Our Team

John hails from the Eastern Cape and matriculated at Grey High School Port Elizabeth. He was a school Prefect and House Captain.

He was conscripted into the National Defense force and became a non- commissioned officer at age 18. He qualified as a physical training instructor where he was top of his class. John saw active service on the Namibian / Angola Border in 1975.

After the army John worked at the mine at Tsumeb in Northern Namibia prior to commencing his Varsity career at the University of Cape Town. During that time and in a less than orthodox way of sustaining one self, he traded in skins and hides. His dedication to his studies paid off when he graduated from law school top of his class.

He started his first law firm with Tim Pearce in 1984. The firm was known as Pearce Lister and generated an excellent name in the greater Durban area and the firm became a prominent competitor amongst the Durban side bar. Once again one could venture that the reason for John’s success in law has been his inventive approach to his matters.

John has been quoted to say “starting my own firm gave me wide experience in various fields of law. Criminal law, civil litigation, matrimonial work, you name it. There is nothing better than when you are hungry and cannot afford to be picky with the matters you take. To be thrown into the deep end and then to swim is so satisfying. I fight for my Clients and am proud to say they have always benefitted”

Having separated from his previous partners, John now specializes in High Court Civil Litigation and general commercial contract law and runs the practice with his new partner Garry Bell.

As you would expect he enjoys acting for the underdog and has a reputation for “tilting at windmills”. He has featured in the South African Law Reports on numerous occasions where his unorthodox take on various matters of law have earned report status.

John believes in having a balance with his legal career and his home life. He enjoys wildlife, is an avid gardener and is what you might call a military history “buff”. In fact his military interests have carried through into the practice with the adoption of his PT swords being a logo for the firm. The moto “Who dares wins” is an old moto originally used by the S.A.S. and was adapted from the old saying “fortune favours the brave” used by the Roman army.

He is an active person who achieved a silver medal in the Comrades, he is regularly heard boasting about his three beautiful children and during his career has achieved a golf handicap low of 15. Not bad for a self-confessed “hacker”.

As a formula, John always remembers that Law is a calling and not simply a way of making money. Again he has been heard to say “Always maintain an interest in succeeding in any case, no matter how small and always be honest with your clients. Stand up to bullies and injustice but once you have your opponent on his knees, don’t humiliate him. Always leave something in it for the defeated.”