Edward Waitzer, former Chair of the Ontario Securities Commissio, has been appointed Falconbridge Professor of Commercial Law for the 2006-2007 academic year at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School.
Waitzer, who is teaching a course in business associations this fall and a seminar in corporate governance in the winter, will also deliver the Falconbridge Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Osgoode. He is currently completing a term as Chair of the law firm Stikeman Elliott LLP.
Right: Edward Waitzer
The Falconbridge Lecture is named after commercial law scholar John D. Falconbridge who graduated from Osgoode in 1899 and served as dean from 1923 to 1948. Previous holders of the Falconbridge Professorship have included Lord Wedderburn of Charlton (London School of Economics, UK), Professor R.M. Goode (Queen Mary College, London, UK), Professor E.P. Ellinger (National University of Singapore), Professor Yoshio Ohara (Kobe University, Japan), Warren M. H. Grover, Q.C. (Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Toronto) and Professor Christopher C. Nicholls (Dalhousie University Faculty of Law, Halifax).
“Edward Waitzer is one of Canada’s and the world’s leading lawyers in the areas of corporate law and securities regulation and we are honoured that he will be joining us,” said Patrick Monahan, dean of Osgoode Hall Law School. “Our students will benefit enormously from his wealth of knowledge and experience in the legal problems of business.”
Waitzer has served as a director of numerous corporations and community organizations and has written and spoken extensively on a wide range of legal and public policy issues. He was vice president of the Toronto Stock Exchange before joining Stikeman Elliott LLP. He practised with the firm from 1981 to 1993, including several years as head of its New York office. Waitzer rejoined the firm after serving as Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission from 1993 to 1996. He chaired the technical committee of the International Organization of Securities Commissions from 1994 to 1996 after serving as vice-chair of its executive committee in 1993. During 2003-2004 he lived in Santiago, Chile, and was special advisor to the Chilean superintendent of insurance and securities. He has been Chair of Stikeman Elliott LLP since 1999.