TORONTO, Sept. 14, 2021 — The number of Canadians seeking advice from an Osgoode Hall Law School-based free legal clinic for wronged investors has more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The completed 57 intake interviews between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021, up from 18 in the same period last year, according to the clinic’s newly released .

“The pandemic has created a perfect storm of market volatility and isolation that has contributed to a significant increase in the number of potentially fraudulent cases,” explains Professor Poonam Puri, the clinic’s academic director.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic was launched in 2016 to provide pro bono legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer. The clinic pairs 14 second- and third-year Osgoode JD students with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario.

Puri and her team documented an uptick in complaints from people who saw their investments decline and not recover with the market, prompting clients to question whether the investment products and advice were suitable. The cases were often exacerbated by physical distancing and quarantine measures that left investors cut off from trusted sources and vulnerable to unsuitable and high-risk investment products.

Among their growing case load, the IPC students assisted a number of low-income clients who were left with substantial debt after their advisers inappropriately recommended that they borrow to invest — a practice called leveraged loans. There was also a prevalence of cases involving affinity fraud, often targeting immigrant groups that identify with the fraudster based on a shared ethnicity, culture, language and/or religion.

“Our team continues to work very hard to respond to the increasing number of retail investor concerns,” says Puri. The IPC is currently open and conducting virtual intake interviews. Everyone who brings forward a complaint receives an interview, although not every file is selected for representation.

In addition to frontline client support, the IPC is committed to helping prevent losses before they happen. provides a list of dos and don’ts for retail investors, and highlights common scams related to COVID-19, including get-rich-quick schemes and investment products marketed as “higher returns with no extra risk.”

For more information on the latest stats and trends from the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic, visit the and the .

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School
of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 131 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's highly selective Graduate Program in Law is also one of the finest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of almost 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

��

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.��

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-463-4354,��suhasini@yorku.ca

The post Legal aid inquiries more than double at Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Sept. 14, 2021 — The number of Canadians seeking advice from an Osgoode Hall Law School-based free legal clinic for wronged investors has more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The completed 57 intake interviews between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021, up from 18 in the same period last year, according to the clinic’s newly released .

“The pandemic has created a perfect storm of market volatility and isolation that has contributed to a significant increase in the number of potentially fraudulent cases,” explains Professor Poonam Puri, the clinic’s academic director.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic was launched in 2016 to provide pro bono legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer. The clinic pairs 14 second- and third-year Osgoode JD students with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario.

Puri and her team documented an uptick in complaints from people who saw their investments decline and not recover with the market, prompting clients to question whether the investment products and advice were suitable. The cases were often exacerbated by physical distancing and quarantine measures that left investors cut off from trusted sources and vulnerable to unsuitable and high-risk investment products.

Among their growing case load, the IPC students assisted a number of low-income clients who were left with substantial debt after their advisers inappropriately recommended that they borrow to invest — a practice called leveraged loans. There was also a prevalence of cases involving affinity fraud, often targeting immigrant groups that identify with the fraudster based on a shared ethnicity, culture, language and/or religion.

“Our team continues to work very hard to respond to the increasing number of retail investor concerns,” says Puri. The IPC is currently open and conducting virtual intake interviews. Everyone who brings forward a complaint receives an interview, although not every file is selected for representation.

In addition to frontline client support, the IPC is committed to helping prevent losses before they happen. provides a list of dos and don’ts for retail investors, and highlights common scams related to COVID-19, including get-rich-quick schemes and investment products marketed as “higher returns with no extra risk.”

For more information on the latest stats and trends from the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic, visit the and the .

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School
of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 131 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's highly selective Graduate Program in Law is also one of the finest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of almost 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

��

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.��

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-463-4354,��suhasini@yorku.ca

The post Legal aid inquiries more than double at Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Wednesday, November 18, 2020 —�� An Osgoode Hall Law School clinic that provides free access to legal services for vulnerable investors has received a ����-���è�� award of $157,750 from a class action settlement approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

“The Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic fills a critical gap in the retail investment landscape. We’re grateful for this award that allows us to continue our important work in the face of growing demand, while also raising awareness of the potential benefits of directing a ����-���è�� award to our clinic,” says Professor , the clinic’s academic director. Ontario’s Class Proceedings Act gives the court discretion to grant ����-���è�� (French for “as near as possible”) awards when it’s not cost-efficient or feasible to distribute the awarded funds to members of the class action.

The first of its kind in Canada, the was launched at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School in 2016 to provide pro bono legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer. Funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the clinic pairs 12 second- and third-year Osgoode JD students for a year with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario. Together, they support clients ranging from seniors who lost their entire retirement savings, to people swindled by trusted members of their community, to investors who had their portfolio mishandled by advisors.

