Quality, sound judgment, and trust: VDMA Law promotes commercial lawyer JJ Joubert to Senior Associate

The recent promotion of JJ Joubert to Senior Associate recognises his sound judgement and quality of work, along with the trust he has earned from clients and colleagues alike, and the growing role he plays in leading matters across the firm, said South African law firm VDMA Law as it revealed recent legal appointments.

“Since joining VDMA many years ago, JJ has shown a steady commitment to the firm and to our clients,” shared the firm as it publicly congratulated Joubert on a well-deserved milestone. “He brings care, diligence and a strong sense of ownership to every matter, and he has been a valued colleague throughout his time with us.”

In recent days VDMA Law, a boutique commercial law firm established in 2020 that has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, also announced the arrival of Michelle van der Merwe as an associate in its Corporate and Commercial team.

A graduate of the University of South Africa, Joubert first joined VDMA as a Legal Assistant in 2018, while completing his legal studies. Becoming a Candidate Attorney in 2023, he completed his articles at VDMA, rising to Associate and now Senior Associate, and has spent his entire legal career so far with the boutique law firm.

Joubert specialises in corporate and commercial law, with particular focus on M&A, commercial transactions and strategic business advisory matters, advising clients across a broad range of industries. VDMA says he “ is known for his approachable and solutions-driven approach, ensuring that legal strategies are aligned with clients’ broader business goals within South Africa’s evolving commercial landscape.”

In contrast to Joubert, van der Merwe has worked at several South African law firms over the past few years, alongside completing an LLM in Mercantile Law from the University of Pretoria that included .a scholarship at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands for several months in partial completion of her Masters degree.

A part-time Judicial Clerk at the High Court while completing her undergrad legal studies, van der Merwe completed her articles at Van Rensburg Mabokwe Inc from 2020-2022, and has also worked in legal roles at Tiefenthaler Attorneys, at Cox Yeats in Durban, at Bowmans in Johannesburg, and CVM & Associates the past four years.

van der Merwe practises in corporate and commercial law, with experience in construction law, alternative dispute resolution and commercial litigation. She has a particular interest in how the law evolves alongside technological innovation, including the legal challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence.

VDMA says she “is recognised for her strong legal research and drafting skills, as well as her practical, commercially minded approach to complex legal matters”, and notes van der Merwe has been selected for the two-year Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration Mentoring Programme (2025–2027), where she receives mentorship from leading international arbitration practitioners.

She is also an Associate Member of the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa) and a member of the Society for Computers and Law, “reflecting her ongoing commitment to professional development and emerging areas of legal practice”.