Whipping the Cat
Whipping the Cat (Pty) Ltd is a South African NewLaw commercial legal services consultancy offering fixed-fee corporate, commercial and employment legal support to SMB, mid-market and enterprise clients via its Multip*law*yer® platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Whipping the Cat does
Whipping the Cat (Pty) Ltd is a South Africa-based NewLaw commercial legal services consultancy founded in September 2013 by Graeme Wilson, operating from Cape Town (headquarters at 32 Kloof Street, Gardens) and Johannesburg (138 West Street, Sandton). The firm delivers corporate and commercial legal services — company incorporation, commercial agreements, employment matters, POPI compliance, franchising, M&A, and marketing law — to small, medium and large businesses across South Africa, differentiated primarily by a fixed-fee billing model that explicitly rejects hourly timesheets.
The core product is the Multip*law*yer® system, a legal management platform combining 24-hour access to online templates, toolkits and a legal information library with direct access to legal professionals via email, telephone or in-person consultation. This is complemented by an online business dashboard and document management system that provides secure online storage, email alerts and renewal notifications. The firm's "integrated hub and spoke" architecture embeds lawyers at large client head offices (the "bums on seats" model) while drawing on a distributed pool of area specialists for litigation, competition law and other specialized work.
Commercially, Whipping the Cat operates a sales-led, direct-engagement model with three primary revenue streams: (i) fixed-fee monthly retainers priced at R5,000/month for businesses with up to 40 employees and R10,000/month for businesses with 50+ employees, (ii) ad hoc fixed-fee project work for matters such as incorporation, contracts and employment, and (iii) CIPC and registration services. Pricing is agreed upfront at engagement start. The firm serves a heterogeneous mix that includes enterprise clients such as McDonald's South Africa alongside numerous mid-market and SMB accounts across technology, financial services, advertising and social enterprise verticals, with marketing driven by content, earned media and entrepreneurial community partnerships.
Whipping the Cat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Whipping the Cat
- Legal name
- Whipping the Cat (Pty) Limited
- Website
- https://whippingthecat.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Whipping the Cat (Pty) Ltd is a South African NewLaw commercial legal services consultancy offering fixed-fee corporate, commercial and employment legal support to SMB, mid-market and enterprise clients via its Multip*law*yer® platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Whipping the Cat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Whipping the Cat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fixed-Fee Monthly Retainers: The company charges fixed fees rather than hourly rates. They offer 'eat as much as you like' fixed fee monthly retainers that are specifically tailored to meet specific needs, scope and timelines. This model allows clients to budget accurately for legal spend with no hourly billing clock ticking.
- Ad Hoc Legal Services: One-time project-based legal services quoted upfront with fixed pricing. Services include company incorporation, contract drafting, employment matters, and other commercial legal needs.
- CIPC and Registration Services: Company incorporation and CIPC services for business registration and trademark filing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Small Business (up to 40 employees): R5,000 per month fixed fee |
| Subscription | Monthly | Mid-sized Business (50+ employees): R10,000 per month fixed fee |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Value-Added Services: Individual downloadable guides and toolkits |
| Other | Monthly | Ad Hoc / Monthly Retainer Options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Whipping the Cat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Whipping the Cat is a South African commercial law consultancy that delivers corporate and commercial legal solutions to small, medium and large businesses on a fixed-fee basis rather than hourly billing. Services span company incorporation, commercial agreements, employment law, POPI compliance, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing law, delivered through its proprietary Multip*law*yer legal management system with secure online document storage, templates, and direct access to legal professionals.
Product overview
Whipping the Cat is a NewLaw legal services consultancy offering an alternative to traditional law firms through its core Multip*law*yer® legal management system. The company operates on a fixed-fee billing model rather than hourly rates, providing corporate and commercial legal services through a combination of secure client portal access, document management tools, and direct access to legal professionals. Services span company incorporation, commercial agreements, employment law, POPI compliance, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing law, with value-added downloadable resources including compliance guidelines and COVID-19 toolkits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Multip*law*yer®: A legal management system providing access to a team of legal professionals, including interactions via email, telephone or in person, document management, advice and information, and use of an online portal. Offered on a fixed-fee subscription basis.
Products and services
- Multip*law*yer® A proprietary legal management system that provides clients with secure access to legal documents, 24-hour access to online templates, tool kits and legal information, combined with direct one-on-one access to a team of legal professionals via email, telephone or in person, delivered on a fixed-fee subscription basis.
- Fixed-Fee Monthly Retainers "Eat as much as you like" fixed-fee monthly retainer legal services tailored to meet client needs, scope and timelines, with prices starting at R5,000/month for businesses with up to 40 employees and R10,000/month for businesses with 50+ employees.