Among many impacts, “the ����-���è�� award will assist with the development of investor education, the recruitment of Osgoode students as summer interns and with the clinic’s research activities,” says Puri. By acting as a “living lab” to collect data, Puri and her team identify trends in investor protection, inform public policy debate and contribute to legal practice and reform.

The Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic was awarded the funds as the result of a decision by Justice Benjamin T. Glustein in a class action case involving global pharmaceutical company Endo International PLC. The representative plaintiff, an Endo investor, alleged that the company had misrepresented and/or omitted important information about its generic pharmaceutical business and certain other risks that, when revealed, caused a significant decline in the price of Endo’s securities.

The court approved the ����-���è�� donation at the request of the plaintiff and with the approval of the defendant “so as to provide an indirect benefit to Class Members on top of the monetary recovery that most of them will be entitled to under the U.S. Settlement,” wrote Justice Glustein in his decision.

This marks the second time in as many years that the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic has been named in a class action settlement.

“A ����-���è�� award aims to serve the interests of class members, which makes us an ideal match in securities class action cases where it’s impractical to directly compensate class members,” points out Puri.

Osgoode alumni and legal representatives seeking further information on the Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic and court-directed awards are invited to contact Professor Poonam Puri at 416-736-5542 or ppuri@osgoode.yorku.ca.

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School
of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 131 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's highly selective Graduate Program in Law is also one of the finest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of almost 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

About 91��ɫ
is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contacts:

Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic will use $157,750 court-directed award to provide pro bono advice appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Nov. 5, 2020 — ��Osgoode Hall Law School’s Investor Protection Clinic – the first clinic of its kind in Canada – has released four information to help educate and protect retail investors who may be vulnerable to financial mismanagement. Addressing topics such as the securities regulation system in Canada, red flags for investment fraud and ways to recover lost funds, the Points of Interest video series was produced by Osgoode students and funded through a grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario.

“We’re pleased to offer these important resources as part of our mission to provide pro bono legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and cannot afford a lawyer,” says Osgoode Professor Poonam Puri, the clinic’s academic director. “We believe that better educated and informed investors are better protected.”

Almost 60 percent of the Investor Protection Clinic’s clients identify as having low or no investment knowledge. They place their trust in financial advisors to handle their investments wisely without understanding the information on the documents provided to them or the risks.

The Law Foundation of Ontario supported the project as part of its mission to help people understand the law and use it to improve their lives. “We provide grants to support public legal education and information resources, like the Points of Interest video series, to help people understand and exercise their legal rights,” says Lisa Cirillo, the Foundation’s CEO. “This is especially important for people who may be more vulnerable, including those with low financial literacy.”

Osgoode students developed the videos in consultation with the clinic’s supervising lawyers and representatives from the Ontario Securities Commission and the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI). Topics include: ; ; and Seeking a Remedy; and . The final two videos in the series — Navigating the IIROC (Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) Arbitration Process and Is Civil Litigation Right for You and Your Claim? — will be released later this academic year.

“The experience of distilling complex information into 10-minute video clips highlighted how challenging the securities regulatory market can be for retail investors to navigate,” says former student caseworker Jessie Armour, who co-led the project in 2019-20 with her classmate, Marco Castelli, JD’20.

Castelli agrees: “We hope these videos will help retail investors identify signs of investment mismanagement sooner so they can prevent losses and have a better sense of their options.”

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 131 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's highly selective Graduate Program in Law is also one of the finest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of almost 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

��

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

��Media Contacts:

Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic releases video series about investor rights appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Nov. 5, 2020 — ��Osgoode Hall Law School’s Investor Protection Clinic – the first clinic of its kind in Canada – has released four information to help educate and protect retail investors who may be vulnerable to financial mismanagement. Addressing topics such as the securities regulation system in Canada, red flags for investment fraud and ways to recover lost funds, the Points of Interest video series was produced by Osgoode students and funded through a grant from The Law Foundation of Ontario.

“We’re pleased to offer these important resources as part of our mission to provide pro bono legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and cannot afford a lawyer,” says Osgoode Professor Poonam Puri, the clinic’s academic director. “We believe that better educated and informed investors are better protected.”

Almost 60 percent of the Investor Protection Clinic’s clients identify as having low or no investment knowledge. They place their trust in financial advisors to handle their investments wisely without understanding the information on the documents provided to them or the risks.

