Celine Bakker

Celine Bakker is a litigation and dispute resolution attorney at SL Law Incorporated, combining expertise in commercial litigation with an academic background in technology law, artificial intelligence, data protection and international legal studies. Educated in South Africa and the Netherlands, she brings an analytical and contemporary approach to complex legal disputes, with particular interests in the intersection of law, emerging technologies and commercial regulation.

Celine practises in SL Law’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution department, where she is involved in civil and commercial litigation, contractual disputes, legal research, drafting and dispute resolution strategy.

Her approach combines rigorous legal analysis with clear, persuasive legal writing. She focuses on identifying the central legal and evidentiary issues in a dispute, evaluating competing arguments and developing coherent, legally defensible positions.

A distinguishing feature of Celine’s professional background is her specialist academic exposure to technology, artificial intelligence and the evolving legal challenges presented by digital innovation. Her studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam included technology and AI law, legal ethics and the regulation of emerging technologies, complementing her South African legal education.

Her academic interests extend to data protection, privacy and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Her research examining artificial intelligence in medicine and data privacy was published in Responsa Meridiana, reflecting her interest in the legal implications of technological developments.

Her academic involvement includes tutoring Introduction to Law and Legal Philosophy at Stellenbosch University, further developing her experience in legal research, interpretation and analytical reasoning.

Fluent in English and German, Celine brings an international perspective to her work and is particularly interested in disputes involving novel legal questions, technological developments and complex contractual relationships.

Her professional approach is grounded in careful preparation, intellectual independence and the conviction that effective litigation requires more than identifying the applicable law. It requires understanding the opposing case, testing the evidence and presenting the strongest sustainable argument.