Vanessa Jacklin-Levin

Vanessa Jacklin-Levin is a Partner at Bowmans in Johannesburg, specialising in dispute resolution, corporate investigations, governance and compliance, and arbitration. She is one of the most highly regarded dispute resolution lawyers in Johannesburg, with a formidable combination of skills in commercial litigation, adjudications, arbitrations, investigations, risk, governance, and compliance, acting for global multinationals and South African listed, non-listed and state-owned companies in numerous high-profile matters across TMT, mining and energy, construction, financial services, and infrastructure.

Vanessa has assisted shareholders and directors of a coal mining group company in successfully obtaining interdicts in the High Court to protect minority rights and enforce governance, securing a full settlement in excess of ZAR 140 million in favour of her clients. She has obtained numerous interdicts to protect global franchisors' interests and intellectual property in South Africa, assisted various State-Owned Enterprises with dispute resolution, investigations, risk, environmental compliance, and governance matters arising from the state capture period, and advised on construction disputes through DAB adjudications, arbitrations, and High Court applications. She has also assisted a coal mining company with the negotiation and settlement of a High Court review of a mining right challenged by an international mining company, acted for ZAR X in opposing cases before the Financial Services Appeals Board, and assisted various mining companies with all aspects of company secretarial work and Social Labour Plans. She also represented Sonke Gender Justice and Media Monitoring Africa in the Constitutional Court.

Vanessa holds an LL.B from the University of Johannesburg and an Advanced Business Rescue Practice qualification from UNISA. She is a committee member serving on the Investigating, Disciplinary & Mediation Committee of the Legal Practice Council and was formerly a member of the Institute of Directors in South Africa.

She has been recognized by her peers in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in South Africa™ for her high-caliber work in Arbitration and Mediation.