Stephen Duffett

A born and bred Capetonian, Stephen matriculated at Rondebosch Boys’ High School and completed his BA LLB at Stellenbosch University in 1981. After graduating, he prosecuted in the Magistrates’ and Regional Courts, and worked as a State Attorney.

Stephen joined DKVG in 1991. He became a Director of the firm in 1993, and was appointed as its chairman in 2020. Stephen is a seasoned commercial and litigation attorney, with more than four decades of court experience. Stephen specialises in High Court litigation, commercial law, contract law, education law, matrimonial and family law (including surrogacy), and has extensive experience in wills and estates.

As a strong proponent of social responsibility, Stephen is actively involved, on a pro bono basis, in a number of charitable trusts, public benefit organisations, and non-profit companies.

Stephen sits on the boards of a number of commercial enterprises, and chairs various educational trusts. With a passion for education, Stephen served on the Western Cape Education Council, an advisory body to the MEC for Education, for three terms, totalling nine years. He was chairman of the National and the Western Cape Chapter of the Governing Body Foundation, a voluntary association that advises hundreds of schools on legislation, provincial regulations, case law, and other educational matters. Stephen was the chairman of the Rondebosch School Governing Body for seven years, and chairman of the Rondebosch Old Boys’ Union for six years.

Stephen is a keen sportsman, and apart from being an experienced scuba diver, has completed in excess of 60 marathons and has a permanent blue number for the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon. He has also completed 18 Cape Town Cycle Tours.

Areas of practice:

Education
Law
Surrogacy
Law
Family
Law
Dispute
Resolution


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