Meet Richard
Richard Wands
MANAGING PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER
Richard obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2008.
Thereafter, Richard was employed by the Standard Bank Group, where he fulfilled the role of Group Sanctions Manager, dealing with international law firms and companies, as well as governments and heads of state. Whilst at Standard Bank, Richard studied a Masters Degree in commercial law at the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as a risk management diploma at the University of Johannesburg.
Whilst in the Corporate and Investment division of Standard Bank, and within the role as Group Sanctions Manager, Richard was involved with various senior committees overseeing cross border acquisitions. This entailed acquiring and/or looking for potential acquirers of South African businesses. Richard met with the CEO, as well as the global General Counsel on a weekly basis and was responsible for ensuring that any cross border acquisitions or transactions complied with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. Richard also liaised on an almost daily basis with London solicitors and New York lawyers, as well as in-house legal counsel in the various African countries within which Standard Bank operates.
Richard also has extensive experience in the Companies Act, Competition Law and Banking and Finance, which he studied over two years at Masters level. Richard has advised listed entities and SMME’s on various complex transactions, and has drafted commercial contracts for these entities too, in line with their bespoke needs.
After leaving Standard Bank, Richard went back to private practice specializing in general litigation, commercial drafting and family law, working for two firms in the Sandton area.
In 2014 Richard started his own practice in Bryanston, specializing in family law.
Richard and Megan had crossed paths in various of their matters, and decided it was time to join forces as they shared a common vision for creating an all-encompassing turnkey solutions law firm. The result of this, was the establishment of HJW Attorneys.
Richard has assisted and contributed towards the Teddy Bear foundation for abused and neglected children and has hosted numerous charity events for animals in distress. In his spare time, Richard is a passionate fisherman, he also enjoys travelling and has a keen interest in music.