Biographies
René Fouché
René Fouché entered the legal profession more than three decades ago. He had a commercial background, and exposure to labour related issues, but found his niche in the field of personal injury. Mr Fouché acted for a number of large corporations and the Road Accident Fund, and acted exclusively for victims of:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Assault/wrongful arrest
- Birth injuries
- Medical negligence
- Aviation accidents
- “slip and fall” cases
He had extensive experience in short term and long term insurance law, having acted for Southern Life, Santam, Guardian National, Auto and General, General Accident and others.
Mr Fouché’s proficiency in the identification of subtle manifestations of brain injuries earned him the respect of colleagues and medical professionals.
He introduced the unique concept of ‘aftercare’, and his dedicated team continues to provide ongoing support, counselling and guidance for individuals where required after finalisation of the client’s case.
Deon Smith
From the inception of his career, Deon’s focus has been litigation.
He served articles, gaining wide experience, before joining the Road Accident Fund in order to add another string to his bow – specialist knowledge of the law of personal injury. Deon had the benefit of exposure to the best (and to sub standard) practitioners, and now applies many valuable lessons learnt with regard to the effective and efficient prosecution of personal injury claims.
Naturally, Deon’s flair for litigation was honed following his appointment at a leading litigation firm and his regular appearances at the High Courts on behalf of the Defendant (Road Accident Fund) served to enhance his skills – Deon commanded the respect of friend and foe alike as his preparation, attention to detail and ability to negotiate has become his touchstone.
It was a natural progression to offer Deon a directorship in the practice. His natural flair, ability and talent, combined with his passion for litigation, sets him apart from his peers and confirms his appropriate adage of primus inter partes.
Corné Gallop
Ms Gallop has been engaged in the legal profession in multifarious disciplines. She began her legal career by serving successfully as a public prosecutor and continued her legal pursuits by working for several multi-disciplinary law firms. With seventeen years’ experience and being well-versed and respected in general legal practice, she now primarily focuses on personal injury law as part of the competitive and successful RFI team.
Joubert de Koker
Joubert embarked on his legal career in the well-defined personal injury litigation framework. He is passionate in prosecuting his matters with a keen sense of equity and creativity. He is respected by the legal and medical fraternity for his caring and prosecutorial ingenuity.
Francois Theron
Francois commenced his legal career with the firm in 2015 as a candidate attorney and his authoritative and passionate engagement in his chosen field of law has ensured his progression from ingenue to the consummate professional.
He has built up extensive experience and knowledge in the field of medical malpractice, whilst working alongside pre-eminent senior counsel and medical experts and over the course of his short but stellar career, justifiably earned his title as Head of the Medical Malpractice Department within the firm.
Francois is a determined and dedicated young man whose passion for law and justice extends beyond his successes in the court room. He is a natural at exceeding expectations and accomplishing the impossible and every matter enjoys his perspicacious scrutiny.
Francois is driven, focused and hardworking and never shies away from a challenge.
In his field he is acknowledged by his peers as primus inter pares.
Ian Barkhuizen
Ian commenced his legal career in the highly competitive environment of litigious commercial banking law. Litigation honed his skills, preparing him for new challenges in personal injury law, as well as the compilation and assessment of legal costs.
Regular attendances at court segued into trial advocacy, specialising in areas such as personal injury Road Accident Fund matters, Medical Negligence and Professional Negligence actions.
An affinity for detail and procedural and intellectual challenges led inevitably to the progression into the manifold challenges of medical negligence where he now finds himself as a pivotal member in a highly respected and successful medical negligence team.