Melissa Cogger

Melissa Cogger is a Partner in the Cape Town office of Bowmans, specialising in Employment Law. She advises on a broad spectrum of employment and data protection matters, including employment equity, restraints of trade, cross-border employment arrangements, retrenchments, transfers, collective bargaining and harassment.

Melissa regularly appears before the CCMA and the Labour Court, and assists clients with internal disciplinary proceedings, investigations into senior executive misconduct, and debarment proceedings under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act. She also advises on compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), including cross‑border data transfers, direct marketing and regulatory assessments. She has successfully represented clients in urgent interdictory proceedings against unprotected strike action and in enforcing restraints of trade.

Melissa holds an LL.B. (with distinction) and an LL.M. in labour law (with distinction) from the University of the Witwatersrand. She was recognised as a 2023 'Tomorrow’s Leader' by the International Employment Lawyers organisation for South Africa.