Blackbox Law
Who Are WeBlackBox Law is a boutique firm specialising in Business Rescue, Business Restructuring and Insolvency. It was formed with the motivation to remove the barriers between the public and the law in the restructuring field – to give clear and simple advice no matter how complex the situation and by doing that, to lighten the burden on clients of their legal problems. Not just to think outside the box, but to show clients what’s inside the box. All the firm’s professional staff are legal practitioners who possess both deep experience and expertise in these fields as well as tailored experience in all the fields which underlie restructuring: distressed mergers and acquisitions, commercial litigation, labour law, company law and competition law.
BlackBox Law
Alex Eliott
Alex Eliott has been a practising attorney for more than 25 years. He started practising insolvency law in 1997 while an associate at Edward Nathan & Friedland Inc and enjoyed a wide-ranging practice in general litigation, insolvency and sports law. When ENF split into Edward Nathan and Knowles Husain Lindsay in 2000, Alex joined KHL, where he was appointed as a partner in 2001. In 2011 Alex joined Routledge Modise Inc, then in the Eversheds group and later in the South African branch of the Hogan Lovells international law firm group). Shortly after his arrival, the new Companies Act came into effect and he immediately expanded his insolvency practice into the exciting new field of business rescue.
Alex met Keith Braatvedt at Routledges where they were both partners in the Business Rescue and Insolvency department. In 2015 Routledge Modise joined the Hogan Lovells group and Alex became the Practice Area Leader of Business Restructuring and Insolvency. Alex led an immensely successful team, including BlackBox Law’s former associate Craig de Bruyn and consultant Mokhutwane Phooko, until leaving in May 2019 to set up his own boutique practice in this specialised field. He has had deep experience, acting for a host of clients across the restructuring spectrum – including business rescue practitioners, SARS, shareholders, trade unions and major creditors.
Alex has also been a leading figure in the turnaround profession for a number of years. He is a longstanding member of INSOL, SARIPA and the Turnaround Management Association of Southern Africa (TMA). He was appointed as a director of the TMA in 2014 and held that position until 2023. He still serves as the TMA’s General Counsel and its representative on the CIPC’s Business Rescue Liaison Committee. He counts many leading judgments in the fields of insolvency and business rescue law amongst his palmares.
Alex is known for his ability to simplify and clarify the most complex situations and is an innovative legal strategist. He believes that the answer is simple when you know which question to ask.
Education:
BBusSci Hons LLB (University of Cape Town) Diploma in Insolvency Law & Practice (cum laude) (Rand Afrikaans University) Diploma in Advanced Company Law (University of the Witwatersrand) Advanced Short Course in Business Rescue (cum laude) (UNISA)
Formal Admissions:
Admitted to the High Court as an attorney in February 1997.
BlackBox Law
Romario Roman
Romario’s primary focus is on insolvency and business rescue proceedings, including related litigation and dispute resolution. He also has gained experience in insolvency interrogations and has represented liquidators, creditors and business rescue practitioners. In addition to his business rescue and insolvency experience, he has good exposure to general commercial litigation and debt collection. Romario’s career includes articles at Hogan Lovells (South Africa) in the Business Restructuring and Insolvency Department and practising as an associate at Cox Yeats.
Romario completed his LLB degree at the University of Pretoria in 2018 and was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa in 2021. He completed his LLM in Insolvency Law at the University of Pretoria. He joined Blackbox Law as an associate in May 2023.
Education:
LLB (University of Pretoria); LLM – Insolvency Law (University of Pretoria – cum laude)
Formal Admissions:
Attorney
BlackBox Law
Keith Braatvedt
Keith Braatvedt is a respected practising attorney with more than 40 years’ experience. He was a partner at Routledge Modise Inc (also known as Eversheds) from 2001 to 2015, during which time he practised commercial litigation and insolvency law. Keith gained a reputation as a notable and formidable insolvency law practitioner. He and Alex Eliott were partners together in the Business Rescue and Insolvency department of the firm from 2011 to 2015. With the advent of the new Companies Act in 2011, Keith joined Alex in the business rescue field. From 2012 to 2015 Keith headed up the BRI department.
In 2015, Keith left Routledges to join his long-time friend Alec Brooks, in the firm Brooks & Braatvedt. When Alec passed away in 2021, Keith and Alex joined forces once more. For many years, Keith has been a regular contributor of academic articles on insolvency and business rescue law matters. He has convened and run insolvency enquiries on a regular basis for decades.
Keith is known for his easy-going manner but steely determination when faced with adversity.
Between Alex and Keith they possess over 65 years of PQ experience in insolvency, business rescue and business restructuring.
Education:
B.Com (University of Witwatersrand)
LL.B (University of Witwatersrand)
Diploma in Insolvency (University of Johannesburg)
Higher Diploma in Business Rescue (University of Pretoria)
BlackBox Law
Mokhutwane Phooko
Mokhutwane Phooko has recently joined BlackBox Law as a consultant. He hails from a litigation background but from 2017 he joined Alex Eliott’s team at Hogan Lovells. From that point on he specialised in business rescue and insolvency. He left Hogan Lovells in July 2019 and has since worked for the Airports Company South Africa and for the National Empowerment Fund. At ACSA he has gained significant experience in the legal framework applicable to State Owned Entities, and at the NEF he gained insight into distressed investment from a funder’s perspective. Mokhutwane has published a number of articles on legal topics, including a joint article with Alex on the legal standing of trade unions in business rescue.
BlackBox Law
Philasande Buthelezi
Philasande is a dynamic LLB graduate and Candidate Attorney with a proven track record of academic achievement and practical legal experience. After completing his first year of articles at T.J. Mphela Attorneys Inc in 2025, Philasande joined Black Box Law in 2026, motivated by a keen interest in insolvency law and business rescue, where he contributes to innovative, commercially driven legal solutions.
He graduated from the University of Zululand in 2024, earning Dean’s List recognition in both 2023 and 2024, demonstrating his commitment to academic excellence. Phila has shown strong leadership as Chairperson of the NADEL Student Chapter and Class Representative, consistently advocating for fellow students and promoting collaborative engagement.
Currently pursuing an LLM, Phila’s research focuses on creditor prioritisation in South African business rescue proceedings, a vital area influencing the future of commercial law. Known for his keen analytical skills, attention to detail, and commitment to practical legal innovation, Phila is an emerging legal professional poised to make a meaningful impact.