Ann-Suhet Marx
Director - Head of Litigation
Qualifications: LLB, B. Com Law
Location: Morningside
Mobile: 076 557 6966
Email: [email protected]
Category: Directors
Litigation, Commercial Law, Labour Law, ADR and Family Law
Having always been a people’s person with a passion for problem solving, law was the obvious career choice for me!
After qualifying with a BCom Law degree from the University of Tilburg in The Netherlands, I returned to South Africa to pursue my niche - contractual litigation. Contracts are black and white, and I’m a black and white type of person. Yes, there can be interpretations, but it’s pretty straightforward on the whole.
During the years in which I completed my articles at (?), I was blessed to be able to litigate on a large scale on my own. It was a massive responsibility, and the experience fast-tracked my growth within the litigation sphere.
From there, I moved to VDM Law, where today I hold the position of Director of Litigation. My co-director Cor van Deventer has opened up the fields of conveyancing and property law to me, allowing me to broaden my field of study and continue upskilling myself while simultaneously handling the busy, fascination and challenging litigation division.
One of my first big cases was a cross-border debt collection, where a Zimbabwean company sued my South African client. The case had everything: cross-border litigation, different countries, different companies, a volatile counterpart, and a lot of money at stake. I was very young when I took the case and won it - it’s an achievement I’ll always be proud of.
No two days are the same for me, but like most lawyers, I like to start my day with a cup of coffee and greet everyone on the office. Then it’s checking emails, checking in with my team from senior litigators to candidate attorneys; checking in with my clients and then often heading off to court for the rest of the day, or briefing counsel.
Something else about which I’m passionate is our company’s collaboration with SAYIPA (South African Youth In Property Association). We believe in empowering and creating opportunities for young people, not just in the legal industry but in the public sector, too. When youngsters ask about law as a career, my reply is that while it’s a hard profession in a high-pressure environment with long hours, there are many opportunities out there for people who are prepared to put in the work. Law is not for those who seek instant gratification, it’s for people who want a rich, fulfilling career that makes a difference.
In my leisure time, I love spending slow mornings with my husband, two dogs and cat in our home, going for long walks in nature and to dog parks. To get away from the fast pace of the city, we enjoy visiting my parents’ farm in North West Province. And of course, reading! I’m a big fan of Morgan Housel, Simon Sinek, and Rene Brown, and my Bible is always on my bedside pedestal. On my Bucket List? Travel. Meeting new people and listening to them speak in foreign languages. And some day I want to see the Seven Wonders of the World!