Jay L. WESTBROOK
Distinguished Visitor
Visiting Period : 14 August 2017 to 20 August 2017

Prior to teaching at the University of Texas, Professor Westbrook was a partner in Surrey & Morse (now part of Jones, Day) in Washington, D.C. He is best known internationally for his work in international and comparative insolvency law, starting with his 1991 article Theory and Pragmatism in In Global Insolvencies: Choice Of Law And Choice Of Forum. In addition to many articles, he is co-author of several books, including A GLOBAL VIEW OF BUSINESS INSOLVENCY SYSTEMS (Martinus Nijhoff 2010) and THE LAW OF DEBTORS AND CREDITORS (Aspen, 7th ed. 2014). He has been Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School and the University of London, and is a member of the American Law Institute, the National Bankruptcy Conference, and the American College of Bankruptcy. He serves as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He was the United States Reporter for the ALI's Transnational Insolvency Project and co-head of the United States delegation to the UNCITRAL conference that produced the Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency. He is Director Emeritus of the International Insolvency Institute and a director and former President of the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law.

The Lecture discussed the coordination of international insolvency proceedings to maximize values for stakeholders, while reducing conflict and inefficiencies among national courts. Although developments in several jurisdictions will be discussed, the analysis will focus on Singapore and the United States.

This Lecture is particularly timely and relevant to legal practitioners, accountants, financial advisers and students of the law given the coming into force of the Companies (Amendment) Act 2017 on 23 May 2017. Amongst other things, this has introduced into Singapore law the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency which provides mutual recognition of insolvency orders and renders reciprocal aid in insolvency proceedings.