Hugh Lane studied at the University of Natal, where he obtained the Degree of Bacchalaureus Procurationis in 1974. He went on and did the Constitutional Law Programme (1994) through the University of the Witwatersrand and degree courses on Taxation, Competition Law, Employment Law, Mineral & Mining Law, International Trade and Business Law, and Accounting.

He started his career in 1973 as part-time teacher of English, Latin and Geography at Cowan House School, Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal. He served legal articles with F H Lowe & Co and CCC Raulstone & Geyser, Attorneys of Pietermaritzburg from November 1973 until May 1976. He was admitted as an Attorney of the Supreme Court of South Africa (Natal Provincial Division) in May 1976.

Hugh’s legal professional experience includes:

• Negotiating and drafting diverse commercial contracts, including sales of shares; business acquisitions and disposals; sales and leases of movable and immovable property; international sales of goods; shipping; engineering and construction; research and development; timber leases; road, dam, pipeline and electricity servitudes; supplies of timber, waste paper, raw materials, chemicals, water, electricity, coal and fuel; prospecting, and mining; timber harvesting; warehousing; road transportation; commercial agency and distributorships; development, purchase and licensing of computer hardware and software; sanitary landfill sites; waste treatment and disposal; air charters; employment; security documentation (including acknowledgements of debt, suretyships, mortgage and notarial bonds);
• Registration, assignment and licensing of intellectual property;
• Formulating and revising standard trading conditions;
• Liaising and negotiating with state authorities and officials;
• Negotiating commercial insurance claims;
• Representing clients facing criminal charges and involved in engineering and matrimonial disputes; drafting court pleadings and conducting civil trials and
• High Court applications;
• Company secretarial functions;
• Drafting wills;
• Winding up deceased estates;
• Collecting debts;
• Giving ‘in-house’ lectures on legal topics.