Steven Budlender SC joined the Johannesburg Bar in 2005 and took silk in 2019. He has appeared more than 150 times in the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal, often in high-profile cases. He has acted as a judge of the High Court on numerous occasions.

He has a general litigation practice, with a particular focus on constitutional, administrative, regulatory and media law.

From 2023 to 2026, Steven was the Group General Counsel of the MultiChoice Group. He had wide-ranging responsibilities, including everything from sports rights to negotiating with lending banks. His main focus, however, was on successfully leading the MultiChoice/Canal+ merger – producing a global broadcaster with more than 40 million subscribers across close to 70 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Steven currently serves on the boards of the New National Assurance Company and African Cricket Development, which operates the SA20 cricket tournament. He also serves on the advisory board of the Centre for Child Law and previously served as the lead independent director at Cricket South Africa from 2021 to 2023 and as a director of the Investigative Journalism Hub.

Steven rejoined the Johannesburg Bar and joined Chambers ’56 in August 2026.