) ▁is ▁a ▁South ▁African ▁lawyer . ▁Ay ob ▁pract ised ▁law ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁and ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁was ▁with ▁anti - ap art heid ▁cases . ▁Ay ob ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁much - public ised ▁series ▁of ▁disput es ▁with ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Ay ob ' s ▁cousin ▁Is mail ▁Mah omed , ▁who ▁was ▁later ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁South ▁Africa , ▁helped ▁Ay ob ▁secure ▁his ▁first ▁job ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁at ▁a ▁firm ▁involved ▁in ▁cases ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁anti - ap art heid ▁movement . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁firm ▁to ▁start ▁his ▁own ▁company ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Is mail ▁Ay ob ▁& ▁Associ ates . ▁ ▁A part heid ▁era ▁lawyer ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁twenty ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁career , ▁Ay ob ▁concentr ated ▁on ▁human ▁rights ▁cases , ▁acting ▁for ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁the ▁apart heid ▁regime . ▁Ay ob ▁def ended ▁and ▁represented ▁many ▁South ▁African ▁political ▁prisoners . ▁Ay ob ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁people ▁who ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁visit ▁Nelson ▁Mand ela ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁on ▁Rob ben ▁Island . ▁His ▁most ▁high - profile ▁case ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁H él ène ▁Pas sto ors , ▁a ▁Belg ian ▁woman ▁accused ▁of ▁fer ry ing ▁arms ▁for ▁the ▁then - b anned ▁African ▁National ▁Congress . ▁Another ▁high - profile ▁client ▁of ▁Ay ob ' s ▁was