Eugene Botha · EBi Law
You should not have to leave a legal question unanswered because you are worried about the bill. A monthly retainer gives you an experienced attorney who gets to know your business, helps you think through decisions and deals with the ordinary legal work as it comes up.
I want you to involve me while there is still time to make a difference, whether you are dealing with a difficult customer, a staff problem or an opportunity you want to pursue.
Better systems should benefit you
I have built research, drafting and automation systems around my practice so that I can spend less time on repetitive work and more time on the issues that need my attention. Those efficiencies are part of what makes this monthly relationship possible.
You are dealing with me, an attorney with over 20 years of post-qualification experience. The systems help me prepare and organise the work. I remain responsible for the advice I give and the work my firm delivers.
The benefit should reach your business. You should have access to proper advice and practical support at a fee you can plan for, with more room in the budget for the things that help the business grow.
The work we can do together
You may need to collect an overdue account, deal with a staff problem or work out whether a new contract is worth the risk. You may also be ready for a larger tender, an acquisition or a new investor. I can help with the immediate issue while keeping your longer-term plans in mind.
I help you put clear terms in place with customers and suppliers, understand what you are committing to and deal with unpaid accounts. The paperwork should reflect how you actually do business and give you a useful basis to act when something goes wrong.
Staff matters can be difficult for an owner to handle while keeping the business running. I advise on employment contracts, workplace problems, disciplinary processes and disputes, so you understand your options and the process you need to follow.
When your rights need defending, I am prepared to fight for them. I will also give you a frank view of the merits, the commercial consequences and whether a negotiated solution would serve you better. Each litigation matter has its own written fee and cost arrangements before work begins.
B-BBEE can have a real effect on the contracts and tenders a business can pursue. I help you understand the requirements and consider ownership, partnerships and other arrangements that make sense for the business and the people involved.
If you want to buy a business, bring in a partner, raise funding or consider an offer for what you have built, I can help you assess the opportunity and its legal structure. Major transactions and specialist advisers are scoped and agreed separately.
I help you address ownership, decision-making responsibilities, compliance obligations and succession before they become urgent. Where business and family interests overlap, I can work with your accountant and other advisers to plan for both the good years and the difficult ones.
You do not have to decide for yourself whether a question is important enough to ask. If it needs substantial separate work or an external adviser, I will explain what is involved and agree the scope and cost with you first.
Company secretarial work and routine company administration, including statutory filings and register maintenance, are excluded from the retainer. These can be arranged through an associate at a separately agreed fee. Legal advice on governance remains part of our work together.
Peace of mind in the decisions you make
I enjoy working with ambitious owners. I am not here to talk you out of every opportunity because something could go wrong. My role is to help you understand the consequences, consider your options and put useful arrangements in place so that you can move forward with more confidence.
Tell me how you earn your money, what is putting you under pressure and what you want to achieve. We agree the ongoing work and decide what needs attention first.
Phone when you are unsure, send the contract before you sign it and involve me when an opportunity starts taking shape. It is easier to help while you still have options.
As I get to know the people, the arrangements and your plans, we can spend less time repeating the background and more time working out what to do next.
Who you will work with
I am the director of E Botha and Associates Inc. I was admitted as an attorney in March 2004 and have practised independently since 2014. My experience spans labour law, commercial disputes, B-BBEE, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance.
That breadth matters when you run a business. An employment decision can affect a commercial relationship. A new shareholder can change how decisions are made. I look at the issue in the context of the business you are trying to build.
I want to be someone you feel comfortable asking, including when you are not yet sure what the question is. We can work it through together.
Arrange a conversationBefore we work together
Request the one-page proposal below. It sets out the monthly fee, VAT, the ordinary work covered and how separate matters are handled. We can discuss your business before you decide whether to go ahead.
The retainer is month-to-month. We agree the engagement terms, including notice arrangements, in writing before work begins. You can also retain your existing advisers while we work together on an agreed scope.
Some months need more attention than others. The fixed fee smooths that out, without a quota of ordinary calls, documents or revisions. If a particular matter needs substantially more work, we will discuss any separate arrangement before proceeding.
You are welcome to bring them to me. We will discuss the merits, the commercial consequences and what needs to happen. Each litigation matter has its own written fee and cost arrangements, and major transactions and specialist advisers are scoped separately before work begins.
Routine company administration, statutory filings and register maintenance are excluded. These can be arranged through an associate at a separately agreed fee. Legal advice on governance remains part of our work together.
No. You deal with me. Research tools, drafting systems and automation support my work, and I remain responsible for the advice and the work my firm delivers.
Get in touch
You are welcome to phone me, send an email or request the proposal below. Tell me what you are working towards and where you could use some help. We can take it from there.
Your enquiry is treated confidentially. Making an enquiry does not establish an attorney-client relationship or automatically create legal privilege. Please send only a brief summary; do not include sensitive documents or urgent instructions here.
Leave your contact details and a little background about the business. You will receive the one-page proposal, and I can contact you to arrange a conversation.
Request my proposalThe form asks for your contact details and a brief description of what you need. We use these to respond to your enquiry. You will not be subscribed to marketing.
Prefer to speak first? Call Eugene on 082 852 4957 or email Eugene directly.