Shanaaz Mahomed

s.mahomed@spoor.com + 27 12 676 1019 Download Vcard

Shanaaz Mahomed is a Patent Attorney and an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. She holds a BSc with a triple major in Botany, Biochemistry and Chemistry, as well as BJuris and LLB degrees.

Shanaaz has nearly three decades of experience specialising in the prosecution of South African patent applications in the pharmaceutical, chemical and biochemical fields. She provides strategic insight and guidance on pre- and post-grant amendments and divisional applications, helping inventors, in-house counsel and international associates make informed decisions for effective patent portfolios.

Shanaaz has been appointed by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition to serve on the Patent Examination Board.

As the first woman of colour to qualify as a patent attorney in South Africa, Shanaaz is committed to advancing transformation and contributing to the continued development of the intellectual property profession.

She has held several leadership positions within South Africa’s intellectual property profession. She served as President of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law and as Chairperson of the Patent Examination Board. She also served as Head of the Patent Department at Spoor & Fisher from 2019 to 2020, a period of significant organisational change that included the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through these roles, she has contributed to the training and examination of aspiring patent attorneys and the broader intellectual property profession.