Impact Report
The Centre’s core mission is to bridge the disciplines of law, business, and the humanities in the context of family-owned and other privately held enterprises—the cornerstone of Canada’s economic landscape.
What distinguishes the Centre within Canadian legal education is its focused attention on private enterprise rather than public corporations, and its interdisciplinary approach to understanding both the people who lead businesses and the businesses themselves.
Through its academic programs, the Centre equips students with the legal knowledge, practical skills, and strategic insight required to address the full spectrum of legal and business challenges private enterprises encounter— from inception and growth to succession and transition.
Beyond education, the Centre fosters innovative research into the unique legal and operational complexities facing private businesses. It offers legal services through the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic, supports advanced legal scholarship, and serves as a vital resource for legal professionals and the broader business community.
The Centre is also committed to experiential learning and academic enrichment. This includes providing students with clinical legal training, facilitating research opportunities in private enterprise law, and supporting student participation in relevant academic conferences and opportunities.
Through research made publicly available, the Centre actively promotes knowledge exchange among legal scholars, business professionals, and students to cultivate a dynamic, inclusive business law ecosystem.
The overall priorities and operations of the Centre are recommended to the Business Advisory Committee and advanced by the Director of Program Development, in consultation with the Dean. The Business Advisory
Committee of the Faculty of Law, composed of faculty members from Robson Hall at the University of Manitoba, provides oversight for alignment with the Centre’s mandate, strategic goals, and budgetary objectives. The Dean of Law provides a second layer of accountability.
Dr. Laura Reimer,
Program Director