Advocate John Kayser first developed an interest in law when he clerked for Judges Norman Addleson, Sextus de Wet and Mike Theale Stewart in Grahamstown in 1975.
Upon graduating from Rhodes University in 1980 with a BA (English, Law & Economics), John pursued a 22-year career in marketing, sales, management and consultancy roles in manufacturing and Information Technology (IT) industries in South Africa and the UK. He returned to SA in 2000 where his final business role was IT Director of Rhodes University in Grahamstown.
John completed a post-graduate LLB at Rhodes University in 2002, and was called to the Bar in Grahamstown in April 2003, where he commenced pupillage with the Eastern Cape Society of Advocates at St George’s Chambers, which he completed in Sandton with Advocates Group 21, a constituent group of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates.
John practised as a member of Group 16 Advocates from 2003 to 2007 before returning to the Eastern Cape for family reasons, where he practised as a member of Equity House, Grahamstown from 2007 to 2015.
John co-founded Benmore Advocates NPC in Sandton with Stanley Pincus SC in 2014. He resigned as a director in 2016 when the then leadership pursued a course of action with which he disagreed that ultimately lead to the group’s demise in 2017.
In 2017, John founded Grayston Chambers (Pty) Ltd, based in Benmore Road, Sandton, which he led as head of chambers until 2023. Grayston Chambers was on the cusp of long-term success when the covid pandemic intervened. At the time, the group had 57 members, 54 of whom were black. Unfortunately, a significant number were of less than 5 years seniority and unable to weather the financial storm.
John has long been an advocate for change in the legal profession as it is one of the last economic sectors to adapt to the advantages offered by the effective implementation of IT, and the change in the regulatory landscape brought about by the creation of the Legal Practice Council.
