Description

About the Seminar

Secured transactions law has been subjected to a close scrutiny over the last three decades by governments, mandated formulating international organisations, international financial institutions, and academics. One of the main reasons for this special attention is the importance of the availability and the cost of credit for trade and economic development, and the consequent need to reform collateral laws in order to improve access to finance. The ability to give security effectively influences not only the cost of credit but also, in some cases, whether credit will be available at all. The law of secured transactions around the world has been influenced by culture, property, social norms, and business practices. Both developed and developing economies have fragmented secured transactions laws. These laws present problems of clarity, as well as gaps and inconsistencies. These shortcomings are felt acutely by businesses when accessing to credit.

This seminar will engage with the challenges posed during global secured transactions lawmaking, policy choices, and how modern norms and principles influence law reforms around the world.

About the Speaker

Professor Orkun Akseli is Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Manchester Law School. He was the Academic Director of Manchester LawTech Initiative between 2022-2024. Previously, he taught at the Robert Gordon University, Newcastle University and Durham University. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Elon University Law School, USA in 2022 where he taught secured transactions, and international business transactions. He has published extensively on the modernisation and harmonisation of secured transactions law. His research has focused on the laws relating to secured credit, and the social and economic impact of these laws with reference to the financing of SMEs. He frequently engages with national policy making and international formulating organisations. His publications include “Secured Transactions in Global Law-making” (under contract with Hart, co-authored with S.V. Bazinas); “The Use of ADR in the Enforcement of Security Interests and Insolvency” (under contract with Brill, co-authored and edited with Teresa Rodriguez de las Heras Ballell); “The Future of Commercial Law: Ways forward for Change and Reform” (Hart 2020, with J. Linarelli); “International and Comparative Secured Transactions Law” (Hart 2017, with S.V. Bazinas); “Secured Transactions Law Reform: Principles, Policies and Practice” (Hart 2016, with L. Gullifer); “Availability of Credit and Secured Transactions in a Time of Crisis” (CUP 2013); “International Secured Transactions Law: Facilitation of Credit and International Conventions and Instruments” (Routledge 2011). He studied law in Turkey (LLB Dokuz Eylul University, MA Istanbul Bilgi University), USA (LLM University of Georgia) and the UK (PhD University of Manchester). He is an Associate Member of the International Academy of Comparative Law, and the past President, and current Secretary General of the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law. He is a member of Turkish Bar.