The Law Foundation of Ontario supported the project as part of its mission to help people understand the law and use it to improve their lives. “We provide grants to support public legal education and information resources, like the Points of Interest video series, to help people understand and exercise their legal rights,” says Lisa Cirillo, the Foundation’s CEO. “This is especially important for people who may be more vulnerable, including those with low financial literacy.”

Osgoode students developed the videos in consultation with the clinic’s supervising lawyers and representatives from the Ontario Securities Commission and the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI). Topics include: ; ; and Seeking a Remedy; and . The final two videos in the series — Navigating the IIROC (Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada) Arbitration Process and Is Civil Litigation Right for You and Your Claim? — will be released later this academic year.

“The experience of distilling complex information into 10-minute video clips highlighted how challenging the securities regulatory market can be for retail investors to navigate,” says former student caseworker Jessie Armour, who co-led the project in 2019-20 with her classmate, Marco Castelli, JD’20.

Castelli agrees: “We hope these videos will help retail investors identify signs of investment mismanagement sooner so they can prevent losses and have a better sense of their options.”

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 131 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's highly selective Graduate Program in Law is also one of the finest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of almost 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

��

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

��Media Contacts:

Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic releases video series about investor rights appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Monday, April 9, 2018 – The Investor Protection Clinic at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School is the recipient of an $80,000 cy-près award from a class action settlement.

The award will assist with the ongoing operation of the community clinic including the hiring of four Osgoode students to work part-time at the clinic over the summer as interns.

The first clinic of its kind in Canada, the Investor Protection Clinic was launched last fall to provide free legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer. In just six months, the clinic has handled more than 40 files.

Founded by FAIR Canada and Osgoode Hall Law School with seed funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario Access to Justice Fund, the clinic is staffed by 12 second- and third-year Osgoode Juris Doctor (JD) students who are paired with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario.

Professor Poonam Puri, Academic Director of the Investor Protection Clinic, said the cy-près award “raises awareness of the important role that the Investor Protection Clinic plays as a part of the broader securities regulatory mosaic in Canada -by helping retail investors – at no cost to them – with their concerns and complaints as they navigate the system.”

The Class Action Proceedings Act (Ontario) gives the court discretion to grant cy-près (French for “as near as [possible]”) awards. Cy-près distributions are generally approved in two particular circumstances: (1) where class members cannot be easily identified; or (2) where it would be uneconomical to effect a distribution to class members.

The Investor Protection Clinic’s cy-près award was the result of a decision by Justice Paul Perell of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The court approved a settlement in the shareholder proceeding involving Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. The plaintiff class had alleged that there was a misrepresentation in the public disclosures resulting in the securities being suspended for a long period of time.

Puri said Morganti & Co., the law firm representing the plaintiff class of investors, had heard about the Investor Protection Clinic and approached her about the possibility of a cy-près award going to the clinic.

“Counsel for both parties to the proceeding agreed that the Investor Protection Clinic was an appropriate recipient of a cy-près award and the court agreed that the settlement and the distribution plan is ‘fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the class,’” Puri said.

Marian Passmore, Director of Policy and Chief Operating Officer of FAIR Canada, lauded the court’s approval of the cy-près award to the Investor Protection Clinic. “This is terrific news as this award will permit the Investor Protection Clinic to carry on its important work into the next academic year.”

The Investor Protection Clinic is one of 19 clinical and intensive programs at Osgoode Hall Law School that offer innovative ways for Osgoode students to deepen their knowledge and skills, and gain the mix of theory, practice and reflection they require for graduation.

Common issues that the Investor Protection Clinic helps with include cases of an advisor, teller or customer service representative at a bank, insurance company or investment firm misrepresenting the risk of a client’s investments; funds being used in ways that a client was unaware of; an advisor making too many trades, resulting in high commissions or trading fees; a firm charging fees that were not explained to a client; and an advisor signing forms on a client’s behalf without their permission. However, the clinic is unable to help clients with losses that occurred as a result of market forces and risks inherent in investing.

For more information about the Investor Protection Clinic, call 416-736-5538 or email ipc@osgoode.yorku.ca

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School
of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 129 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's Graduate Program in Law is also the largest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

About 91��ɫ
is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

About FAIR Canada
(Canadian Foundation for the Advancement of Investor Rights) is an independent national charitable organization. As a voice for Canadian investors, FAIR Canada provides information and education to the public, governments and regulators about investors’ rights and protections in Canada’s capital markets.

Media Contacts: Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic receives $80,000 court-directed award appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Monday, April 9, 2018 – The Investor Protection Clinic at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School is the recipient of an $80,000 cy-près award from a class action settlement.

