selection, searching, registration and enforcement. He is actively involved in creating, implementing and managing trade mark portfolios, enforcement programmes and management strategies, on behalf of our international and local clients in a number of African countries. He regularly advises clients in relation to copyright disputes and has a vast amount of experience relating to anti-counterfeiting operations and strategies. His key clients include Woolworths, Foschini Retail Group, Cape Union Mart, Shoprite Checkers, Fairview, KWV, Discovery Channel, Clicks Retailers, Oceana Group, Home Box Office and Burger King.

Steven is a co-author of the Practitioner’s Guide to Intellectual Property Law in South Africa, published by LexisNexis and has been listed on an ongoing basis as one of the World’s Leading Trade Mark Professionals in the WTR 1000 since 2011.

Steven holds BCom and LLB degrees from the University of Johannesburg and is a qualified attorney and trade mark practitioner. He is a member of the Legal Practice Council as well as a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL). Steven is a past member of Anti-counterfeiting Committee and Trade Mark Law Committee of the SAIIPL.

English, Afrikaans

Memberships

• Legal Practice Council (LPC) – Member
• South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) – Past member of Anti-counterfeiting committee and Trade Mark Law committee |2010 – 2016

Accolades

• Chambers Global – Ranked Lawyer | 2019 – 2025
• Who’s Who Legal – Trade Marks | 2019 – 2024
• WTR 1000 – Individuals: Anti-counterfeiting | 2014, 2016
• WTR 1000 – Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation (Silver) | 2018 – 2025
• WIPR – Leaders: Trade Marks | 2022 - 2024
• Best Lawyers® – Intellectual Property Law: South Africa | 2023 - 2024
• Best Lawyers® – Advertising Law: South Africa | 2023
• Legal 500 – Recommended Lawyers: Intellectual Property | 2023 - 2025

• Qualified Trade Mark Practitioner (SAIIPL)| 2003
• Admitted Attorney | 2002
• LLB – Rand Afrikaans University | 2000
• BCom – Rand Afrikaans University | 1998