About Us
Van Wyk & Preller Incorporated was founded in Bloemfontein in 1989 by Bertus Preller and Deon van Wyk. Mr Myles Pienaar joined the Company in 1990, and still heads the conveyancing department.
Riaan Ahrens, the current CEO of the Company, joined the Company in 1994. Mr van Wyk left to join the insurance industry. In 1997. Mr Bertus Preller sold his shares to Riaan Ahrens and in 2004, Van Wyk & Preller and Henry Johnson Attorneys amalgamated. Both the directors now practice under the name and style of Van Wyk & Preller Attorneys.
Our long and good standing as an Attorney Firm have enabled us to form lasting bonds and relationships in our local communities, offering support and services where needed.
Meet our team of
Riaan Ahrens
Director
Insurance Law - Labour Law - Supreme & Magistrate Court Litigation - Conveyancing - Debt Collecting
Practicing since 1993
He has been involved in litigation for and on behalf of Insurance Companies since 1994, and is often requested to give expert opinion on certain insurance related matters. The work done for insurance companies mostly consists of Debt Collection where commission is owed to the Insurance Company on their behalf from insurance brokers in the industry. He has handled numerous briefs on behalf of S A Eagle (Zurich), Regent Insurance Company, Old Mutual, Tele-sure, Hollard (Etana) and Metropolitan Life. His expertise varies from recovering material damages for and on behalf of the short term Insurance Companies to drafting of opinions on complicated Insurance and Life Assurance matters.
He is also on the conveyancing panel of Standard Bank, and handles conveyancing matters on a day to day basis on behalf of the bank, various financial institutions, and estate agencies.
Mr Riaan Ahrens furthermore possesses extensive knowledge of trusts and estate planning, and is often requested to give opinions on estate planning related matters and on behalf of financial institutions.
In the labour law field he possesses wide experience and appears regularly in front of the Local CCMA, Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court and various Industrial Councils.
Mr Ahrens furthermore excels in collections and has been actively handling collection matters throughout the full course of his career in the law. He has inter alia, handled collections on behalf of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company, Standard Bank, SAB Breweries and Bidvest, to name but a few. Mr Ahrens also handled foreclosures on behalf of Messrs Retmil Financial Services with successful results.
Henry Johnson
Director
Criminal Law - Debt Collections - Estates - Commercial Contracts - Supreme & Magistrate Court Litigation - Labour law
Practicing since 1990
In 1990, Henry Johnson was appointed as a regional Court Prosecutor in the Department of Justice, where he acted as Regional Court Prosecutor. He was admitted as Attorney in 1997 where after he entered the private sector as Professional Assistant at the firm Mthembu & Mahomed in Bloemfontein. In 1999 he started practicing for his own account with Henry Johnson Attorneys and amalgamated with Van Wyk & Preller Inc in 2004.
Because of his extensive experience in criminal law and litigation he heads up the criminal litigation department of the firm. He also handles litigation on behalf of various corporate clients which also includes debt collection, civil litigation, commercial law litigation, labour law and legal opinions.
ML Vosloo
Director
Conveyancing - Property Law
Practicing since 2014
Mr Vosloo started his articles at Van Wyk & Preller on the 15th of January 2011 whilst completing his LL.B degree at the University of the Free State. By the end of 2014 he had completed his studies and was admitted as an attorney at the High Court in 2015. Throughout his articles he worked under the leadership and supervision of Riaan Ahrens in the Conveyancing Department. On the 21st of January 2016 he was admitted as a Conveyancer of the High Court and continued obtaining experience in property law as a whole. He joined the firm as a director on the 15th of November 2016.
jan-hendrik cronjé
Associate
Estates - Private Law - Criminal Law - Company Law
Mr Cronjé achieved his LL.B degree in 2015 at the University of the Free State. In January 2016 he started his articles at Van Wyk & Preller Inc. In 2017 Jan-Hendrik achieved his Master’s Degree in Private Law at the University of the Free State, and was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of the Free State with full rights of appearance in 2018. During his years at Van Wyk & Preller Inc, Jan-Hendrik obtained experience in a broad spectrum under the leadership of Mr Henry Johnson, specifically in the Criminal Litigation department of the company. Jan-Hendrik also obtained experience under the leadership of Mr Riaan Ahrens, with specific reference to deceased estates and company related matters. He is also an EXCO member of the Free State Rugby Union.
Marisna Bruwer
Associate
Cost Consultant
Ms Marisna Bruwer started her articles on the 1st of January 2018 under the leadership of Mr Riaan Ahrens, whilst completing her LL.B degree at the University of the Free State. In July 2020, she was admitted as an Attorney of the Free State High Court. Throughout her time at Van Wyk & Preller Inc, she gained experience in drafting and opposing legal bills of costs and was appointed in August 2020 as the Firm’s very own Cost Consultant. In May 2021, she attended an Advanced Trail Advocacy and consequently obtained her Right of Appearance. Since then, she has attended various legal costs courses, and obtained qualifications as a Civil Mediator.
Nevé Steenbeek
Associate
Civil Litigation - Family Law - Wills & Deceased Estates
Nevé Steenbeek obtained her BCom(Law) degree in 2019 and subsequently her LLB degree in 2021, both from the University of the Free State. She began working at Van Wyk & Preller Inc at the end of 2021 under the guidance and mentorship of Mr Riaan Ahrens. Nevé wrote and passed all four board exams in one attempt in August of 2022 and was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court on the 2nd of March 2023. Nevé works predominantly in civil litigation and shows a keen interest in family law and wills and deceased estates as well.
CIMONE YORK
Associate
Conveyancing
Cimone York obtained her LLB degree in 2022 from the University of the Free State. She began working at Van Wyk & Preller Inc. at the end of 2020 under the guidance and mentorship of Mr Riaan Ahrens. Cimone wrote and passed all four board exams together with both conveyancing exams in 2023 and was admitted as an Attorney and Conveyancer of the High Court on the 22nd of February 2024. Cimone works with all conveyancing matters within the department.
RUBEN BECKER
Associate
Civil Litigation & SCA matters
Ruben Becker obtained his LLB degree in 2021, from the North West University, Potchefstroom campus. He began working at Van Wyk & Preller Inc in September 2021 under the guidance and mentorship of Mr Riaan Ahrens. Ruben wrote and passed the board exams and was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court on the 14th of March 2024. Ruben works predominantly in civil litigation and handles most of our correspondent matters in the High Court as well as the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Ms Marieta ‘t Lam
Bloemfontein
Reception
Ms Riana Scheepers
Bloemfontein
Commercial & High Court Litigation
Ms Karen Smit
Bloemfontein
Botshabelo
SCA Matters
Correspondence
Ms Suzette Roos
Bloemfontein
Magistrate's, High and Labour Court Litigation
Geraldine Wilmot
Bloemfontein
Conveyancing
Ms Elize Mostert
Bloemfontein
Human Resources
Ms Else-Mari Ryan
Bloemfontein
Debt Collection
Ms Adri van Niekerk
Bloemfontein
Conveyancing
Mandi Venter
Bloemfontein
Human
Resources