- Ann-Suhet Marx is a Director and Head of Litigation and Fiduciary Services at VDM Incorporated, holds both BCom Law and LLB qualifications, and is a certified mediator.
- Her legal experience spans commercial litigation, contract law, labour law, family law, arbitrations, High Court litigation, Magistrate’s Court litigation, Regional Court litigation, and matters before the CCMA.
- Marx leads a 17-person litigation team and remains passionate about skill sharing, diversity, and mentoring the next generation of legal professionals.
Conviction.co.za readers are getting to know Ann-Suhet Marx, a legal professional whose work reflects years of litigation experience, conflict resolution, leadership, and a strong commitment to helping people navigate difficult legal questions with clarity.
Marx is a Director and Head of Litigation and Fiduciary Services at VDM Incorporated. She holds both a BCom Law degree and an LLB, is a certified mediator, and has proven experience in legal research, project planning, administration, and conflict resolution. Her professional profile reflects a strategic thinker with a strong sense of social responsibility, a commitment to skill sharing, and an ability to adapt to changing environments.
Explaining why she chose law, Marx said, “Having always been a people’s person with a passion for problem solving, law was the obvious career choice for me!” That passion led her to complete her BCom Law degree at Tilburg University before returning to South Africa to pursue her niche in contractual litigation.
Speaking about what drew her to that field, Marx explained, “Contracts are black and white, and I’m a black and white type of person. Yes, there can be interpretations, but it’s pretty straightforward on the whole.”
During the years in which she completed her articles, Marx was blessed with the opportunity to litigate on a large scale on her own. She described that period as carrying massive responsibility, but one that fast-tracked her growth within the litigation sphere and sharpened her practical courtroom experience early in her career.
Her experience has since grown across commercial litigation, contract law, labour law, and family law, while also including arbitrations, High Court litigation, Magistrate’s Court litigation, Regional Court litigation, and matters before the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
Building a career in litigation and leadership
One of Marx’s first major matters was a cross-border debt collection dispute in which a Zimbabwean company sued its South African client. The matter involved cross-border litigation, different countries, different companies, a volatile counterpart, and substantial money at stake. Reflecting on that case, Marx said, “I was very young when I took the case and won it; it’s an achievement I’ll always be proud of.”
That case remains one of the achievements she is most proud of and stands as an early example of the scale and complexity of the work she was already handling as a young lawyer.
From there, Marx joined VDM Incorporated, where she now serves in a senior leadership role. She explained that her co-director, Cor van Deventer, opened the fields of conveyancing and property law to her, allowing her to broaden her field of study, continue upskilling herself, and simultaneously handle a busy, fascinating, and challenging litigation division.
Marx values teamwork deeply and is passionate not only about investing in her own career but also about upskilling and training her peers and colleagues. She currently manages a team of 17 individuals, all of whom she interviewed, employed, and helped build into the current litigation department.
Life beyond the courtroom
Marx’s working days remain varied and demanding. She enjoys beginning her day with a cup of coffee and greeting everyone in the office before moving into emails, checking in with her team from senior litigators to candidate attorneys, engaging with clients, attending court, or briefing counsel.
She is also passionate about her company’s collaboration with the South African Youth In Property Association, believing strongly in empowering and creating opportunities for young people, not just in the legal industry, but in the public sector too.
When young people ask about law as a career, Marx offers an honest reflection. She explained, “It’s a hard profession in a high-pressure environment with long hours, but there are many opportunities out there for people who are prepared to put in the work.” She added, “Law is not for those who seek instant gratification; it’s for people who want a rich, fulfilling career that makes a difference.”
Away from work, Marx enjoys slow mornings with her husband, two dogs and a cat in their home, long walks in nature, and visits to dog parks. To get away from the fast pace of the city, she and her husband enjoy visiting her parents’ farm in the North West.
She is also a keen reader, counting Morgan Housel, Simon Sinek, and Brené Brown among the writers she enjoys, while her Bible remains on her bedside table.
On her bucket list is travel, meeting new people, listening to people speak in foreign languages, and one day seeing the New7Wonders of the World for herself.
Through her writing and professional work, readers are meeting a lawyer whose career reflects experience, leadership, and a continuing commitment to helping people understand the law and its real impact on everyday life.
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