Resisting the “big brand” trend, Durban law firm Cox Yeats has retained its independence while building a nimble and skilled team of legal experts focused on the community they serve.

The award-winning firm, which has at its helm 45 hand-picked professionals, was founded more than 50 years ago by noted Durban legal eagle Graham Cox. Those fundamental ethics, which remain at the heart of the firm today, were founded on a simple vision to service clients with care and integrity.
As the largest law firm based only in KwaZulu-Natal, the firm also has one of the largest commercial teams of any legal firm in the province.

Based on the uMhlanga Ridge, Cox Yeats is a professional, nationally focused but provinciallyminded firm that not only has its eye on the future, but is making sure the operation remains grounded in its top priority: the needs of those coming through its office doors each day in search of trustworthy and excellent legal support.

Managing partner, Michael Jackson (pictured) said working as teams meant pooling of skills and a co-operation of thought and action that had resulted in a high quality of service both in respect of response time and expertise. He said it was this fundamental value that the leadership fiercely defended. “The trend throughout the world is for law firms to be acquired by a big brand national or international firm. These firms often comprise several hundred professionals and partners. As a result they lose much of their personal independence. They also lose their autonomy and a great deal of flexibility,” Jackson said.

In this modern age where change is not only fast moving but constant, flexibility while thinking on your feet is a key ingredient for success. “Again that is where we find team support and a cross pollination of ideas to be vital.” While Cox Yeats is not a small firm in KwaZulu-Natal by any stretch of the imagination, the absolute dedication by its leadership to hand pick its people and to support client requirements using the professional teams has
also meant an edge against its competitors.

“Growth through poaching skilled professionals or amalgamating with other law firms might immediately bring in expertise and scale but the downside of that is the culture and the identity of the firms is lost. A firm that does that simply becomes a collection of individuals with no meaningful company culture or purpose. We value highly both our culture and our identity.” In contrast the focus at Cox Yeats, Jackson said was on internal organic growth, building expertise from within using team work while remaining independent at all costs.

“Our professionals are encouraged to follow their speciality supported by collaboration. We also believe a good balance between work and life is so important for our staff. That balance translates into us being able to give of our best for our clients. We partner with our clients – in other words it’s a
business and personal relationship, not just a case or file number. That means we can give them of our very best every day in every aspect of our profession,” said Jackson.