What do you do?

I am an associate attorney at Dommisse Attorneys Inc, a firm specialising in the growth journey of technology startups. I work in the venture capital team, specifically dealing with international structuring. International structuring essentially involves helping clients get their business offshore so that they are able to grow internationally and earn and retain hard currency in an offshore jurisdiction. This process also makes clients more attractive to international investors. Our roadmap is simple, and I am involved at every stage, from attending workshops where we take clients through the entire process and answer any questions they may have, drafting their operational agreements, and putting strategies in place to ensure that their IP migrates offshore effectively.

What's been a highlight of your career so far?

While we specialise in the growth journey of startups, it has also been exciting to be part of Dommisse Inc's personal growth journey. The firm is opening an office in Johannesburg this year and we've started expanding our services into other parts of Africa. We have an especially exciting client in Kenya (whose business is to provide pathology services to remote parts of Africa), and we've been engaging with other lawyers, cross-border, in this regard. It's one thing to hear about a firm's vision, but to see it come to life is another thing entirely and I'm excited about where Dommisse Inc is heading. It has also been especially exciting to work with young African startups. I am inspired by how their founders are able to see a gap and fill it with their expertise, especially those who want to change the world for the better. It is truly a pleasure to help them all in their growth journey.

Looking back, what advice would you give to current students?

Don't be afraid to start over. If there's something l've learnt over the past few years, it's that there's no shame in changing your mind. I went from Science to Law, back to Science, and then back to Law. I've also learnt that you don't always end up where you first expected, and that's okay too. I had always wanted to be an environmental lawyer and never dreamed that I would be working in commercial law, but things don't always go the way you expect them to, and sometimes they work out better than you had imagined.

What led you to switching from Science to Law, and how was the transition?

It was always my intention to go into Law. I had heard that UCT students could start their law degrees as post grad students, and I had received a bursary to study Science, so l decided to pursue a BSc first. I wanted the opportunity to gain some life experience before committing to a challenging degree such as Law (not that my Science degree wasn't challenging!). I've always been very interested in environmental affairs, so I thought that I could round off my Science and Law education with an LLM in Environmental Law. The transition from Science to Law was not as difficult as I had anticipated. I had learnt valuable critical thinking skills during my BSc, as well as how to write simply and concisely. These skills translated well into Law.

What pulled you towards your field?

Both my parents are lawyers and, growing up, I was adamant that I was not going to be one. I've always had an interest in bettering the world and I thought that I could do this as a scientist. It was only when I was applying to university and doing more research into different degrees that I realised that real change comes through the law. I've been privileged enough to study and have a career in both fields to know that law was the right decision for me. I initially wanted to be an environmental lawyer, but that didn't work out because I wasn't willing to relocate from Cape Town (and I learnt that litigation wasn't for me). In my current position, I get to work with clients who do want to make real change, be it by creating nanofibers that can pull carbon from the atmosphere or by creating lab-grown meat. I believe that, though helping them grow their business, I am bettering the world, and that is enough for me.