Riaan Booysen
Johannesburg Bar Admission Date: 5 December 2005
- B.Com (Law), University of Pretoria (1996)
- LLB, University of Pretoria (1998)
- Certificate in International Mergers & Acquisition Law, University of Pretoria (2001)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program Level II, CFA Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia USA (2002)
- Dip.I.C.Arb F.C.I.Arb – Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ciarb) (2013)
- Primavera’ Project Planning and Control’ Software Training, Enterprise Project Solutions (2013)
- CD/ACDS Accredited Mediator, University of Stellenbosch Business School (2014)
- CEDR Mediation Accreditation, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, UK (2015)
- Advanced Mediation Workshop: Mediating Complex Disputes, Harvard Law School (2016)
- Adjudication
- Arbitrations
- Administrative
- Banking & Finance
- Building, Construction & Infrastructure
- Civil Litigation
- Commercial
- Competition
- Corporate
- Governance
- Constitutional
- Contract
- Labour
- Mining
- Mediation
- Insolvency
- Insurance
- Medical Schemes
- Pension Funds
- Petroleum Act
- Procurement
- Public Law
- Chartered Arbitrator & Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (C.Arb & FCArb)
- Member of the General & Commercial Panel of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA)
- Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa)
- Accredited Mediator – Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CDER) (UK)
- Accredited Mediator – Conflict Dynamics (CD) (South Africa) and the Africa Centre for Dispute Management.
- South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) – President’s List – Arbitrator, Adjudicator & Mediator (2023)
Biography
Riaan Booysen is a member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates and the Protea Group of Advocates. He is a Chartered Arbitrator and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa), and a member of the General Commercial Panel of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa.
Riaan is accredited as a mediator by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CDER) (UK), Conflict Dynamics (South Africa) and the Africa Centre for Dispute Management.
He was admitted as an attorney and notary public in 1999 and worked as a legal expert in the banking sector before he joined the Johannesburg Bar in 2005.
Riaan specialises in construction, engineering, infrastructure, project adjudication and arbitration, and litigation in the financial services industry (banking, investments, and insurance). In addition, he is skilled in financial calculations and valuations related to these fields.
He is an experienced commercial advocate and practices mining, administrative, procurement, insolvency, business rescue, company law, mediation, competition and labour-related matters.
Riaan’s qualifications include a BCom (Law) and LLB from the University of Pretoria and a Certificate in Merger and Acquisition Law and Regulation from the same institution. He further completed Level II of the Chartered Financial Analyst Program at the CFA Institute in the USA. In addition, he holds a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK.
Riaan was also the Chair for ciarb’s South African Branch and is an approved ciarb faculty member for Arbitration and Mediation.
Riaan is an acting Judge for the High Court of South Africa, South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg (2021 & 2023). His judgments include:
- Theodosiou v Schindlers Attorneys (14038/2021) [2022] ZAGPJHC 252 (21 April 2022) reported at 2022 (4) SA 617 (GJ), dealing with the Contingency Fees Act, Act 66 of 1997 and rescission of judgment.
http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAGPJHC/2022/252.html - Vodacom Group Limited v Congolese Wireless Network SARL (30053/2020) [2021] ZAGPJHC 793 (7 December 2021) dealing with challenges to Arbitral Awards in terms of Sections 32 & 33 of the Arbitration Act, Act 42 of 1965 and whether an Arbitrator can order cost de bonis proporiis against an attorney not a party to the arbitration agreement.
http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAGPJHC/2021/793.html - Shivambu v FR Pandelani Inc (30053/2020) [2021] ZAGPJHC 745 (19 November 2021) dealing with the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014.
https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAGPJHC/2021/745.html - Kubheka v Road Accident Fund (2017/497) [2023] ZAGPJHC 1216 (25 October 2023)
https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZAGPJHC/2023/1216.html
Riaan acted as lead counsel in these decisions:
- Indwe Risk Services (Pty) Ltd v Van Zyl (2010) 31 ILJ 956 (LC) – abuse of the CCMA process and cost de bonis propriis.
- Panagiotopoulos v Liberty Group Ltd (3955/2011) [2014] ZAGPPHC 229 (25 April 2014) – further particulars.
- Beiersdorf AG v Koni Multinational Brands (Pty) Limited 2019 (4) SA 553 (GJ) – unlawful competition and passing off.
- Koni Multinational Brands (Pty) Ltd v Beiersdorf AG (553/19) [2021] ZASCA 24 (19 March 2021).
- Snyman v De Kooker N O and Others 2024 (6) SA 136 (SCA) – removal of Trustees and dissolution of a Trust for a Road Accident Fund beneficiary.