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Private Clients

Estate Planning and Restructuring

Our specialized estate planning services ensure your wealth is managed and transferred according to your wishes. We provide strategic restructuring advice to safeguard your assets for future generations, addressing complexities with personalized solutions.

Independent Trusteeship

We offer independent trusteeship to ensure unbiased governance of your trust. Our professionals provide expertise and oversight, ensuring trust objectives are met with integrity and transparency.

Trust Services

We provide comprehensive support including the establishment of trusts, administrative assistance for trust transactions, and management of trustee resignation and appointment. Our expertise extends to reviewing and amending existing trust instruments and handling all necessary interactions with the Master’s Office to ensure seamless trust administration.

Precision expertise, personal touch

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About

Our Expertise

Team

contact info

[email protected]

021 880 9391

La Gratitude Office Block,
97 Dorp Street,
Stellenbosch,
7600

© 2024 Hatstone. All rights reserved.

Our Group

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Gregory Smith

Gregory obtained his LLB degree from the University of Stellenbosch, following the completion of a BCom (Law) degree. He completed his articles at a respected Cape Town law firm, where he gained broad experience across both Litigation and Corporate Commercial practice areas.

Career

After his admission as an attorney, Gregory focused on developing his expertise in corporate and commercial law, with a particular emphasis on structuring and transactional work. He later joined Hatstone South Africa, where he forms part of the Corporate, Tax and Fiduciary team. Gregory’s work spans company and trust structuring, domestic and cross-border reorganisations, and commercial drafting, with exposure to complex corporate and tax matters.

André Olivier

Andre is a graduate from Stellenbosch University, holding a BA LLB degree and University of Cape Town where he obtained a LLM degree. He is further an attorney, conveyancer and notary.

Career

Following his admission as an attorney in 1995, Andre joined Nedbank (Boland Bank) in 1997 in its credit department focusing on irregular accounts, liquidations and sequestrations. Thereafter he spent valuable time as a senior legal advisor in Nedbank divisions (Property Finance and Private Clients areas) before returning to private practice in 2009 in Stellenbosch, focusing on property and commercial work. Andre has a no-nonsense pragmatic approach to fulfilling client mandates and legal challenges.

Leisure

Leisure time is spent hiking the many trails around Stellenbosch with his Border Collies, travelling locally and abroad and experimenting with various recipes in the kitchen.

Johan Botha

Johan is a results-driven financial and investment professional with 17 years of experience in finance, private equity, tax structuring and business leadership. A strategic thinker with a strong background in financial structuring, mergers & acquisitions and operational optimization.

Career

Johan is a Chartered Account (CA) and did his articles at PwC.

Bronwin Gotz

As the Personal Assistant to our CEO and Office Manager for our bustling law firm, Bronwin is the driving force behind our seamless operations. Bronwin also provides executive administrative support to all our directors and attorneys.

Career

Bronwin started off in the culinary industry, whereafter a decade, decided to make a move into the corporate sphere and spent many years as a buyer in several industries. Bronwin joined Hatstone in May 2015, and after deciding that she wanted to commit to a future in the legal industry, she enrolled for, and qualified as, a Paralegal practitioner.

Hannes Botha

Hannes Botha is the Founder and CEO of Hatstone South Africa, renowned for its client-focused approach and bespoke legal services. An expert in corporate and commercial law, private client services, investment funds and stock exchange listings, Hannes advises leading international banks, publicly traded companies and high-net-worth families.

Career

Admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa in 2004, he holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from the Universities of South Africa and Pretoria respectively, with a focus on company and tax law. Hannes began his career in tax and private client work, later advancing his corporate law acumen as a Senior Associate at one of the world’s largest offshore law firms.

Jana Oosthuizen

Jana is a Candidate Attorney at Hatstone, pursuing her dream of becoming an Admitted Attorney. Jana completed her LLB from Stellenbosch University in 2022, whereafter she pursued a Master’s in Alternative Dispute Resolution focusing on Employment Rights, Mediation and International Commercial Arbitration. She joined Hatstone in 2024.

Career

During her studies, Jana seamlessly turned her love for cooking into a successful entrepreneurial venture, becoming a small business owner. Her journey also encompassed valuable experiences in the hospitality industry, refining her culinary skills and cultivating strong people skills.

