Chantal Hoffelner

Director, Patent Attorney

Chantal Hoffelner is a patent attorney at Smit & van Wyk, with qualifications in biotechnology and law. Before joining Smit & van Wyk in 2009, she worked as a researcher in the Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology Department at the University of the Free State.  She specialises in patent specification drafting, local and international patent searches and legal opinions.

Qualifications
University of the Free State:
B.Sc Biochemistry and Microbiology
B.Sc (Hons) Microbiology (Cum Laude)
M.Sc Microbiology (Cum Laude)
LLB
SAIIPL: Qualified Patent Practitioner

Years experience:
10+ years

Focus Areas
Patents: Biotechnology, Medical and Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical and Gadget type Inventions.
Registered Designs: Industrial designs, product designs, patterns and packaging.
Litigation: Patent and Design disputes.

Associations
Fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL).
Member of the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA).

Previous Positions
Researcher in the Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology Department at the University of the Free State.