The award will assist with the ongoing operation of the community clinic including the hiring of four Osgoode students to work part-time at the clinic over the summer as interns.

The first clinic of its kind in Canada, the Investor Protection Clinic was launched last fall to provide free legal advice to people who believe their investments were mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer. In just six months, the clinic has handled more than 40 files.

Founded by FAIR Canada and Osgoode Hall Law School with seed funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario Access to Justice Fund, the clinic is staffed by 12 second- and third-year Osgoode Juris Doctor (JD) students who are paired with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario.

Professor Poonam Puri, Academic Director of the Investor Protection Clinic, said the cy-près award “raises awareness of the important role that the Investor Protection Clinic plays as a part of the broader securities regulatory mosaic in Canada -by helping retail investors – at no cost to them – with their concerns and complaints as they navigate the system.”

The Class Action Proceedings Act (Ontario) gives the court discretion to grant cy-près (French for “as near as [possible]”) awards. Cy-près distributions are generally approved in two particular circumstances: (1) where class members cannot be easily identified; or (2) where it would be uneconomical to effect a distribution to class members.

The Investor Protection Clinic’s cy-près award was the result of a decision by Justice Paul Perell of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The court approved a settlement in the shareholder proceeding involving Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. The plaintiff class had alleged that there was a misrepresentation in the public disclosures resulting in the securities being suspended for a long period of time.

Puri said Morganti & Co., the law firm representing the plaintiff class of investors, had heard about the Investor Protection Clinic and approached her about the possibility of a cy-près award going to the clinic.

“Counsel for both parties to the proceeding agreed that the Investor Protection Clinic was an appropriate recipient of a cy-près award and the court agreed that the settlement and the distribution plan is ‘fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the class,’” Puri said.

Marian Passmore, Director of Policy and Chief Operating Officer of FAIR Canada, lauded the court’s approval of the cy-près award to the Investor Protection Clinic. “This is terrific news as this award will permit the Investor Protection Clinic to carry on its important work into the next academic year.”

The Investor Protection Clinic is one of 19 clinical and intensive programs at Osgoode Hall Law School that offer innovative ways for Osgoode students to deepen their knowledge and skills, and gain the mix of theory, practice and reflection they require for graduation.

Common issues that the Investor Protection Clinic helps with include cases of an advisor, teller or customer service representative at a bank, insurance company or investment firm misrepresenting the risk of a client’s investments; funds being used in ways that a client was unaware of; an advisor making too many trades, resulting in high commissions or trading fees; a firm charging fees that were not explained to a client; and an advisor signing forms on a client’s behalf without their permission. However, the clinic is unable to help clients with losses that occurred as a result of market forces and risks inherent in investing.

For more information about the Investor Protection Clinic, call 416-736-5538 or email ipc@osgoode.yorku.ca

-30-

About Osgoode Hall Law School
of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 129 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's Graduate Program in Law is also the largest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

About 91��ɫ
is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

About FAIR Canada
(Canadian Foundation for the Advancement of Investor Rights) is an independent national charitable organization. As a voice for Canadian investors, FAIR Canada provides information and education to the public, governments and regulators about investors’ rights and protections in Canada’s capital markets.

Media Contacts: Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode Investor Protection Clinic receives $80,000 court-directed award appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, November 2, 2017 – The Investor Protection Clinic at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School wants to hear from investors who believe that their funds have been mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer to help them sort out the problem.

The newly launched Clinic – the first of its kind in Canada – is staffed by Osgoode students who are paired with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario. The student-lawyer teams provide free legal advice to qualifying investors on a range of issues. The Investor Protection Clinic was founded by FAIR Canada and Osgoode Hall Law School with funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario Access to Justice Fund.

“We’d like to hear from investors who believe they have suffered an investment loss as a result of someone else’s wrongdoing,” said Professor Poonam Puri, Director of the Investor Protection Clinic.

Common issues that the Clinic may be able to help with include cases of an advisor, teller or customer service representative at a bank, insurance company or investment firm misrepresenting the risk of a client’s investments; funds being used in ways that a client was unaware of; an advisor making too many trades, resulting in high commissions or trading fees; a firm charging fees that were not explained to a client; and an advisor signing forms on a client’s behalf without their permission. However, the Clinic is unable to help clients with losses that occurred as a result of market forces and risks inherent in investing.

Puri said the Clinic’s student-lawyer teams might assist an investor by, for example, writing a complaint letter on their behalf to the company or the regulator; giving a client options on how to proceed with their issues; or even representing the client at a hearing.

