Nikhiel Deeplal has a varied practice with a keen interest in commercial litigation, labour law, regulated industries and international law.
Nikhiel qualified with his LLB from UKZN and went on to complete a Master of Laws Degree in Business Law, specialising in International Trade Law from the same institution. He has also completed training courses in international relations at the Symbiosis International University, Pune, India and in international mediation and conflict resolution at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Hague, Netherlands.
Nikhiel has been practicing as an advocate since 2017 and joined the Johannesburg Bar in 2020. Prior to being called to the Bar, Nikhiel worked in Management Consulting where he focused on government procurement and private sector trade advisory. He completed his articles at Lawyers for Human Rights. Nikhiel has done extensive policy work in Africa, with a focus on the African Commission and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Nikhiel has a predominantly trial practice and finds himself appearing most often in private commercial arbitrations, labour arbitrations and High Court trials. He also regularly appears in opposed motions and urgent applications. Recently he has been involved in matters concerning complex issues of international law. He is often called upon to chair disciplinary hearings within the employment space.
Nikhiel has also been appointed by the Minister of Finance to the panel of Tax Board Chairpersons for the period 2024-2029.
Nikhiel also hosts a Youtube channel and podcast series called Legal-Eaze. Legal-Eaze is a channel which is centred on making general principles of the law more accessible to members of the public who often find themselves lost and confused when faced with a legal predicament. It also aims at making complex legal topics accessible to lawyers through conversations with experts in the field. Episodes of the channel are available on www.youtube.com/@Legal-Eaze
In his spare time Nikhiel can be found reading political literature, playing music or scuba diving.
