Johannesburg – Former president Kgalema Motlanthe and his business partner, Solomon Sithole, are at loggerheads with a Jozi law firm over the non-payment of legal services fees.
Lawtons Incorporated, which trades as Lawtons Africa, has filed papers in the Joburg High Court in which it is pleading with the court to help it recover over R600 000 from Motlanthe and Sithole.
The dispute may result in their names being blacklisted as the law firm has also applied for judgment against them.
According to the papers, which we have seen, the Sithole Family Trust, whose trustees are Motlanthe and Sithole, entered into an agreement with Hogan Lovells International LLP to render legal services.
On August 1 2019, state the papers, Hogan Lovells International LLP and its South African affiliate, Hogan Lovells South Africa, separated after restructuring. Hogan Lovells South Africa started trading independently under the name Lawtons Africa in November 2019.
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The law firm, add the papers, continued to render the legal services to the Sithole Family Trust.
The services included dragging of notes on encumbrance of mining rights and attending meetings with business rescue practitioners for the purpose of organising creditors’ meeting.
The firm also received and perused documentation from clients relating to a court order and mining and rehabilitation agreement.
It oversaw the registration of the trust’s AJ Security with Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority. Afterwards, the firm submitted invoices to the two to remit payment within 14 days but got zilch.
“Despite defendants acknowledging their liability to the plainti¢ for their outstanding fees and despite undertakings to pay the amount owing, the defendants have failed to pay the plainti ¢’s outstanding invoices.”
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The firm further said two letters of demand were sent to Sithole and Motlanthe on October 2 and October 20 pleading with them to settle the account but the duo turned a blind eye to it.
“Whereof the plaintiff prays for judgment as follows: judgment of the sum of R631 943,44,” read the papers.
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