Stephen Hardie has been practising as an attorney since 1991, specialising in labour law in Johannesburg.

From 1992 to 1997, Stephen cut his teeth at Cheadle Thompson and Haysom, the premier labour law firm, advisors to Cosatu and its affiliates. During this period, the firm was advisor to the ANC and the government in the drafting of inter alia the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 and related labour legislation.

Whilst at Cheadle Thompson and Haysom, Stephen was involved in ground- breaking labour litigation, advancing the rights of employees.

In 1997, Stephen joined Edward Nathan and Friedland, now Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs (ENS) based in Sandton, a corporate law firm, and handled labour and pension law litigation for that firm’s mostly corporate clients. During the period of five years when he was a director there, the firm was inter alia pre-eminent in advising on BEE transactions in South Africa.

In 2002, Stephen set up his practice for his own account, and presently operates a niche labour law practice from his office in Parkview, Johannesburg.

Stephen is also a trained arbitrator, and is on the panel of Tokiso, which offers alternative private dispute resolution services, particularly in the field of labour law.

Stephen regularly chairs internal disciplinary hearings and arbitrates labour disputes.

Stephen’s practice is varied, in that having acted for both sides, firstly for workers at Cheadle Thompson & Haysom Inc and then for employers at Edward Nathan and Friedland Inc, he believes he has the requisite experience to offer balanced and considered advice to all his clients, whether they be corporate entities, employers, trade unions, or individual employees.

Unless instructed otherwise, Stephen appears himself in the Labour Court, CCMA and private arbitrations on behalf of his clients, and also has right of appearance in the High Court where he has appeared inter alia in applications in terms of section 30P of the Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956.

Stephen also gives strategic industrial relations and labour law advice, and believes that dealing with matters proactively, rather than reactively, avoids unnecessary and protracted litigation.

Stephen is also involved in transactional work, more particularly in assisting corporate and employer clients in the employment law aspects of transfers of their businesses as going concerns in terms of section 197 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995.

Stephen applies his mind personally to all his clients’ matters, and because he operates independently in offering professional services to his clients, he is able to cut the coat to fit the cloth.