Recognized for its strength in commercial law scholarship and teaching, the University of Alberta Faculty of Law is adding to this reputation thanks to professors Rod Wood, Tamara Buckwold and Anna Lund, who are the organizers of the 2018 Commercial Law Symposium hosted by UAlberta Law on October 13.
"We're very pleased to be holding the next symposium at the U of A," said Buckwold.
"It's tremendously valuable for all of us to have this opportunity to get together, present papers and exchange ideas, not only with other academics but also with lawyers working in the field."
The symposium, which is free to attend and open to anyone interested in commercial law, will cover a wide range of commercial law topics.
Pamela Foohey, from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University, will deliver the keynote address entitled, "The Implications of Bankruptcy for Non-profit Religious Entities." She will speak about churches and other religious organizations that file bankruptcy in America, including the Catholic diocese cases. Foohey will also give an open lecture on the U.S. Consumer Bankruptcy Project on October 12 at noon, as part of the Faculty of Law's speakers' series.
Following the keynote address, Virginia Torrie, of Robson Hall, University of Manitoba, will present on the scope of the federal bankruptcy and insolvency power in relation to the Farmers' Creditors Arrangement Act reference.
Rod Wood, who is UAlberta Law's Matthews Professor of Business Law, will present, "Identifying Borrowed Sources in Secured Transactions Law Reform," which is about the widespread transplantation of the Personal Property Security Act into other countries over the past decade. Tony Duggan, of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, will speak on recent case law under the Australian PPSA.
The afternoon session will kick off with a presentation by Ronald Cuming of the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, on the intersection between the PPSA and builders' lien legislation. Elizabeth Edinger, of the Peter A Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia, will present on the constitutional validity of the judgment enforcement rules contained in the Securities Transfer Act.
The final session will examine consumer and low-income issues. Gail Henderson and Lauren Malatesta, of Queen's University, will examine the regulation of rent-to-own stores in Canada and the United States. Stephanie Ben-Ishai, of York University, will present on the harmful consequences for vulnerable individuals, families and communities of fees and fines imposed by the criminal justice system.
Distinguished scholars from five Canadian law schools will comment on the papers. An opportunity for questions and comments from the audience will follow.
Registrants are welcome to come for the whole day or to attend individual sessions.