News

Congratulations to Schulich School of Law Professor Kim Brooks, who has been appointed Dalhousie’s fourth Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law.

“Purdy was one of the first people I met when I arrived at Dalhousie,” says Brooks, who was Dean of the law school from 2010 to 2015. “Everyone referred to him as the Dean of the Corporate Law Bar, and he is widely regarded as a giant in the Canadian business law landscape. What fewer people know is that he started his legal career in tax.”

The Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law was established in 2001 and created through the generous support of alumni and friends of the Schulich School of Law. Purdy Crawford (LLB ’55) hailed from Five Islands, N.S., and pursued his legal career with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, practising primarily in the corporate/commercial area. He also served as CEO of Imasco before rejoining Osler as counsel in March of 2000.

The Chair supports scholars in business law, including those with an interest in corporate law and theory, securities regulation, finance, bankruptcy and insolvency, taxation, competition law, and other related fields. Brooks has expertise in business law and diverse areas of tax law, including international tax, corporate tax, tax policy, and tax administration.

This Chair presents a great opportunity for the Schulich School of Law to excel in business law research and teaching. Professor Brooks will bring her characteristic leadership and creativity to the role. — Dean Camille Cameron

“It is a privilege for us to be the home of the Purdy Crawford Chair in Business Law,” says Schulich School of Law Dean Camille Cameron. “This Chair presents a great opportunity for the Schulich School of Law to excel in business law research and teaching. Professor Brooks will bring her characteristic leadership and creativity to the role. Indeed, in the short time since assuming the role she has already presented a dynamic and engaging agenda.”

The intersection of law and public policy

After earning a BA from the University of Toronto, Brooks received an LLB from the University of British Columbia and an LLM from Osgoode. She was admitted to the Bar in Ontario in 1999 and in Nova Scotia in 2010.

“I love the study and practice of law and am interested in public policy generally,” says Brooks. “I have had the privilege of holding faculty positions at several faculties of law, and prior to academia I practiced as a tax lawyer with Stikeman Elliott LLP in their offices in Toronto and London, England.”

Brooks is interested in all areas of tax law and policy, although most of her work to date has focused on corporate and international income taxation and aspects of tax administration. In her role as Chair, she hopes to encourage business law scholarship, ensure that the Schulich School of Law offers a leading business law curriculum, and facilitate the exchange of ideas among business law scholars, practitioners, policy-makers, judges, and students.