Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP) members contribute to leadership and scholarship at the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS)
The Centre for Business Law continues its prominent role in the Society of Legal Scholars, with key leadership appointments and impactful research presentations.
The Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP) at the University of Leeds School of Law continues to play a pivotal role in shaping the academic and managerial activities of the Society of Legal Scholars (SLS), a prestigious legal association representing the UK and Ireland.
Leadership appointments
As reported earlier, Professor Duncan Sheehan, Director of the CBLP, has been appointed President of the SLS for the 2024/25 academic year following his previous role as Vice-President. His appointment underscores his longstanding contributions to legal scholarship and leadership within the society.
In addition, Dr Virág Blazsek, Deputy Director of the CBLP, has been appointed as Convenor of the SLS Banking and Financial Services Section for a three-year term, beginning in October 2024. The section offers a platform for members to engage in discussions on a wide range of issues, including financial regulation, reforms following the ‘Credit Crunch’, financial crime (such as money laundering, fraud, and insider trading), secured transactions law reform, and international security. Contributions are welcomed from both academics and practitioners.
Scholarly contributions at the 115th SLS annual conference
Several members of the CBLP presented their cutting-edge research at the 115th Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, held at the University of Bristol on 3-5 September 2024:
- Dr Virág Blazsek presented her paper, Private Bailouts and Unorthodox Resolutions: A Comparative Analysis of the 2023 Bank Failures, in the Banking & Financial Services Law Section;
- Claudia Paduano delivered a thought-provoking paper, Bridging Economic Realities and Legal Norms: Exploring Enterprise Liability in Company Law, in the Company Law Section; and
- Dr Shouyu Chong, a recent addition to the School of Law, presented his paper, Interpreting (and Enforcing) Conflicting Arbitration and Choice of Court Agreements in International Commercial Contracts: Comparative Analysis & Proposed Default Solutions, in the Conflict of Laws Section.
Notably, Dr Chong was awarded the prestigious Best Paper by a Doctoral Student Prize for his comparative analysis of how courts across various jurisdictions – including the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong (SAR), Australia, China, and France – handle dispute resolution clauses in contracts containing conflicting arbitration and choice of court agreements.
Looking ahead
The CBLP is already preparing for the 116th Annual Conference of the SLS, which will be hosted by the University of Leeds on 2-4 September 2025. As the largest legal academic conference in the UK and Ireland, it promises to be an exciting opportunity for continued scholarly exchange and innovation.
