Adela Petersen

Adela Petersen is the Managing Director of Fairbridges Wertheim Becker, a leading South African law firm recognised as Administrative Law Firm of the Year in South Africa at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025. The award acknowledges the firm's strength in administrative and regulatory work and the leadership Petersen provides at the head of a well-established national practice.

Fairbridges Wertheim Becker describes itself as a leading African law firm providing expert corporate and commercial legal services across South Africa and beyond. With offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the firm serves both local and multinational companies, and it has held recognition as the exclusive South African member of the international legal network TerraLex since 1999. As a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor, the firm also reflects a strong commitment to transformation, an important consideration for clients and public bodies operating in the South African market. As Managing Director, Petersen carries responsibility for the direction and management of this practice.

Administrative law lies at the intersection of private interests and public power, governing the way in which organs of state exercise their functions and the remedies available when those functions are exercised unlawfully or unfairly. In South Africa, this field is shaped by a constitutional framework that places particular emphasis on lawful, reasonable and procedurally fair administrative action, and by legislation designed to give effect to those guarantees. Businesses and individuals frequently require advice on their dealings with regulators, licensing authorities and government departments, and on how to challenge or defend administrative decisions. A firm recognised for its administrative and regulatory work is well placed to guide clients through these questions, whether in advisory work or in review proceedings before the courts.

Fairbridges Wertheim Becker offers a broad range of services that complement its administrative and regulatory capability. The firm advises on commercial law, competition law, dispute resolution, intellectual property, insurance and medical malpractice, medical law and sports law, among other areas. This breadth allows it to serve as a comprehensive adviser to businesses whose needs span multiple disciplines, and it means that administrative and regulatory issues can be addressed alongside the commercial and contentious matters to which they are often connected. Under Petersen's leadership, the firm brings this integrated capability to bear on behalf of its clients.

The firm's history reaches back to its establishment in 1999, and its longevity and network membership reflect a practice that has combined stability with an international outlook. For clients, the value of this lies in access to experienced advisers who understand both the South African legal environment and the expectations of international counterparties and investors. Petersen's role as Managing Director places her at the centre of maintaining these standards and steering the firm's continued development.

The recognition of Fairbridges Wertheim Becker as Administrative Law Firm of the Year in South Africa at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025 affirms the firm's reputation in a demanding and constitutionally significant area of practice. Under Petersen's management, the firm continues to offer clients a combination of administrative and regulatory expertise, broad commercial capability and a strong commitment to the values that underpin legal practice in contemporary South Africa.