Professional background and experience:

Catherine Coetzee is an attorney, conveyancer and notary with more than 25 years of legal experience, and the founding director of Gray Burmeister Inc. (GBInc), a multidisciplinary law firm based in East London. With a career spanning across family law, commercial law, property law, insolvency, construction matters and litigation, as an attorney, Catherine has built a reputation for clear-headed strategy, decisive problem-solving and an unwavering commitment to practical, people-centred solutions.

Catherine has spent over two decades guiding clients through high-stakes negotiations, complex legal disputes and sensitive family breakdowns. Her experience is underpinned by strong commercial acumen and a proven ability to distil complicated issues into clear, workable pathways forward.

Catherine is an accredited commercial mediator and a trained sectional title mediator. Through her mediation practice, Mediations Matter, she has successfully mediated more than 20 mediations in the past 18 months, assisting parties in resolving challenging disputes across property, commercial and contractual matters. Her professional background in both law and real estate—where she also serves as a Co-Director at Tyson Properties East London—provides her with a nuanced understanding of property disputes, landlord-tenant matters, sectional title issues and development-related conflicts. She is a Fellow of the Association of Arbitrators and is also a qualified arbitrator and business rescue practitioner, deepening her capabilities across the broader spectrum of alternative dispute resolution.

Mediation experience and style:

Catherine’s mediation style is calm, structured and firmly solutions focused. She places strong emphasis on neutrality, respectful engagement and creating a safe, balanced space in which all parties feel heard and supported. Her approach is predominantly facilitative, guiding parties toward identifying their underlying interests and developing their own workable solutions. When a matter requires deeper intervention, she is equally adept in a transformative role—stepping in with constructive challenge, direction and reality-testing to help parties move through complex or emotionally charged issues. Anchored by her extensive legal experience, Catherine assists participants in reframing conflict, gaining clarity and reaching durable, practical outcomes that minimise the personal and financial costs of litigation.

Comments from clients:

“Catherine brought calm and structure to a situation that felt impossible. She guided us through every step with patience and complete neutrality. Her ability to explain the process clearly made us feel safe and understood. We left the mediation with a fair agreement and a sense of relief. Highly recommended for anyone facing a stressful dispute.”

“We were amazed at how Catherine managed to keep both sides focused and respectful. Her professionalism and empathy helped us reach an outcome we never thought possible. She listened carefully and made sure every concern was acknowledged. The session was efficient, clear, and far less daunting than expected. Catherine is truly gifted at resolving conflict.”

“Catherine handled our complex matter with exceptional skill and compassion. She remained fair, balanced, and solution-driven throughout the process. Her ability to simplify legal and emotional issues made all the difference. What seemed like an endless fight was resolved in one structured session. I would trust her again without hesitation.”