About Group One
Group One is one of the largest commercial set of chambers in Johannesburg and in the country. It currently has over 165 members, 41 of whom are silk. It occupies 5 floors at 2 Pybus Road along the golden mile in Sandton. The Group is currently led by Mohammed Chohan SC.
It was established in 1999 under the leadership of Chris Loxton SC.
The Group’s members are known to provide advice and litigation services across all courts in South Africa. The group offers a wide range of expertise and experience and is best described as multifaceted. While the core experience is largely commercial, there is a strong labour influence with practitioners practicing in highly specialized fields such as insurance, tax and customs and excise law, mining law, intellectual property law, aviation law, insolvency law, banking law , administrative and public interest law to name a few.
A number of the Group’s members have over time been elevated to the Bench. In addition, a number of its members are regularly appointed as arbitrators, appeal arbitrators and mediators.
The Group is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards and encourages the active engagement of historically disadvantaged members of the Bar to become leaders in the profession.
Group One recognizes that its members have a moral duty to assist and encourage previously disadvantaged individuals and so assist in the transformation of the Bar to reflect more closely the values of the Constitution.
Group One recognizes the importance of providing leadership in the profession, particularly in relation to the transfer of skills from the more experienced to the less experienced.
Since its formation Group One has contributed substantially to the development and training of pupil members through programmes such as advocacy training, practice development lectures and workshops.
Group One Chambers
Since 1999, Group One was based in Sandown Chambers, in Sandown Village, which at the time was home to four other sets of chambers, making it a legal precinct. In 2016-2017, Group One decided to look for new accommodation that would be innovative, green and more centrally located. The Group identified land at 2 Pybus Road in Sandton and entered into discussions with Redefine, which owned the land, to develop it to accommodate the Group’s interests and its members. And so, the Group’s new home at 2 Pybus was conceived. The move to the Group’s new home took place during February and
March 2019.
The Group’s new home at 2 Pybus is technologically superior, it boasts 16 state of the art boardroom facilities. It is centrally located within walking distance from all the major law firms, the Gautrain, the Rea vaya bus terminal and taxi depots. It is directly opposite Sandton City, making a wide range of restaurants and other facilities easily accessible to members, staff
and visitors. With its current complement of over 165 members, Group One is the anchor tenant of 2 Pybus occupying over 7 000 square metres in chambers across five floors. The Group’s executive lounge called The Bailey in memory of the Group’s erstwhile office administrator, houses its administrative offices, a boardroom area, a quiet and study area, lounge facilities, a snack bar, and kitchen facilities. The Bailey has hosted several symposiums, workshops and the Group’s annual Jules Browde public lecture.
The Group officially marked its move to the building with a festive ribbon- cutting occasion by Justices Kathree-Setiloane and Weiner, both former members of the Group. The Bailey was formally opened by Justice Saldulker and the Group’s head of chambers Mohammed Chohan SC.
For more on our facilities at 2 Pybus see the page on OUR FACILITIES