Ms Bernadette Versfeld > Webber Wentzel > Johannesburg, South Africa > Lawyer Profile

Ms Bernadette Versfeld

27115305404 bernadette.versfeld@webberwentzel.com

Work Department

Technology, Media, Telecommunications & Intellectual Property Practice

Position

Partner

Career

Bernadette has extensive experience advising some of the world’s top multi-national organisations in relation to the protection, management, enforcement and exploitation of Intellectual Property (IP) in Africa. She provides clients with all services associated with trade marks, including prosecution, litigation and commercial transactional work. Bernadette is highly regarded for her litigation expertise in IP (trade marks, copyright, designs, patents, trade secrets, know-how, confidential information, goodwill), dealing with high profile IP litigious matters across Africa and is recognised for her negotiation skills and strategic and commercially focused advice in relation to contentious matters. She has extensive experience advising in relation to: high-profile and complex corporate transactions relating to the exploitation of IP rights; the monetisation and structuring of IP rights (such as through cross-border licensing, assignments, research and development, global joint ventures, technology transfer and collaboration agreements); IP issues flowing from international acquisitions and disposals; public offerings and corporate reorganisations; international structures and exchange control issues and IP due diligence investigations.

Bernadette is a member of the International Association of Trademark Attorneys (INTA) and a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. Bernadette was recently elected as a member of INTA’s Copyright Committee and has been requested to assist INTA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. Her expertise in the fields of prosecution, litigation and commercial intellectual property have been recognised by international research organisations including Chambers Global, Legal 500, Legal Experts EMEA, World Trademark Review, Managing Intellectual Property, IP Stars and IAM Patent 1000. Bernadette has recently been recognised in Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP

Education

Fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law and qualified trade mark practitioner, 2002
LLB, University of Johannesburg, 1999
BA Law, University of Johannesburg, 1997