Nikita Shaw

Nikita Shaw is a Partner at Bowmans in Johannesburg, specialising in dispute resolution, data protection and privacy, and employment law. She is a dual specialist with deep expertise at the intersection of compliance, investigations, and complex commercial litigation, regularly advising domestic and international clients across the energy, mining, construction, financial services, and technology sectors.

Nikita has extensive experience managing multi-party disputes, whistleblowing matters, regulatory investigations, and domestic and international arbitrations. She has advised on contentious and regulatory matters impacting wind and solar developments, carbon credits, and compliance with the Equator Principles; acted on cross-border shareholder disputes in the mining sector; managed disputes arising from major infrastructure projects including project delays and collusive tendering; and represented financial institutions in regulatory investigations, data breaches, and director liability claims. In the data privacy arena, she has managed high-stakes, multi-jurisdictional compliance matters, advising on cross-border data transfers, AI and cybersecurity solutions, and large-scale cyber and data breach incidents. Her employment practice spans strategic guidance on corporate reorganisations, post-transfer integration, executive terminations, redundancies, and sensitive workplace investigations, including those with FCPA and UK Bribery Act implications.

Nikita holds a BA in Legal Theory and Psychology (2007) and an LL.B (2009) from Rhodes University, a Master of Commerce (Taxation) (cum laude) from Rhodes University (2013), a Post Graduate Diploma in Labour Law from the University of Johannesburg (2014), and an Advanced Certificate in Business Rescue Practice (cum laude) from UNISA and the Law Society of South Africa (2012). She was admitted as an Attorney in South Africa in 2013.

She has been recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer by The Legal 500 EMEA in Employment Law.