Finalists: LNP Attorneys (highly commended); MMMG Attorneys; Spoor and Fisher; Stellenbosch University Law Clinic.

Property expert Harris Hadar received the Specialist Law Firm of the Year award, in recognition of its efforts to become South Africa's leading real estate legal authority.

The firm provides a wide range of property law-related services, including litigation relating to rent arrears and general disputes, contract drafting, and conveyancing. Clients include some of South Africa's biggest property funds, including five major real estate investment trusts. It has also been involved in some landmark property cases.

Most recently, it represented five land owners in a dispute over illegal occupiers, following the passing of South Africa's land reform policy that allows land expropriation without compensation (and which led to a wave of illegal land grabs). The firm successfully obtained an order to evict the land invaders and to demolish any buildings or structures they erected, protecting its clients' constitutional right to own property and – crucially – to protect the property industry itself from further unlawful expropriations.

With an eight-strong legal team (and five support staff), attorneys use WhatsApp groups to quickly circulate communications on specific clients, as well as using cloud-based systems to update internal data in real time. The firm has also introduced client-friendly fixed fee structures.

"Very strong entry," commented a judge.

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