- Corporate and Commercial Legal Services Full range of corporate and commercial legal solutions including company incorporation, commercial agreements, employment matters, POPI compliance, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing law.
- Ad Hoc Legal Services One-time project-based legal services quoted upfront with fixed pricing, including company incorporation, contract drafting, employment matters, and other commercial legal needs.
- CIPC and Registration Services Company incorporation, CIPC filing and trademark/brand name registration services for South African businesses.
- Value-Added Resources Individual downloadable guides and toolkits for sale including Social Media Guidelines, POPI Guidelines, Workplace Obligations, COVID-19 Regulations, Business Funding/Relief Guide, and COVID-19 OHS Memo.
Quantifiable outcome
- 45% fee income growth in the 2017 financial year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Whipping the Cat
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Whipping the Cat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Whipping the Cat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Heavy ChefcoreWhipping the Cat is a proud sponsor and supporter of Heavy Chef, an education platform for entrepreneurs. The company works with the HeavyChef community and Heavy Chef Foundation to accelerate doers. This partnership aligns with the company's focus on supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, providing legal education and support to the startup community.
- Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC)minorWTC provides RMHC with free legal support services. RMHC assists families with seriously ill children by providing home comfort, facilities or a place to stay while their child undergoes hospital treatment. This is a charitable/pro bono partnership providing legal services to the nonprofit organization.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Whipping the Cat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Rocket Lawyer: Online legal services platform offering templated documents, subscriptions, and on-demand lawyer access. Comparable to WTC's Multip*law*yer template library and SMB fixed-fee offering, though more consumer-focused.
- LegalZoom: Tech-enabled legal services platform offering company formation, compliance templates, and subscription legal plans. Comparable to WTC's CIPC incorporation, downloadable compliance guides, and SMB subscription retainers.
Broad incumbents
- ENSafrica (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs): Largest African law firm with comprehensive corporate and commercial practice across South Africa. Competes with WTC for enterprise clients like McDonald's and large mid-market work in SA.
- Bowmans (Bowman Gilfillan): One of South Africa's largest full-service law firms with deep corporate, commercial, and M&A practices. Comparable as a competitor for mid-market and enterprise clients in SA, though operating on traditional hourly billing.
- Werksmans Attorneys: South African corporate and commercial law firm serving listed companies, JSE clients, and large enterprises. Comparable as a traditional full-service competitor in the same SA commercial legal market WTC targets with its NewLaw alternative.
- Webber Wentzel: Leading South African corporate and commercial law firm (Allens predecessor alliance). Competes with WTC in the SA enterprise and mid-market legal services space; finalist alongside WTC in 2013 African Legal Awards Innovation category.
Direct peers
- Elevate Services: US-headquartered NewLaw provider offering legal service delivery, technology, and consulting to corporate legal departments. Closely mirrors WTC's outsourced 'bums on seats' model combined with proprietary technology and fixed-fee engagement structure.
- Riverview Law: UK-based NewLaw firm offering fixed-fee legal services, technology-enabled service delivery, and outsourced legal teams to in-house counsel. Strong conceptual parallel to WTC's NewLaw fixed-fee subscription model.
- Integreon: Global legal process outsourcing (LPO) and managed legal services provider. Direct peer given WTC's explicit 'legal process outsourcing' positioning in its short description and enterprise client delivery model.
- Axiom Law: Global NewLaw pioneer providing on-demand lawyers and legal service teams to corporate clients on a subscription/managed-service basis. Directly comparable to WTC's Multip*law*yer outsourcing model serving enterprise clients like McDonald's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Whipping the Cat social profiles
Digital presenceWhipping the Cat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Whipping the Cat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Whipping the Cat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Whipping the Cat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Whipping the Cat
What does Whipping the Cat do?
Whipping the Cat is a South African commercial law consultancy that delivers corporate and commercial legal solutions to small, medium and large businesses on a fixed-fee basis rather than hourly billing. Services span company incorporation, commercial agreements, employment law, POPI compliance, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing law, delivered through its proprietary Multip*law*yer legal management system with secure online document storage, templates, and direct access to legal professionals.
Is Whipping the Cat a public or private company?
Whipping the Cat is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Whipping the Cat founded?
Whipping the Cat was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Whipping the Cat based?
Whipping the Cat is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Whipping the Cat make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fixed-Fee Monthly Retainers are the primary driver. The others are ad Hoc Legal Services and CIPC and Registration Services.
Who are Whipping the Cat's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom. Broad incumbents are ENSafrica (Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs), Bowmans (Bowman Gilfillan), Werksmans Attorneys and Webber Wentzel. Direct peers are Elevate Services, Riverview Law, Integreon and Axiom Law.
Does Whipping the Cat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Whipping the Cat.