The UAlberta Law Bowman moot team with their coach, Associate Dean Chris Sprysak.
UAlberta Law students competed alongside representatives from 14 other Canadian law schools in the 2017 Donald G.H. Bowman National Tax Moot, March 3-4 in Toronto.
Now in its seventh year, the 2017 Bowman moot involved the appeal of a recent Federal Court of Appeal decision generally concerning:
(a) whether foreign exchange option contracts purchased by a non-securities dealer or financial institution could be valued for income tax purposes prior to the contracts maturing (which, in the particular facts of the case, resulted in the taxpayer claiming a $72 million dollar interim loss), and
(b) how such foreign exchange contracts should be characterized for income tax purposes.
UAlberta Law was represented by Allegra Hessels and James McTague for the Appellant, and Alex Michel and Karsten Erzinger for the Respondent. Associate Dean Christopher Sprysak coached the team.
"I am delighted to say that each and every member of the team did themselves and the University of Alberta proud," said Associate Dean Sprysak.
"They worked hard individually, and as a group; supported each other, as well as the teams against which they competed; immersed themselves in both the obvious and subtle aspects of the case; and then gave their best performances at the competition. It was an honour and a pleasure to be their coach and to witness their growth as legal researchers and as written and oral advocates."
UAlberta Law would like to thank Moodys Gartner Tax Law for their five-year sponsorship of the Bowman moot team, and the following individuals who gave of their time and expertise to judge practice rounds:
Darryl Antel; Gordon Beck, QC; Chad Brown; Mike Dolson; Douglas Forer; Adrienne Funk; MaryAnne Loney; Neil Mather; Scott McCamus; Grant Nash; Jason Pisesky; and James Yaskowich.