Grad Gallery: Lee Shacksnovis

LinkedIn: bit.ly/2Qc8Wqp

Current position:

Associate Attorney at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc

Past position:

Article clerk at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc

Academic history:

2017 Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at UCT

2015 Bachelor of Arts specialising in Law at Stellenbosch University

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How did you obtain your position?

CDH uses a rotation system (every 6 months candidate attorneys are rotated to different departments). During my second year I applied to work in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (“TMT”) department because I had a keen interest in blockchain and artificial intelligence law. After my first week in TMT I knew that this was the kind of law I wanted to practice. During those 6 months, I worked hard and went above and beyond to impress my now boss who ultimately retained me as an associate in his team in 2020.

What are your responsibilities as Associate Attorney?

As an associate in TMT, I am responsible for drafting a wide range of agreements, policies and documents for our clients. I specialise in information technology, intellectual property, internet and data protection law as well as TMT-focused corporate and commercial law. I am also responsible for end-to-end client engagement and management (from preparing fee estimates to hosting consultations). As a young attorney in a large law firm, we are encouraged to build our independent practices early on and to take every opportunity to engage in business development and practice management.

What value do your qualifications add to your work?

I believe that the real value of my qualification is in the skills and less about the content I learned. Content changes and the world evolves, but the strong skill-base I learned has been the solid platform from which to grow.

What are the key skills that have contributed to your success so far?

For me the most valuable skills for an attorney are: curiosity; an ability to synthesise information and data into a practical and logical format (both written and oral); and being well-organised and prepared. I believe that my grit, organisational skills, curiosity, and wanting to find practical, business-minded solutions to client’s legal problems are what have contributed to my success so far.

Advice for graduates wanting to enter your industry?

Be passionate. This is true of all industries, but that fire that gets you up in the morning will keep you satisfied and hungry to do better and be better. Try out various things until you find your passion.

Be business-minded and start by understanding the industry – who are the major industry players in the technology, media and telecommunications sector in South Africa and the world? What do they do? What are their product and service offerings? What kind of legal issues pertain to that industry and that industry player?

Adopt a multi-skilled mindset. You cannot only ‘think like a lawyer”, you must also learn to “think like a CEO”, “think like a developer” and “think like a customer”. Your ability to empathise with others and really understand what their problems are will allow you to better serve your clients.

Learn to be comfortable with change. This industry moves fast and you must learn to move with it.

What impact has COVID-19 had on your job?

I am incredibly fortunate that our industry (technology, media and telecommunications) has seen a boom in 2020 which continues as consumers’ demand for access to better and more technology has grown since the start of lockdown in South Africa (and globally). This means that our department has been busy, and I have been fortunately positioned to have been exposed to very exciting projects during this time. COVID19 has forced us to adopt a hybrid work-from-home and work-from-the-office model, which has both positive and negative impacts, and affects families in different ways.

I believe that the real value of my qualification is in the skills and less about the content I learned. Content changes and the world evolves, but the strong skill-base I learned has been the solid platform from which to grow.

How do you see data protection laws evolving in the next few years?

I see data protection laws as having a positive impact on society. Businesses are forced to be more transparent about their data processing activities, consumers are becoming increasingly aware and educated about their rights, and new and exciting start-ups are taking advantage of the opportunities which these laws present.

Data has been dubbed “the new oil” and has immense value to business – it provides insights and allows innovation. However, responsible data management is critical, and I see this becoming a key factor for successful future-minded businesses. Data protection and appropriate strategies around responsible data use will be highly topical in years to come.