Our Panel
Our panel consists of the following:
Samantha Martin
Samantha Martin, is a practicing Advocate/ Barrister in Johannesburg. Samantha has been practicing for over fifteen years in litigation, advice and ADR. She holds chambers at Maisels, Johannesburg and she is a member of the Johannesburg Bar. She has practiced throughout Africa, and she regularly appears in Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia.
Samantha’s litigation practice is such that she works on brief from attorneys/ solicitors. Samantha has a vast practice, which includes specialized skills in sports law. Samantha is a member of the South African Sports Law Association as well as CEOs in Sports.
She is completing a master’s degree in Global Sports Law through the Spanish Institution, ISDE. The ISDE program exposed Samantha to several leading sports litigation experts in the realms of contract disputes, agency, intellectual property and sponsorships and taxation of sports players from countries such as Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
Samantha’s research for her degree has entailed the analysis of global and African regional policy and legislation around safeguarding of children with a specific focus on image rights and brand management. She is passionate about child development through sports and the protection of children. South Africa in particular, has very strong legislation overseeing the best interests of minor children. She is currently overseeing matters relating directly to children’s participation in sports as against the fundamental rights of a child to autonomy, privacy and to be “forgotten” as against complex issues of social media and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI Act).
Samantha has attended various workshops and programs involving the Business of Football, the Business of Cricket, Anti-Doping Education Session, hosted by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) and various discussions on Sports Dispute Resolution.
Samantha is a trained mediator, arbitrator and facilitator. Her qualifications in this regard are recognized by the High Court of South Africa in terms of recent Protocols for Court Mandated Mediation. She has overseen many arbitrations and mediations, and she has been invited frequently to oversee events as a facilitator in specialized and niche gatherings. The domain of arbitration and mediation (ADR) is becoming increasingly important and prominent in an African context and there are multiple benefits to these dispute resolution mechanisms.
Samantha is a Member of the Sports Law Association.
Heather Pretorius
Heather has been a practising attorney for 29 years and is an Associate at Fiona Marcandonatos Incorporated, a boutique law firm in Johannesburg.
Heather holds the degrees of BA (Law as International Relations) from the University of the Witwatersrand and LLB from the former Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg). Heather also obtained a Higher Diploma in Tax Law from the Institute of International Tax and Finance (in association with the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, San Diego, California).
Heather is an Accredited Mediator to international standards, having been trained as such by the London School of Mediation and is registered as an IMI (International Mediation Institute) Qualified Mediator. Heather is also a Member of Consulegis, a global legal network.
Heather is a Member of the South African Sports Law Association and has attended numerous workshops on sports related matters. In July/August 2025, Heather completed the Sports Disputes Training and Certification Programme hosted by the Kenyan Strathmore University’s Strathmore Dispute Resolution Centre.
Heather has extensive experience in civil litigation (commercial and family law), contract, labour, consumer protection, trust and tax law. Heather has developed a very keen interest in alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and the application thereof to all types of disputes, including those arising in the sports arena.
Fiona Marcandonatos
Fiona has been a practising attorney for 30 years and is the proprietor of Fiona Marcandonatos Incorporated, a boutique law firm in Johannesburg. She holds the degrees of B.Proc LL.B from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Fiona is an Accredited Mediator to international standards, having been trained as such by the London School of Mediation and is registered as an IMI (International Mediation Institute) Qualified Mediator. Fiona is a Member of the global legal network, Consulegis.
Fiona is a also Member of the South African Sports Law Association and has attended numerous workshops on sports related matters including in respect of anti-doping. Fiona recently completed the Sports Disputes Training and Certification Programme hosted in July/August 2025 by the Strathmore Dispute Resolution Centre, a leading mediation centre in East Africa.
Fiona has extensive experience in all aspects of Family Law and she commands a market-leading reputation built over her 30 years of practice. Fiona has acted in various high-profile divorces involving complex financial and tax issues, disposal of assets, commercial entities, and the piercing of local and offshore Trusts. She has acted in contested matters relating to the best interests of children, as enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution, including in regard to residency, care and local and international relocations by the primary caregiver parent.
Fiona has a keen interest in commercial disputes in the context of family law, with a specialized focus in matters pertaining to estates, and children, including cross border and international disputes in these fields.
Given Fiona’s background and experience, she has a particular interest in Safeguarding in sport and in protecting the rights of young sports people.