OUR TEAM
Get to know more about our Legal Team
Nico Claassen
Director (Founding)
Education:
BCom (Law) (2004) (Stell)
LLB (2006) (Stell)
LLM (2007) (Stell)
Short Course in Business Rescue (Unisa)
Professional:
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (February 2010)
Member of the South African Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners Association (SARIPA)
Member of the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL)
BCom (Law) (2004) (Stell)
LLB (2006) (Stell)
LLM (2007) (Stell)
Short Course in Business Rescue (Unisa)
Professional:
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (February 2010)
Member of the South African Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners Association (SARIPA)
Member of the International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL)
Nico has over 12 years’ experience as a lawyer. His passion is Dispute Resolution, Restructuring and Insolvency. He applies his skills to diffuse complex disputes to the benefit of his clients. His goal is to do so effectively; cost and otherwise; and efficiently by applying the legal tools available to him.
He sharpened his skills in his areas of passion mainly by representing large credit providers, but have also advised business rescue practitioners, liquidators and other clients within this context. Nico established the firm in December 2021 to re-focus on and further pursue his passion.
Catherine Dix
Senior Associate
Education:
LLB LawBachelor of Laws (2017) University of Cape Town
BCom Business/Commerce, General (2015) University of Cape Town
Catherine is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa, currently practicing as a Senior Associate at Claassen Inc. With a robust legal foundation and extensive experience, Catherine provides expert legal counsel and representation across a wide range of areas.
Catherine holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) from the University of Cape Town, where she developed a strong academic background in law and business. This dual expertise allows Catherine to approach legal challenges with a comprehensive understanding of both the legal and commercial landscapes, enabling them to deliver strategic and informed advice to their clients.
Sharan Lala
Associate
Education:
BSocPsy (Law and Politics) (2018)
LLB (2021) (NWU)
Sharan joined Claassen Inc. as a trainee in July 2022 and was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa in 2024. Now an associate at the firm, he holds a BA in Law and Political Studies from Rhodes University and an LLB from North-West University (NWU), where he developed a strong interest in insolvency and commercial law.
Committed to maintaining the firm’s high standards, Sharan upholds professionalism and a strong work ethic in daily operations and client interactions.
Desima Beukes
Consulting Attorney
Education:
Baccalareus Artium (cum laude)
Arts and Philosophy, 1982 (University of Pretoria)
Baccalareus Procurarationis, 1985 (University of South Africa)
Postgraduate Diploma, Tax Law, 1993 (University of Cape Town)
Certificate in Compliance Management, 2012 (University of Cape Town)
Professional:
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (1986)
Baccalareus Artium (cum laude)
Arts and Philosophy, 1982 (University of Pretoria)
Baccalareus Procurarationis, 1985 (University of South Africa)
Postgraduate Diploma, Tax Law, 1993 (University of Cape Town)
Certificate in Compliance Management, 2012 (University of Cape Town)
Professional:
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (1986)
Desima has over 30 years’ experience as a lawyer. She has been involved as a drafter in a number of high value mergers and acquisitions. She is known for strong drafting skills and attention to detail. In addition to commercial drafting, she is capable in transaction project management as well as document review, both on-site and remotely.
Desima advocates high quality but affordable commercial legal services to small, medium and large businesses alike. Her working style on larger deals is to get on it with it quietly in the background, by leaving boardroom negotiations to the experts in that field and then taking her instructions from them. That approach frees up her time and allows for clear focus on proverbially crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s, which is where her greatest strength lies. In smaller deals, with perhaps less legally sophisticated clients, Desima enjoys walking clients through the process.
Gerhard Rudolph
Consulting Attorney
Education:
LLB (2009) (University of Pretoria)
Professional:
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (August 2011)
LLB (2009) (University of Pretoria)
Professional:
Attorney of the High Court of South Africa (August 2011)
Gerhard practiced as a lawyer for approximately two years after his admission. In December 2013 Gerhard joined one of the largest credit providers in South Africa. There he honed and developed his legal skills.
He was promoted to a legal manager within the organisation in April 2015 and was tasked with advising on and mitigating the organisation’s legal risks within a team of legal specialists. He oversaw various legal-teams and law firms and managed and advised on a substantial amount of litigious matters. Gerhard was awarded several prestigious awards for outstanding performance and management while at the organisation.
Gerhard joined the firm as a consultant attorney in August 2022 and offers invaluable knowledge pertaining to credit and consumer law. He places high standards on himself and aims to provide an effective and efficient solution to any challenge the firm’s clients are faced with.
Our team is dedicated to advance your business interests