Are you interested in a discussion about current issues in banking and finance in Alberta? LESA’s Advanced Lender program may interest you!
This nontraditional and highly interactive seminar serves as a forum for discussion between practitioners who have practiced exclusively or predominantly in the area of lender/borrower at an advanced level.
At the program, you’ll hear from seminar chair Kerry Day QC, who has more than 25 years of experience as a business lawyer assisting private and public corporations, non-profit organizations, and government entities.
You will also hear from several other experienced panelists:
Kerry recently told LESA about the Advanced Lender program structure and what attendees can expect to take away. Here are some of her thoughts.
How will the format of this program differ from other seminars?
We have a group of panelists who will present a facts situation, and then they will talk about the law in the context of that particular facts situation. It is not a lecture format.
[Panelists] are going to be highlighting what they think the issues are for certain areas of concern.
The other panelists and I will really take a role as animators, trying to ask questions [and] get more information or discussion going.
What will participants gain from the Advanced Lender program?
It is not just the panelists who participate and contribute, so there is an opportunity, to some extent, to direct the topics into areas that people might have recently been troubled with or curious about.
What can you tell me about the program topics?
We are going to talk about updates to PPSA legislation and recent cases.
There is going to be a discussion around some actions that some of the title insurance companies … are taking in terms of trying to enter the market and replace or change the way lawyers participate in the commercial lending practice.
We are going to talk about commercial lending in this environment. … There is going to be some discussion around restructuring of loans that are in possession financing, perhaps the need for inter-creditor agreements between different lenders, and possibly the lawyers’ role in the drafting of forbearance agreements where there is a covenant issue that needs to be addressed.
Will this year’s topics differ from those covered last year?
The goal is for them to be different, but certain issues will always come up to some extent, because they continue to be of interest to people.
The panelists are all new with the exception of Jay Krushell. … This year he is discussing a market practice that might change the involvement of title insurance so that they are doing more than what they are currently doing.
The economy is different, so I think that is going to drive some of the discussion. … [W]e certainly have situations where people are restructuring their financing, adding new security, and dealing with covenant issues. … So I think [the topics] will be different from that perspective.
Thinking back to last year, what did you most enjoy as an attendee at Advanced Lender?
What I enjoyed about last year’s program was that, as solicitors and commercial lenders, you don’t always get to talk with each other about how others are approaching cases or doing things differently. And certainly things do change. The practice has evolved since I started, and I find that law firms are developing different approaches.
For me, being in an in-house environment with a commercial lender and then coming back into private practice, … [I developed] a different understanding of why lenders did things.
It was also interesting to hear how different lenders approach different scenarios. … I like to hear why they are doing it differently and wonder why they are doing it differently .
Register Now
If you’re interested in learning more about what Kerry and other panelists will discuss at the seminar, check out the program brochure.
The Advanced Lender program only has a few spots left, so register now for Edmonton (March 2) or Calgary (March 10). We are looking forward to seeing you in March!
