An eminent senior attorney, Alan Benedict, experiences a severe personal tragedy, which sends him into a psychological and emotional tailspin and causes him to walk away from his successful legal career and to relocate from Pretoria to Cape Town, where he becomes a recluse.
Despite his resolve to refrain from any involvement in legal practice, he is confronted by an extraordinary plagiarism court case which he is induced to conduct, against his will. In doing so he meets up with an emotionally damaged younger woman, Antoinette (Toni) Vaughn, whom he recruits as an assistant in conducting the litigation. Together they venture into a web of intrigue, treachery, dishonesty and betrayal while acting against Prof Albert Ovenstone, a prominent university academic and author, who is accused of copying significant tracts of an existing legal text book in writing and publishing his own book. Ovenstone leaves no holds barred in defending the claim and resorts to nefarious conduct and tactics in doing so. These come to light during the trial and significantly affect its course and outcome.
Benedict’s endeavours are characterised by an obsession to succeed by winning the case and bringing Ovenstone to book. What is in issue is whether justice or tyranny will prevail and how the case will impact on his and Toni Vaughn’s personal lives and relationship. The story traverses extraordinary situations and experiences both inside and outside the courtroom and leads to a startling an unexpected conclusion.
A gripping drama unfolds in Benedict’s quest to summit the mountain posed by a bizarre court case and the circumstances surrounding it.
The Summit Syndrome by Owen Dean
Owen Dean is an attorney who specialises in the practise of copyright law, and is experienced in conducting High Court litigation. He holds a law degree and a doctorate obtained at Stellenbosch University. He established a Chair of Intellectual Property Law at Stellenbosch University, where he is a professor.
He is the author of several legal treatises, including a text book on copyright law, and numerous articles published in the electronic and printed media. He is also the principal editor of a student’s handbook on intellectual property law. He has been a frequent presenter at legal conferences and seminars both nationally and internationally and has lectured on intellectual property law at most of the principal South African universities
He is the author of the e-book Awakening the Lion, dealing with a famous copyright court case in which he acted as the legal representative of the Estate of Solomon Linda, the composer of the musical work from which the epic song ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, was derived. This case is the subject of a Netflix documentary entitled ‘The Lions Share’, in which he is featured.
He is married with three children and lives in Somerset West. He is an active sportsman and participant in outdoor activities.
