would greatly assist in this. But ultimately it is up to us, the legal practitioners.” Having said all that, when asked why he himself decided on a career in law, he quips that getting paid for arguing with people suits him perfectly. “Over the years I have lost many friends but I have never lost an argument,” he laughs. “Seriously, for me the adrenaline rush is irresistible. And I believe a practice like mine truly contributes to making the world
a better place.”
The phrase “Success is inevitable” immediately catches the eye on the AAMA website.
Albert believes success is measured not only in the
destination reached, but also in the distance travelled to reach the destination. Always be flexible in your thinking, work to improve yourself, your skills and your comprehension and success will follow. Persevere and endure, knowing you cannot control everything, he says.
Alber t, who authored the book He is perfect; don’t hire him – Preventing the recruitment of psychopaths , says one of his proudest moments was when UJ invited him to give a talk about corporate psychopaths, immediately followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Prof Vain Jarbandhan. In his earlier career as a commercial crimes investigator, he encountered many corporate psychopaths and now cherishes every oppor tunity to create awareness of the agony organisations can save themselves by preventing the recruitment of such candidates.
Another highlight was when he served as an expert advisor on the topic of the “Financial and Fiscal Sustainability of the State’s Wage Bill” with fellow UJ alumnus, Dr Joachim Vermooten, CA(SA), to the Presidential Remuneration Review Commission, chaired by Justice Khayelihle Kenneth Mthiyane. To conclude our interview, Albert points to three lessons that impacted his life: • ON LIFE AND SOCIETY: You are allowed to criticise anything and anyone, on one condition: You must provide a better solution. If you do not,
you are a complainer and not a contributor. • ON CAREER APPROACH: In law (and everything else) the most important requirement for the investigation and analysis of any matter is the willingness to question your own assumptions. • ON A PERSONAL LEVEL: No matter how fulfilling your work is, one must never neglect health and fitness. The price you pay in terms of pain, medical expenses and time wasted, is too high. Albert Marais holds BA Law and BProc degrees from UJ.
Albert Marais runs his law practice in the heart of Africa’s richest square mile.
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