The Gazette 1992

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1992

SYS Conference Focussed on Competition, Insolvency and Choice of Law

Kilkenny proved to be a particularly successful venue for the Au t umn Con f e r ence of t he SYS. The Newpark Hotel attracted a large number of t he older ' y o u ng solicitors' - for some it was their first SYS weekend but certainly not their last. This may have had something to do w i th the golf at Mount Juliet. It may also have been due to the high quality of the lectures. The first lecture on Saturday was given by Brian Cregan B.L., Director of Legal and Competition Policy, Confederation of Irish Industry. This was a most helpful and practical overview of the Competition Act wh i ch came into force on 1 October, 1991. Among the ground covered were the features of European Competition Policy upon wh i ch the Irish Competition Act is based, the structure of the Act

itself, the role of the courts and the Competition Authority. The second lecture - 'Insolvency - Implica- tions for Property Lawyers' - was delivered most e l oquen t ly by Eugene McCague, solicitor, Arthur Cox. Having dealt w i th the ground rules for purchasing property from liquidators and receivers, Mr. McCague then went on to clarify many of the grey areas surrounding the issues affecting landlords on the one hand and liquidators/ receivers on the other when deal- ing w i t h i n s o l v ent t e n a nt companies. The black tie banquet and dance on Saturday evening featured The Hot City Jazz Orchestra which certainly lived up to everyone's expectations. The new Chairman of the SYS, James McCourt, gave his opening address in wh i ch he thanked

in particular the hard-working sub- committee wh i ch organised the conference - Maureen Walsh (main organiser), Paul Marren and Gavin Buckley. Despite the lateness of the hour the night before, the final lecture on Sunday morning given by Gerard Hogan B.L., Trinity College, Dublin, was well received. His lecture on 'The Rome Contract Convention' or The Rome Convention on Choice of Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations' was an in depth study of the subject including case law on t he t op ic and its pa r t i cu l ar relevance to Irish litigation lawyers. The Convention itself came into force generally on the 1st April, 1991 having been ratified by the required seven States (not including Ireland, apparently for consti- tutional reasons). (Continued on page 19)

ADVANCE NOTICE Society of Young Solicitors - International Spring Conference Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May, 1992 Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. The Society of Young Solicitors is pleased to announce that the Spring Conference this year will be a joint one with the Younger Members Committee of the Law Society and the Northern Ireland Young Solicitors Group. The Scottish Young Lawyers Association and The Young Solicitors Group of England and Wales are also participating. In addition, many delegates from Europe are expected. The Slieve Donard Hotel is a top Northern Irish hotel situated on the coast in very scenic surroundings at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. The Weekend Programme will cover a wide range of educational, social and leisure activities including a Black Tie Banquet on Saturday evening. The all-inclusive cost per delegate is £90.00 stg. Further details are available from James McCourt (SYS) at 760901 and from RobertHennessy (YMC) at 717277 and will be announced soon. Places at the Hotel will be limited to approximately 230 and you are encouraged to register your interest now. Put this date in your diary now!

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