Nicholls appointed Research Fellow at U.S.-based think tank

November 22, 2013

Chris NichollsWestern Law professor Christopher Nicholls has joined a distinguished advisory group of academic, nonprofit and financial services leaders.

Nicholls has been appointed a research fellow at The Filene Research Institute, a U.S.-based nonprofit independent think tank for the consumer finance industry.

Filene introduced its Research Fellows program in 2005 to create a formal link to leaders in the worlds of academic, nonprofit and financial services.

The Fellows create research on managerial problems, public policy questions, and consumer needs that affect the consumer finance industry.

“When searching out new research fellows, we look for people who are visionaries in their fields and passionate about building the future of cooperative finance,” said Mark Meyer, CEO at Filene. “Christopher’s expertise in financial regulation and its practical application will play an integral role in helping Filene drive change that’s grounded in truth for credit unions and their members.”

Brigitte Goulard, vice president, policy at the Credit Union Central of Canada (CUCC) added, "One of the important benefits of the CUCC's partnership with Filene is the opportunity to have an accomplished Canadian academic such as Christopher bring a Canadian perspective to the Filene research table. We look forward to working with him over the term of his fellowship with Filene.”

Christopher Nicholls is the Stephen Dattels Chair in corporate finance law. He focuses on finance and securities regulation, and financial innovation and risk management. Nicholls has taught courses on financial institution regulation as well as corporate finance and securities regulation. He previously practiced corporate finance and securities law with two of Toronto’s largest corporate law firms and in Hamilton, Bermuda.

“Credit unions are uniquely positioned to play a pivotal role in the coming years in pioneering innovations in household and consumer finance,” said Nicholls. “I'm delighted to have the opportunity, as a Filene research fellow, to be part of a network of scholars, practitioners and policy makers exploring creative and practical ways to think about finance and financial institutions.”