About the practice

A focused practice, led directly by the principal attorney.

JW van Zyl Inc gives international and regional life-sciences teams senior South African legal capacity on a defined basis: for the agreements, governance, diligence and regulated transactions that have to be resolved locally.

The practice

JW van Zyl Inc is a South African legal practice led by Johan Wilhelm van Zyl, an attorney of the High Court of South Africa. The firm provides focused legal support on defined South African matters.

Background

The principal attorney practised in commercial and litigation work from 2011 before moving into the clinical research industry. Ten years followed on the industry side: clinical-trial contracting and study budgets for global pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors at international contract research organisations, a regional leadership role in global business operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and study start-up agreements across multiple African jurisdictions at an international public-health research organisation. The firm negotiates those agreements having previously sat on the sponsor and contract-research side of them.

Areas of work

The practice covers clinical research and development, regulatory and market access, commercial and technology agreements, and corporate, M&A and life-sciences transactions, together with continuing outside-counsel support on a defined basis.

How engagements are structured

Scope, deliverables, fees and timelines are agreed in writing before substantive work begins. Additional specialist input is arranged where a matter requires foreign-law, patent, tax, regulatory-science or advocacy expertise. The firm is retained on written terms and does not offer free consultations.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG)

Much of the firm's work, funded health programmes, development-linked transactions and healthcare governance, carries an environmental, social and governance dimension. The firm advises on the governance, social-impact and accountability terms within these arrangements, and conducts its own practice on a responsible, transparent and compliant basis.

Professional boundaries

Legal services are provided only under a written engagement and subject to the firm’s professional obligations. Further information appears on the Professional Information page.