BREVITY LAW
BREVITY LAW
At Brevity Law, our people are at the centre of how we work. Our team brings together deep corporate commercial expertise, diverse legal specialisations, and a shared commitment to delivering practical, value-adding legal solutions. We take the time to understand your business and the context behind each matter, ensuring our advice is clear, considered, and commercially effective.
Shelley Mackay-Davidson
DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
Shelley Mackay-Davidson is the Founder and Director of Brevity Law, where she is known for her practical, commercially focused approach and her commitment to understanding each client’s objectives and expectations. She values long term relationships and prides in giving clear, concise advice, delivered efficiently. This, with her personal touch, adds real value.
With extensive experience in corporate commercial and commercial property law, Shelley advises a broad range of clients, from individuals and owner managed businesses to large corporates. Her expertise includes mergers and acquisitions, transactions (including cross border), company and business structuring, property and transactional structuring, joint ventures, contract and deal negotiation, and conducting due diligence across complex transactions, with experience across both South African and UK company law.
Before establishing Brevity Law in 2013, Shelley was a Director in the Corporate Commercial Department at Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, one of South Africa’s leading law firms. This background gives her clients the advantage of big firm experience combined with the agility and personal service of a specialist boutique practice.
Shelley’s work has been recognised internationally by Best Lawyers for over 10 consecutive years, where she has been listed as a leading lawyer in South Africa in Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and Compliance Practice, Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate Law, as well as twice being awarded Lawyer of the Year in Real Estate.
When not practicing law, Shelley enjoys reading, cooking, music, playing bass, outdoor activities, keeping fit, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Kristen Hare
ASSOCIATE
Kristen obtained both her LLB and LLM (Labour Law) degrees from the University of Cape Town. She completed her articles in 2022 with law firm Bradley Conradie Halton Cheadle, and was admitted as an Attorney of the High of South Africa in March 2023.
Kristen’s expertise includes working with clients across various industries and jurisdictions on employment, corporate, commercial and competition matters. Kristen finds fulfilment in tackling legal challenges and delivering efficient, business-oriented solutions, with experience in South African and UK law.
Outside of work, Kristen enjoys being surrounded by greenery and spending time with family and friends. She loves exploring new places, trying out new activities and embracing the spontaneity of life.
Alta Strydom
CANDIDATE ATTORNEY
Before joining Brevity Law, Alta completed her articles in Namibia at Engling, Stritter & Partners, where she gained broad litigation exposure across banking, labour, family and immigration matters, including cross-border and multi-jurisdictional disputes. During this time she contributed jurisdictional opinions to Commerzbank and to the GARI Annual Data Review, covering Namibian banking regulation and aviation repossession and restructuring law respectively. She also attended an AJS conference on AI and the future of the legal profession – a topic she follows with particular interest.
Since joining Brevity Law, Alta has been involved in corporate and commercial work. She is eager to continue developing her expertise across the firm’s practice areas, with a focus on providing clients with sound, reliable foundations for their transactions and commercial relationships.
Alta has a keen interest in philosophy – particularly the work of Derrida, Camus and Heidegger – and a love of art and design. Her favourite artists include Marina Abramović, and she has a particular appreciation for Michèle Lamy’s work in fashion and design. Outside of work, Alta expresses her own creative side through photography and ballet.
Laylah Williams
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT & ACCOUNTS
Laylah earned her paralegal diploma in 2000 from the South African School of Paralegal Studies. Recognizing that her paralegal and secretarial diplomas suited her well for working in law firms, Laylah gained extensive experience in the field over the years. This experience has given her a deep understanding of law firm operations.
At Brevity, Laylah plays a crucial role as an executive assistant and is also invaluable in running our accounts department, ensuring that the business end of the firm is run smoothly and efficiently.
Outside of work, Laylah finds joy in reading and indulging in her passion for baking.
Contact us to discuss how our practical, commercially-focused legal solutions can help protect your business, reduce risk, and support your growth.