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Waldo Steyn

Principal

South Africa

+27 823826404

Biography

Waldo joined Rouse in 2024 as a principal and provides clients with strategic advice on brand development, protection, maintenance and enforcement, as well as copyright.  He has extensive experience in advising on image rights in both commercial and contentious matters. 

Waldo is best known for his work in a wide range of transactional intellectual property matters including licensing, development relationships, joint venture arrangements, due diligence preparation and investigations and dealing with intellectual property in cross-border transactions, including South African exchange controls. He is known by clients for a practical, commercially focused approach to matters and strives to help clients to create value in their organisations through the creation, management and exploitation of their IP assets. 

During his career, Waldo has gained extensive experience in IP-related matters throughout Africa and the Middle East, having managed all aspects of the clearance, protection, enforcement and exploitation of IP rights throughout these regions.

Waldo is consistently highly ranked highly by both World Trademark Review 1000 for enforcement and litigation, prosecution and strategy and transactions and IAM Patent 1000.

Qualifications

  • BA (Law) – University of Stellenbosch (1997)
  • LLB - University of Stellenbosch (1999)
  • LLM - University of Stellenbosch (2000)
  • MBA- University of Wollongong (2008)

Awards

  • World Trademark Review Global Leader 2021
  • Chambers Global Guide 2023 & 2024 – Intellectual Property (South Africa)
  • The Legal 500 EMEA 2017-2023 Intellectual Property (South Africa)
  • IAM Patent 1000 2019-2023 Transactions (South Africa)
  • World Trade Mark Review (WTR 1000) 2019 -2024 Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy, and Transactions (South Africa)
  • Best Lawyers 2022 and 2023 – Intellectual Property (South Africa)