Roger Wakefield
Phone +27 11 535 8209
Email rwakefield@werksmans.com
Location Johannesburg
Name / Surname Roger Wakefield
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Roger Wakefield

Director

Roger Wakefield has over 35 years of experience at Werksmans as a highly-skilled commercial litigation and international dispute resolution lawyer. He has deep expertise in International Arbitrations; Investor-State Arbitration; Cross-Border Litigation; Enforcement of Arbitration Awards & Foreign Judgments; and IT litigation.

He is also skilled in mediation and alternative dispute resolution; administrative law; intellectual property law, copyright law; healthcare and health funding; mining law; and corporate fraud.

Roger contributes to numerous international publications including New York State Bar Journal, Chambers Global Practice Guide, Thomson Reuters – Arbitration Procedures and Practice in South Africa: Overview, Guide to the Enforcement of Foreign Money Judgement and Arbitral Awards in Africa, the South African Chapter in Juris Publication Enforcement of Foreign Money Judgments, and edits the Lex Africa Guide to the Enforcement of Foreign Money Judgments and Arbitral Awards in Africa.

Years of Experience: 35 years

  • Disputes
  • Intellectual Property

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

  • Arbitration and International Arbitration
  • Private International Law and Cross Border Disputes
  • Multi-jurisdictional Litigation
  • Investor–State Arbitration
  • Enforcement of Foreign Judgements and Foreign Arbitration Awards
  • Dispute Resolution & General Commercial Litigation
  • Technology Litigation
  • Trusts Disputes
  • Intellectual Property
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Africa

  • Assisting US Attorneys with a USD 500 million class action claim in the USA.
  • Representing leading South African businessman with USD 4.2 billion claim by a foreign cellphone operator.
  • Assisting and advising foreign companies in disputes with other foreign companies on strategy and international law.
  • Representing Danish investor in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague, against the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania regarding a breach of the bilateral investment treaty between the two countries.
  • Representing Vantage in an international arbitration against Namibian companies under the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa's International Rules.
  • Enforcing USD 200 million international Arbitration Award in Namibia.
  • Enforcing a USD 100 million arbitration award against the Government of Zimbabwe in favour of KfW Bank.
  • Enforcement of a Euros 50 million ICC Arbitration Award in favour of Belgian trading company against the Republic of Guinea.
  • Representing Medscheme in a R2 billion IT and copyright dispute in a domestic arbitration.
  • Represented the Premier Soccer League in its dispute with the SABC relating to broadcast rights. The SABC's claims against the PSL were dismissed paving the way for the PSL to conclude the biggest sports broadcast rights deals in South African history.
  • Involved in most of the leading reported cases on the enforcement of foreign judgments in South Africa since 1994.
  • Attachment of a commercial Airbus airliner belonging to the Government of Tanzania in litigation proceedings against Tanzania.
  • Attachment of mineral cargo aboard ship belonging to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in litigation proceedings against the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Acted for the Premier Soccer League in court proceedings declaring that copyright vested in its fixture lists, requiring gaming operators using fixtures to pay royalties.
  • International arbitration and recent successful award in ICC arbitration against Airbus in Rwanda.
  • Attaching overflight fees payable by DRC in terms of the Chicago Convention in order to establish jurisdiction in proceedings to enforce a foreign Arbitral Award against DRC.
  • Represented UK liquidators recovering assets in South Africa following a Euros 173 million fraud perpetrated by a German national.
  • Represented Mauritian company in an investor-state claim against African state.
  • Representing a New York private equity fund in proceedings to enforce a multi billion-dollar Guarantee against a South African insurance company.
  • Represented UK insurance companies in asbestos related litigation in South Africa.
  • Advised a Dubai company and negotiated USD 70 million sale of mining assets.
  • Represented and advised Black & Veatch on USD 1 billion prospect in South Africa regarding the construction of Kusile power plant.
  • Represented a major Chinese car manufacturer (BAIC) in South African litigation.

  • Admitted as an Attorney, 1993
  • LLB, University of the Witwatersrand, 1990
  • BA, University of the Witwatersrand

  • Named as Litigation and Dispute Resolution Team of the Year - Large Sized Firm by the African Legal Awards (2025) for a matter based on Werksmans Attorneys, led by Roger Wakefield, assisted by Daniela Pisanti and Abena Osei having successfully represented a Danish investor in a high-stakes investor - state arbitration involving a multi-million dollar claim against the government of Tanzania. The claim was brought under the Bilateral Investment Treaty between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United Republic of Tanzania. The proceedings took place before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Peace Palace in The Hague.
  • Named as leading commercial litigator in The International Who's Who of Commercial Litigators (2013 - 2017)
  • Rated as a leading arbitration lawyer in Best Lawyer since 2010
  • Member of the Management Committee of Lex Africa: a network of leading law firms in 27 countries across Africa
  • Member of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Centre's (MARC) Court of Arbitration.
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