TORONTO, September 29, 2004 -- Two of Canada’s leaders in business law – Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP – today announced the creation of the Osler Chair in Business Law at Osgoode.
The Chair is the first endowed Chair at Osgoode and is made possible by Osler’s $1 million donation, the largest gift Osgoode has received from a law firm. Supplemented by matching income from York University and the Law School, it will create a $2 million endowment that Osgoode will use to create an additional faculty position for a nationally recognized scholar in the field of corporate and commercial law.
“We are delighted that one of the best business law firms in the country has shown its support for Osgoode’s scholarship and teaching in business law,” Osgoode Dean Patrick Monahan said. “We offer the widest range of courses in business law of any law school in Canada. The Osler Chair allows us to build on our considerable faculty strength in business law education which we have consistently identified as a priority for faculty recruitment to meet the needs of students.”
Establishing a Chair in Business Law at Osgoode continues Osler’s long-standing commitment to supporting legal education and professional development. In 1997, the firm committed more than $2.5 million – at the time, the largest law firm donation ever in Canada – to create its Programs of Excellence at several Canadian law schools to provide funds for student bursaries and scholarships, seminars and conferences, research, visiting professorships and chairs.
“We see this donation as a way to recognize the contribution Osgoode graduates have made to the firm as well as an investment in the lawyers who will be joining Osler in the future,” said Tim Kennish, Co-Chair of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. “Enhancing Osgoode’s teaching and research in business law is not only good for the school and its students, but for our firm, the legal profession, and the business community in Canada.”
About Osgoode and Osler: Osgoode Hall Law School’s undergraduate, graduate and professional development programs offer a broad range of academic courses in various areas of specialization including business law, which spans such subjects as corporate law, corporate governance, regulation of competition, securities regulation, business transactions, commercial law, banking law, intellectual property and trade regulation. The school’s innovative clinical education offerings, such as the Intensive Program in Business Law, the Advanced Merger and Acquisition Workshop and the Osgoode Business Clinic, also offer enriching educational experiences in business law. More information is available at www.osgoode.yorku.ca.
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is a leading Canadian business law firm with 400 lawyers in offices in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and New York. As well as its reputation for providing expert counsel in business-critical law, Osler is recognized for its commitment to helping the community. For further information, visit www.osler.com.
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York University is the leading interdisciplinary teaching and research university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 180,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 21 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges.
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For further information, please contact:
George McNeillie, Assistant Director, Media Relations, York University, (416) 736-2100 x22091/
gmcneil@yorku.ca
Nanette Matys
Director, Client Development
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
T 416-862-4864
nmatys@osler.com
