our people

Irvin Lawrence is an executive at ENS in the Employment practice. He specialises in employment, administrative and constitutional law.

He has litigated in this area for corporate clients, multi-nationals, state departments and para-statals.  He has also acted for a number of employer organisations, bargaining councils and retirement funds. Apart from being a main stream employment lawyer, Irvin has a particular special interest in employment within manufacturing industries such as the Sugar Industry, Paper & Pulp Industry, and Motor Industry. Other areas of specialist focus include employment and administrative law in the Maritime & Shipping Industry and Sports Law.

Irvin’s experience includes conducting arbitrations and mediations and he has appeared in the High Court, the Labour Court and the Labour Appeal Court. He also has vast experience in advising on all aspects of collective labour law, restraint of trade agreements and enforcement, retirement fund structuring and disputes. He has advised on various commercial modalities with regard to the transfer of businesses as well as corporate re-organisations.

He has been a representative of the Ship Owners Associations of South Africa and the Association of Ships Agents in South Africa - in their respective contributions to the origination of the Department of Transport’s Sector Charter in the Marine Sector. He was appointed as an Arbitrator to the Court of Sport in Lausanne Switzerland from 2003 to 2006.  He has served on SASLAW from 2011 to 2013, and presently serves on the South African Law Reform Commission as a Commissioner and its Deputy Chairperson. He has also served as an Acting Judge of the Labour Court of South Africa. 

Irvin is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• The Legal 500 2016 – Labour and Employment (South Africa)
• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 – Labour and Employment (South Africa); 2023 – Employee Benefits Law (South Africa)