Ivan matriculated at Grey High School, Port Elizabeth in 1979. He graduated with a BA degree from UCT in 1984 and an LLB from Rhodes University in 1986. After completing articles in Johannesburg and his admission as an attorney he was admitted to the bar in 1989 and took silk in 2009.

Ivan conducts practice primarily in the fields of insolvency, banking, company, unfair competition and restraint of trade, intellectual property, property, construction, insurance, sports, administrative and municipal law. His practice is in general litigation and arbitration.

Ivan has participated in numerous commercial arbitrations as counsel, as arbitrator and as appeal arbitrator and has appeared in many divisions of the High Court, in the Supreme Court of Appeal and in the Constitutional Court. He has also appeared before the Copyright Tribunal, the Companies Tribunal and the Registrar of Trademarks.

Ivan was appointed to act as a Judge of the South Gauteng High Court in 2013. He is on the commercial panel of AFSA. He is an accredited advocacy trainer and has lectured pupils and sat as an oral examiner for the national bar examination.

Ivan has served on the transformation and professional sub-committees of the Johannesburg Bar.