Bax Kaplan Russell Incorporated

Welcome to

BAX KAPLAN RUSSELL

INCORPORATED

Here you will be introduced to our firm, our staff and the services that we offer to our clients. Should you require assistance or advice, you will find our contact particulars and a map to our offices on the contacts page. You can also complete our online contact form if you prefer for us to call or email you.

OUR TEAM

Between the directors and assisting staff we have in excess of 100 years experience.

Michael Francis

Director

Michael Francis was admitted as an Attorney on the 22nd February 1979. In 1984 he was admitted as a Conveyancer and Notary Public. Throughout his career he has focused on all aspects of Property Law and Commercial Law. He has been involved in the establishment of many property developments and sectional title schemes. He is an active Rotarian and past President of the Gately Rotary Club and he is a Paul Harris Fellow.

Steven Clarke

Director

Steven Clarke was admitted as an Attorney in 1982 and shortly thereafter as a Notary Public. He specializes in Family Law, Litigation, Arbitration and Commercial Law. He is a past President of the East London Attorneys Association. He is also on the panel of the Cape Law Society.

Bridgette Beetge-Magnus

Director

Bridgette Diane Beetge – Magnus graduated from Rhodes University in Grahamstown in 1999 (Cum Laude) and was admitted as an Attorney in 2002 and became a Director at Russell Incorporated in 2007. She specializes in all aspects of Labour Law with specific emphasis on Governmental and Municipal and Public Entity matters, specifically those relating to procurement as well as forensic investigations focusing on fraud. She is also involved in Civil Litigation and all aspects of Family Law.

Bradley Sparg

Director

Bradley graduated at NMMU in 2006 with B.COM LLB. He commenced his Articles at Russell Incorporated in 2007 and was admitted as an Attorney in 2009. He became a Director at Russell Incorporated in 2012. He specializes in Commercial Litigation and the drafting of Commercial Contracts as well as aspects relating to Company Law inclusive of Business rescue, evictions and acquisitions. He is also a Conveyancer and deals in all aspects of Property Law.

Melanie Coetzee

Consultant

Having completed the BPROC and LLB degrees at UPE in Port Elizabeth in 1999, Melanie ventured abroad and worked at a law firm, OM Mark & Associates in Mayfair London. After returning to South Africa and qualifying as an Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer in 2000, Melanie decided to spread her wings and moved to Cape Town to work at one of the largest conveyancing law firms in South Africa – first at the Hout Bay office, then in the Cape Town office and finally in the Table View office as the manager.

Melanie has always been a passionate conveyancing attorney and has incorporated training as an integral part of her marketing. Over the years, Melanie’s training has become very sought after. Her approach is direct but interesting and her ability to convey very difficult technical topics to the general property practitioner has led to her being asked by many institutions to host training sessions. Melanie has trained clients, property practitioners and colleagues across South Africa and has done so for the last 17 years.

From a practice perspective, Melanie has registered several thousand residential transfers and bonds during her career and is known for personal reporting and availability when required to assist with difficult clauses.

Legal Compliance has also interested Melanie and as a result, she was instrumental in launching her previous firm’s FICAA Risk-Based documentation to the satisfaction of FIC and held the position of Compliance and Reporting Officer. In the Covid 19 era, Melanie was appointed as the firm’s Covid Compliance Officer, drafted and implemented the Covid Policy documents and procedures within such a large organisation with good success and generally implemented the rules applicable to the various offices within the firm.

Melanie has also assisted many estate agencies and other businesses with their internal FICAA Manuals as well as Covid Protocols.

With so many changes to the laws and rules applicable to the property industry, Melanie has been training agents in respect of the Protection of Personal Information Act (“POPIA”) as well as the Promotion of Access to Information Act (“PAIA”) as well as the European Privacy GDPR Regulations and has completed several POPIA Privacy Policies for real estate and non-real estate businesses.

In addition, Melanie is a specialist in the myriad of rules which apply when foreigners invest funds into property here in South Africa and has worked for years with the Reserve Bank’s exchange control department as well as with the Receiver of Revenue and the banks in respect of these clients and she is often told by clients how valuable it is for foreign investors, especially those who reside in South Africa temporarily to be able to turn to someone able to advise on all aspects related.

Melanie’s passion for conveyancing, training, compliance, consultation, drafting and foreign investors shines brightly through her interactions.

Bev I’Ons-Raeburn

Consultant

Bev I’Ons-Raeburn graduated from Natal University in 1990 and was admitted as Attorney in 1992. After 5 years of litigation, she was admitted as a Notary Public and Conveyancer in 1997. She was a Director of a National Law Firm for 17 years, where she created and headed up the Property Development Bond Department for 5 years, personally training her staff component of 14 and looking after 11 branches of developments bonds in Cape Town and Gauteng respectively. She has substantial knowledge and understanding of the Financial Institutions’ bond conditions and building requirements for end-user developments. She was awarded the Absa Top Development Bond Firm in the Western Cape for two consecutive years.

In the last 24 years, she has been fortunately to be involved in a substantial number of renowned developments in Cape Town, starting with Century City in 1997, which was then only vacant land. She specialises in all aspects of property development, including, but not limited to Residential, Retirement, Commercial, Industrial and Mixed Use. She was involved in a pilot project with the City of Cape Town wherein a sectional title mixed use scheme was registered on leasehold land which converted 5 years thereafter to ownership. The 140 units’ right, title and interest were created notarially and the units were individually bonded to the various Financial Institutions.

She further specialises in multi-facet Notarial transactions. She registered the first Notarial Aerial Servitude in Century City. She is exceptionally passionate about all aspects of property.

Jonathan Bax

Consultant

Jon Bax was admitted as an Attorney, Conveyancer and Notary Public in 1971. He practices mainly in the fields of Conveyancing, Local Authority and Notarial work. He is a past president of the Beacon Bay Rotary Club and is a Paul Harris Fellow.

David Patrick Artlett

Consultant

David Patrick Artlett (born 4 November l948).

Cape Town born and bred and matriculated from SACS in 1965.

After completing compulsory Military service entered into a 5 year contract of Articles with Klossers.

Whilst serving Articles studied Law at UCT and obtained a Diploma in Law in 1971.

Admitted as an Attorney and Conveyancer in 1974 and as a Notary Public in 1978. On admission become a Partner at Klossers. The firm amalgamated with Buchanan Boyes and I served as a Director from 1987 – 2003. In 2003 joined Schnetlers Inc as a Director.

With the change of Deeds Office Eastern Cape Jurisdiction at the end of 2017 joined the East London firm Clark Laing Inc. In April 2020 joined Bax Kaplan and Russell as a Consultant.

Commenced my legal career in the Estates, Trusts and Wills Department and gradually moved into Conveyancing. Gained extensive knowledge of all facets of running a Conveyancing Practice. This includes, but is not limited to Conventional Transfer and Bond work, Subdivisions , Consolidations, Partitions and the opening of Sectional Title Schemes and Municipal Townships.

As a Notary attended to Notarial attestation of Antenuptial Contracts, Servitudes and Agreements requiring Notarial execution.

Am a Sports Lover particularly Cricket , Rugby and Golf – an avid Stormers / Western Province Supporter. In my early 40’s took up Road Running and completed 10 Two Oceans Marathons and am the proud possessor of Blue Number 1347 obtained in 1998.

East London

King Williams Town

Cape Town

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