B Comm LLB (Wits)
LLM (London)
H Dip Company Law (Wits)

Graham Damant is a partner in Bowman Gilfillan’s Employment Law department. He practices in all areas of employment law but specialises in employee benefits and in particular issues surrounding pension funds, medical aid and share option schemes.

In the pensions field, Graham has been involved in advising a number of employers and pension funds on the surplus legislation. He is dealing with a number of disputes involving alleged improper use of the surplus by employers. He is involved in assisting pension funds to regularise their affairs in circumstances where there has been non-compliance with the Pension Fund Act.

On the employee benefits side, Graham has been involved in advising a number of employers on the proper exercise of discretions where such discretions exist in share option schemes and in other benefit funding vehicles. He is currently involved in assisting an employer in pending litigation involving changes to its medical aid scheme.

On the labour side, Graham has been involved in a number of high profile dismissal disputes involving senior executives. His advice is sought by both employers and senior executives in circumstances where termination arrangements need to be agreed.
Practice Focus
• Employment Law

+27 11 669-9508
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BA LLB
Notary Public

David Geral is a founding partner of the firm’s Employee Benefits Group. He has specialised in pensions, healthcare and employee benefits law and in employment-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions since 2000.

In the benefits area, David regularly advises local corporations and private as well as industry retirement funds, medical schemes and their service providers, on matters including governance, unclaimed benefits, surplus apportionment and dispute resolution. He has represented and advised funds, schemes and participating employers in relation to matters before the Pension Funds Adjudicator, the Council for Medical Schemes, the Competition Commission, the FSB Appeal Board, the Equality Court and in the High Court.

David advises employers, and occasionally employees, in relation to restraints of trade (non-compete convenants), and post-retirement medical funding obligations. He often conducts due diligences in respect of these aspects of target businesses.

David is also involved in trustee training.

David has advised a number of multi-national and local companies in various merger and acquisition transactions from an employment and benefits perspective.

David is the coordinator of Bowman Gilfillan’s pro bono programme and the Lex Mundi Pro Bono Committee’s Regional Chairperson for Africa.

Practice focus
· Pensions
· Healthcare
· Employee benefits
· Employment
· Business and employee transfers
· Training - Employee Benefits cal and Incentive Schemes

+27 11 669-9514
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BA LLB (Stellenbosch)
Management Programme in Industrial Relations
Arbitrator and Mediator

Bob is a partner at Bowman Gilfillan. After commencing his career in litigation, he has specialised in Industrial Relations and Employment Law for the past 19 years, and has extensive experience in these fields. Bob has advised major corporations on the implications of restructuring, mergers and acquisitions from an Employment Law perspective. He represents clients in arbitrations and conducts litigation in the Labour Court. He has actively promoted alternative dispute resolution, and has been a mediator and arbitrator for many years. He is currently on the Tokiso Dispute settlement panel.

Bob has developed an interest in Employee Benefits, Retirement Funding and Pension Law, and has served as a member of the Regional Committee of the Pension Lawyers Association.

Bob obtained a BA LLB from the University of Stellenbosch and also completed a Management Programme in Industrial Relations from the Stellenbosch Business School.

+27 21 480 7844
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