New teaching staff welcomed to Faculty of Law

The Office of the Dean of Law is pleased to advise that the University of Manitoba Board of Governors has confirmed the appointments of Yvan Larocque, and Andrea Doyle who will be commencing two-year Instructor II positions, and Dr. Akinwumi Ogunranti, who will commence a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Faculty of Law, all on July 1, 2023.

Dr. Akinwumi Ogunranti

Dr. Akinwumi Ogunranti (Akin) earned his LLB degree from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, and was called to the Nigerian bar in 2013. He practiced law in a full-service commercial law firm for three years before starting his graduate studies. Akin earned his LLM and Ph.D. degrees in 2017 and 2022, respectively, at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University. His Ph.D. thesis is titled “Africa’s Contribution to the Development of the Norm of Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights.” His research interests include business and human rights, private international law, investment law, and dispute resolution relating to corporate accountability and access to justice. 

Akin has published nationally and internationally. His recent paper, “Localizing the UNGPs: An Afrocentric Approach to Interpreting Pillar II,” is published in the Business and Human Rights Journal. His forthcoming paper on international investment law titled “Why the Multilateral Investment Court is a Bad Idea for Africa” is forthcoming in the Dalhousie Law Journal.

“I look forward to interacting with students in and outside the classroom. For me, learning is always a two-way street. I learn from the students as much as they learn from me. I want to share classrooms with students who, through innovative thinking, shape the future of legal practice in Canada.” – Dr. Akinwumi Ogunranti

He is currently a Crawford Fellow at the Schulich School of Law. He joined the teaching faculty of the Schulich community as a professor in 2019. He teaches first and upper-year courses, including contracts, professional responsibility, business and human rights, and legal ethics. He has received many awards, including the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia entrance scholarship, the Dean Ronald St. John MacDonald Graduate Fellowship in Law, the Schulich Fellowship, and the Crawford Fellowship.

Akin is licensed to practice law in Nigeria and Nova Scotia, Canada. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar, the Nova Scotia Bar Society, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and the Association of Certified Anti-money Laundering Specialists. 

When asked what it was about Robson Hall that inspired his wish to join the Faculty, he explained, “The strategic vision of the law school on teaching and research was a major attraction for me. Robson Hall’s goal of supporting students’ experiential learning aligns with my teaching philosophy because I believe law cannot be taught; its application can only be learned. Similarly, the law school’s business and human rights research centers that produce cutting-edge research excite me. My research focuses on the intersection of business and human rights. So, the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in these research clusters is difficult to turn down.” 

If you don’t see Akin in the classroom, his office, or the library, you will catch him skiing or bowling.

“Outside the classroom, I look forward to exploring the city of Winnipeg and trying out new food and sports,” he said.

Yvan Larocque

Yvan Guy Larocque, CD, LLM is a well-respected Indigenous business lawyer and the Founder of Larocque Business Law. With a practice focused on Indigenous Economic Development and Governance, Yvan has extensive experience advising Indigenous governments and Economic Development Groups on a wide range of corporate, financing, tax, and development matters.

Yvan holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Peter A. Allard School of Law (UBC) with a Business Law Concentration and a Specialization in Aboriginal Law, as well as a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School with a Specialization in Business Law. He is called to the Bar in the Province of British Columbia and Manitoba.

Prior to joining Robson Hall as an Instructor, Yvan regularly guest lectured on the subjects Indigenous economic development and governance at the University of British Columbia and University of Victoria, and taught Commercial Law and Corporations I as a Practicing Professional Instructor.

“I’m honoured to join the faculty of at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law as an Instructor and look forward to sharing my professional experiences and knowledge with students in my courses and clinical work. I’m also looking forward to joining other Indigenous Instructors and Professors at Robson Hall in continuing to advance Reconciliation in legal education and the legal profession.” – Yvan Larocque

Yvan has also had a lengthy military career, having served in the Canadian Armed Forces for over 20 years in both the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force, and currently holds the rank of Petty Officer 1st Class.

Yvan’s expertise and contributions to the field of Indigenous business law are further reflected in his co-authorship of “The Taxation and Financing of Aboriginal Businesses in Canada” (Thomson Reuters). His dedication to improving the economic opportunities and legal rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada is a testament to his commitment to justice and equality.

Andrea Doyle

Andrea R. Doyle graduated from the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law (Robson Hall) with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2009 and was called to the Manitoba Bar in 2010. During the past thirteen years, Andrea has had a broad practice with the firm Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP (TDS). She is fluently bilingual and has practised law in both English and French. As a student at Robson Hall, Andrea was honoured to receive many academic awards, including being a Pitblado Scholar and obtaining the third highest standing in first and third year law.

Andrea has been a sessional instructor at Robson Hall since 2020 teaching the French section of Legal Negotiation (Négociation juridique) and more recently, teaching Remedies. She coached the Robson Hall negotiation team that recently participated in the Canadian National Negotiation Competition in French. 

“I am happy to be joining the faculty at Robson Hall. As a student, sessional instructor and negotiation coach, I have enjoyed being a part of the Robson Hall community. I look forward to continuing to work with students in both English and French in my new role.” – Andrea Doyle

Andrea has made presentations in the areas of bankruptcy and insolvency law and French language programs. She is a member-at-large of the French Speaking Common Law Members Section Executive of the Canadian Bar Association and a member of the board of directors of l’Association des juristes d’expression française du Manitoba (AJEFM). Andrea is currently chair of the Insurance Agents’ and Adjusters’ Licensing Appeal Board and has been a member of the Manitoba Health Appeal Board since 2017. She has also been involved with the Manitoba Bar Association, including being a member of Council and a member of the Law Day and Mid-Winter Conference Committees. 

Story submitted by Faculty of Law.