New partner adds muscle at Shepstone & Wylie

The Shepstone & Wylie
international trade team
has just gained muscle,
with customs and excise
law and international trade
remedy specialist, Freek van
Rooyen, joining as a new
partner.
Van Rooyen was with Bell
Dewar and then in-house
at Sasol for a number of
years, and latterly with
Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, until
he was convinced to join
Shepstone & Wylie to boost
its Jo’burg office.
He received his
qualification as Bluris at the
University of Port Elizabeth,
his LLB at Unisa and his
HDip (import and export law)
at the University of the North
West.
Van Rooyen can advise
clients at all levels of the
supply chain – importers,
exporters, clearing agents
and manufacturers. He
can also deal with all
customs and excise issues –
including tariff applications,
transaction value applications
and disputes, and preparing
detailed submissions to the
SA Revenue Service. He has
extensive experience advising
in the chemical, motor
components, electronic,
liquor and petroleum
industries.
“A very important factor
in my move was that I would
be joining an established
national customs team,” Van
Rooyen told FTW.
“Being in a team and part
of a legal firm you can render
a one-stop service for a client.
We have very experienced
consultants forming part
of the team that can focus
on operational compliance
issues. Alongside this we
have experienced lawyers
who are very familiar with
the Customs and Excise Act
and can assist a client with
any such dispute.”
Looking into the near
future, Van Rooyen sees
Shepstone & Wylie steering
an expansion course.
“In my role as a senior
member of the customs team,
we are going to expand our
footprint in the Gauteng and
Cape Town areas,” he said,
“a move designed to render
a very good service at a
very competitive rate in the
industry.”