First law firm funding for chair
Leading law firm Chapman Tripp has pledged substantial funding over a five year period to support the establishment of the Chapman Tripp Chair in Corporate and Commercial Law at The University of Auckland's Faculty of Law.
The agreement between The University of Auckland and Chapman Tripp is the first time that a New Zealand law firm has provided funding for a professorial chair.
"This is a major milestone for the Auckland Law School. The Chapman Tripp Chair in Corporate and Commercial Law will significantly advance the teaching and research carried out in these areas," says The University of Auckland Dean of Law, Dr Andrew Stockley.
The Auckland Law School was earlier this month ranked one of the top twenty law schools in the world in the prestigious QS World University Rankings. Dr Stockley noted that Chapman Tripp's support of this new position will help ensure that Auckland remains a national and international leader in corporate and commercial law.
"The Faculty hosts the Research Centre for Business Law, publishes the New Zealand Business Law Quarterly and offers a wide range of corporate and commercial law papers in its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The Chapman Tripp Chair will further increase the profile of corporate and commercial law not only at the Auckland Law School but within the wider New Zealand business community.”
Chapman Tripp's Managing Partner, Andrew Poole, says: “Chapman Tripp is committed to improving New Zealand’s profile and performance on the world stage. We see this opportunity as a way to make a tangible difference in an area of law where new thinking and application can have a direct impact on business growth.”
A national and international search for the first Chapman Tripp Professor of Corporate and Commercial Law will be launched next month.
"Chapman Tripp's generous collaboration will enable us to provide vital leadership in this area as well as to increase our engagement with the business and legal communities," says The University of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon.
“As New Zealand's commercial hub, Auckland needs lawyers well versed in the legal complexities of business transactions and able to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of commerce and industry at a local and international level.”
Mr Poole says Chapman Tripp is thrilled to contribute to the advancement of thought leadership in corporate and commercial law. "We look forward to the new Chapman Tripp Professor being appointed. The Professor will be uniquely placed to provide international-standard research to both the Law Faculty and wider community."