Adams & Adams welcomes Dr Joanne van Harmelen as new partner

Adams & Adams is very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Joanne van Harmelen as a new partner. Joanne joins Adams & Adams in March 2024, bringing her expertise as patent attorney in life sciences, chemical inventions and plant breeders’ rights to strengthen the firm’s highly regarded patent, design and PBR legal services.

“We are delighted to welcome Joanne to Adams & Adams. Her extensive experience in intellectual property law makes her an asset to the team. We look forward to her contribution to our patent practice and supporting our clients with her knowledge of patent and PBR drafting, filing, prosecution and commercialization in the African IP landscape,” says Janice Galvad, partner and chairperson of the patent department at Adams & Adams.

Joanne was admitted as a South African patent attorney in 2009 and holds a PhD in Medical Microbiology and Vaccine Development from the University of Cape Town and an LLB degree from UNISA. She has been consistently recognised for her exceptional work by a number of international publications including, Legal 500, Best Lawyers®, Managing IP, IAM Patent 1000 and IAM Global Leaders.

“I am very excited about joining Adams & Adams. Working with such a distinguished team is a fantastic opportunity in which I can bring my own IP experience to help maintain and build on the impressive Adams & Adams patent practice and add value to clients, colleagues and the firm,” says Joanne.

Adams & Adams provides clients with a full range of patent, design and PBR legal services in South Africa, throughout the rest of Africa and in all other foreign jurisdictions. These services include patent, design and PBR drafting, filing and prosecution; commercialisation and licensing advice; litigation; as well as search, recordal and renewal services. The firm’s patent services cover a wide variety of technical fields including life sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, plastics and polymer technology, computer technology and civil engineering.

For more information, please contact Janice Galvad (Janice.Galvad@adams.africa) or Pieter Visagie (Pieter.Visagie@adams.africa).