“Institutional investors can take care of themselves for the most part,” Puri said. “But most people are not going to have the funds to hire a lawyer when things go wrong with their investments, and a regulator like the Ontario Securities Commission can’t help everybody.”

Puri added that the Clinic will decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not to accept a client and will consider factors such as income, assets, net worth and the nature of the concerns.

According to lawyer Marian Passmore, Director of Policy and COO at FAIR Canada, the Clinic “will help Ontarians navigate a very complicated area involving securities, banking and insurance products and the firms who sell them.�� Average investors who have experienced some sort of loss of their investments in some way often don’t know where to start when that happens to them.”

For more information about the Investor Protection Clinic, call 416-736-5538 or email ipc@osgoode.yorku.ca.

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of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 128 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's Graduate Program in Law is also the largest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

, also known as the Canadian Foundation for Advancement of Investor Rights, is an independent, national, charitable organization dedicated to the advancement of investor rights. As a voice for Canadian investors, FAIR Canada provides information and education to the public, governments and regulators about investors’ rights and protections in Canada’s capital markets. For more information about FAIR Canada go to www.faircanada.ca.

Media Contacts:

Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode clinic provides free legal assistance to aggrieved investors appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, November 2, 2017 – The Investor Protection Clinic at 91��ɫ’s Osgoode Hall Law School wants to hear from investors who believe that their funds have been mishandled and who cannot afford a lawyer to help them sort out the problem.

The newly launched Clinic – the first of its kind in Canada – is staffed by Osgoode students who are paired with supervising lawyers from leading business law firms in Ontario. The student-lawyer teams provide free legal advice to qualifying investors on a range of issues. The Investor Protection Clinic was founded by FAIR Canada and Osgoode Hall Law School with funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario Access to Justice Fund.

“We’d like to hear from investors who believe they have suffered an investment loss as a result of someone else’s wrongdoing,” said Professor Poonam Puri, Director of the Investor Protection Clinic.

Common issues that the Clinic may be able to help with include cases of an advisor, teller or customer service representative at a bank, insurance company or investment firm misrepresenting the risk of a client’s investments; funds being used in ways that a client was unaware of; an advisor making too many trades, resulting in high commissions or trading fees; a firm charging fees that were not explained to a client; and an advisor signing forms on a client’s behalf without their permission. However, the Clinic is unable to help clients with losses that occurred as a result of market forces and risks inherent in investing.

Puri said the Clinic’s student-lawyer teams might assist an investor by, for example, writing a complaint letter on their behalf to the company or the regulator; giving a client options on how to proceed with their issues; or even representing the client at a hearing.

“Institutional investors can take care of themselves for the most part,” Puri said. “But most people are not going to have the funds to hire a lawyer when things go wrong with their investments, and a regulator like the Ontario Securities Commission can’t help everybody.”

Puri added that the Clinic will decide on a case-by-case basis whether or not to accept a client and will consider factors such as income, assets, net worth and the nature of the concerns.

According to lawyer Marian Passmore, Director of Policy and COO at FAIR Canada, the Clinic “will help Ontarians navigate a very complicated area involving securities, banking and insurance products and the firms who sell them.�� Average investors who have experienced some sort of loss of their investments in some way often don’t know where to start when that happens to them.”

For more information about the Investor Protection Clinic, call 416-736-5538 or email ipc@osgoode.yorku.ca.

-30-

of 91��ɫ has a proud history of 128 years of leadership and innovation in legal education and legal scholarship. A total of about 900 students are enrolled in Osgoode’s three-year Juris Doctor (JD) Program as well as joint and combined programs. The school's Graduate Program in Law is also the largest in the country and one of the most highly regarded in North America. In addition, Osgoode Professional Development, which operates out of Osgoode’s facility in downtown Toronto, offers both degree and non-degree programming for Canadian and international lawyers, non-law professionals, firms and organizations. Osgoode has an internationally renowned faculty of 60 full-time professors, and more than 100 adjunct professors. Our respected community of more than 18,000 alumni are leaders in the legal profession and in many other fields in Canada and across the globe.

is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

, also known as the Canadian Foundation for Advancement of Investor Rights, is an independent, national, charitable organization dedicated to the advancement of investor rights. As a voice for Canadian investors, FAIR Canada provides information and education to the public, governments and regulators about investors’ rights and protections in Canada’s capital markets. For more information about FAIR Canada go to www.faircanada.ca.

Media Contacts:

Virginia Corner, Communications Manager, Osgoode Hall Law School of 91��ɫ, 416-736-5820, vcorner@osgoode.yorku.ca

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Osgoode clinic provides free legal assistance to aggrieved investors appeared first on News@91��ɫ.