Dewald Gouws

Dewald is an Associate in Hatstone’s Corporate Commercial department and an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa. With a focus on tax and structuring he advises on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on implementing efficient corporate tax structures, cross border transactions and trust law.

Career

Dewald obtained his LL.B degree from North-West University. He began his legal career at the largest law firm in the North West Province, where he completed his articles of clerkship and gained extensive experience in commercial litigation. Following his admission as an attorney, he was retained in the firm’s commercial litigation department.

Before joining Hatstone, Dewald served as Corporate Counsel at a Nasdaq-listed, S&P 500, real estate investment trust operating across the United States, Canada, Central and South America, and South Africa.

Karien van der Berg

Karien is a Senior Associate at Hatstone and an Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.

Career

Karien obtained her BProc and LLB through the then Rand Afrikaans University and was admitted as an attorney in 2003. She also practiced as an advocate of the Johannesburg Bar.

Karien joined the team in 2018 and brings extensive experience in commercial litigation, and commercial law in general, to our Corporate Commercial team whilst heading our Trust Services division.

Mariana Botha-Schoeman

Mariana is a Director at Hatstone and an Admitted Attorney in the High Court of South Africa.

Career

Mariana joined Hatstone in 2014 and has experience in Litigation, Corporate and Commercial matters. She also facilitates the Offshore Private Client services at Hatstone.

In addition to her LLB degree, she also has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a post graduate Diploma in Leadership from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Mariana has a keen interest in alternative dispute resolution and is an experienced corporate, civil and family mediator.

Menko Hoeksema
Menko is a Director at Hatstone and an Admitted Attorney in the High Court of South Africa, joining the Hatstone team in 2018.
Career
Menko obtained an LLB degree and a Certificate in Advanced Labour Law both from the University of Pretoria. Having successfully handled a diverse range of cases, Menko is well-versed in the complexities of civil disputes, commercial transactions and labour-related issues. Menko is a seasoned legal professional with extensive expertise in litigation, specializing in Civil, Commercial and Labour law. With a wealth of experience, Menko brings strategic and effective representation for individuals and businesses alike.
Julio (Julz) Sanchez

Julz is a director and admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa.

Career

Julz joined the Corporate Commercial department of Hatstone in 2025 and specialises in cross border income tax, exchange control and corporate and commercial law.

Julz holds an LLB degree (cum laude) from the University of the Free State and an LLM in International Tax which he obtained from Kings College (London) in 2019. Julz’s professional career commenced at ENS during 2020, where he completed his articles of clerkship in the tax department. Following admission as an attorney during 2022, Julz was retained as an associate and was promoted to senior associate in March 2024.

Julz has advised a broad spectrum of clients ranging from listed and unlisted corporates to high-net-worth individuals, families, and family trusts—on complex domestic and cross-border tax and exchange control matters. He has extensive experience supporting private equity and general M&A transactions, including advising on share incentive schemes, controlled foreign companies, SARS related disputes, externalisation of funds and the establishment and implementation of offshore structures.

Julz has a particular interest in local and offshore trust structuring and private client work for individuals and families, where he combines technical rigour with a pragmatic and commercially attuned approach to client objectives.

Nicole Pietersen
Nicole is a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) graduate from Stellenbosch University. She joined Hatstone as a Legal Assistant in September 2023 and serves within our Private Client’s division.
Career
Nicole dedicated herself to full-time studies at the University of Stellenbosch from 2019 to 2022, supplementing her academic pursuits by working part-time as an assistant to a professor in 2021 and applying her skills as a sales associate during university holidays and weekends, participating in pop-up markets while diligently pursuing her LLB degree.
Ursula Scott
Ursula is our dedicated Accountant at Hatstone, obtaining her degree from the University of South Africa and joining the Hatstone team in 2021.
Career
With over 20 years of experience in the field, Ursula brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our company. Her extensive and varied background in Accounting enables her to contribute significantly to the success of Hatstone, whilst her proficiency and attention to detail ensure our financial operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Victor Botha
Victor is a registered AGA(SA), member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, and Hatstone’s Group Financial Manager.
Career
Victor started working in construction and hospitality whilst studying part-time. In 2017, he joined BGR Nortjé Inc where he completed his SAICA training and obtained his degree in Financial Accounting from the University of South Africa. He remained at BGR Nortjé after completing his training contract as an Assistant Audit Manager. Victor joined Hatstone in January 2022.

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