Heather Manson

Heather Manson is a Partner and Head of Aviation in the Cape Town office, practicing in the firm's Aviation Law practice. She is also an insurance and reinsurance expert, with over 15 years' experience across 30 countries in Africa. She advises airlines, general aviation operators, airports, ground handlers, MROs, OEMs, financiers, lessors, and their respective hull and liability insurers and reinsurers on the full spectrum of aviation-related matters.

Ms. Manson has represented clients in aviation disputes, including coverage advice for hull insurers in relation to losses in the DRC, representing an aircraft maintenance organization in a fatal accident in Botswana, and advising an airport operator on an accident in Ethiopia. She has also assisted with enforcement of rights under the Cape Town Convention, aircraft repossession, licensing and route rights applications, and aircraft acquisition and finance transactions. In her insurance practice, she advises on W&I, D&O, Commercial Crimes, and Professional Indemnity policies at both placement and claims stages, representing clients in disputes in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

She holds an LLB (cum laude) from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Heather has been ranked by Chambers Global in Insurance in South Africa (Band 3, 2026), by Legal 500 as a Leading Partner for Shipping and Transport in South Africa (2023-2026), and has been rated by Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers as the Leading transport lawyer in Aviation for 10 consecutive years. She was also recognized in Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans in the Business and Law category.