May 9, 2005 - Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is pleased to announce a gift of $300,000 to help establish the Richard H. McLaren Professorship in Business Law at The University of Western Ontario.  As Canada's leading business law firm, Davies is proud to be the lead donor initiating this Professorship to enable Western to recruit a scholar of international standing in the field of business law - creating a permanent legacy of scholarship, teaching and research. 

Professor Richard H. McLaren is a highly respected educator who generates loyalty and sparks imagination and passion in his students.  This is demonstrated every day by his former students and research assistants, many of whom are members of the Davies firm.  McLaren's superior legal mind has generated publications that are regarded as leading scholarly works in the fields of commercial, bankruptcy and business law.  He is an internationally recognized dispute resolution arbitrator, serving as a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"The Richard H. McLaren Professorship in Business Law will honour one of Western's finest educators and enhance Western Law's established strength and leadership in business law," says Ian Holloway, Dean and Professor of Law.  "Western Law offers a formal area of concentration in business law and recently established a Business Law Clinic enabling law students to gain experience advising small, start-up and early stage businesses.  We are grateful for Davies' initiative in this important legal field."

"Davies is committed to excellence in the practice of business law and believes very strongly in supporting efforts to strengthen teaching and research in such an important area," says William O'Reilly, Managing Partner at Davies.  "Professor McLaren has made significant contributions to the practice of business law in Canada through his teachings and writings and we are very excited to be able to honour him and support this initiative."

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, with over 225 lawyers, practices nationally and internationally from offices in Toronto, Montréal, New York and an affiliate in Paris, is consistently at the heart of the largest and most complex commercial and financial matters on behalf of its North American and overseas clients.

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For more information, please contact:

William O'Reilly
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
(416) 863-5573
woreilly@dwpv.com 

Becky Bannerman
Western Law
(519) 661-2126
beckyb@uwo.ca