15 years Experience

In the legal industry
Our attorneys have consistently been rated as a leading practitioner in intellectual property law - both in South Africa and internationally.

Elaine

Elaine is an electronic engineer, an attorney of the High Court of South Africa and is a Registered South African Patent Attorney. She has also spent several years in international practice, having previously worked for a leading intellectual property law firm based in London, in the UK and more recently with a firm of European and Chartered (UK) patent and trademark attorneys based in Dublin, Ireland. Her unique understanding of local client needs combined with a technical and legal skill set that has been honed and developed amongst the best in the world, places her in a unique position to exceed client expectations.

B. Engineering (Electronics)

LL B 

(Bachelor of Laws)

Certificate in Intellectual Property Law (Univ. of London)

Registered South African Patent Attorney

Solicitor of England and Wales

Elaine Bergenthuin 
has been included in the:

IAM Patent 1000 rankings in 2020, 2021 and 2022, with the following independent review being provided for 2021:

The law firm De Beer Attorneys has a long list of high-flying clients that have been flourishing under the care of managing director Elaine Bergenthuin. Electronic engineer Bergenthuin brings valuable in-house insight to the table, having spent several years at a multinational information and communications technology company; coupled with a stint at a prominent London patent attorney firm, this guarantees a cosmopolitan, big-picture approach.

★★★★★

Through her dedicated service delivery, Elaine has consistently been recognised as a leading lawyer by the following ratings agencies:

  • IAM Strategy 300 - she has been included on the list as one of the Top 300 Intellectual Property Law Strategists internationally in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She is the only Legal Practitioner from Africa to ever have been included on this list.
  • IAM Patent 1000 - She has been rated as one of the top 1000 patent attorneys globally in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Elaine’s Accolades:

  • Shortlisted for the Female Managing Partner of the Year, 2017 by Law Digest Africa
  • Winner of the South African Business Women’s Association (BWA) Regional Achiever in the Professional Category for 2017
  • Listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Young South Africans by Avance Media

Institutions member:

  • SAIIPL – South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (Fellow)
  • AIPPI – International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property
  • INTA – International Trademark Association
  • FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys