Stephanie Ben-Ishai

Stephanie Ben-Ishai serves as a Distinguished Research Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, where she is nationally and internationally recognized for expertise in bankruptcy, contract, and commercial law. Her scholarship has been cited by every level of Canadian court, and she has provided expert testimony in Canadian and American judicial proceedings while advising governments and regulatory bodies on insolvency matters.

Her academic credentials include:

• LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School
• LLM from Harvard Law School as Fulbright Scholar and SSHRC Doctoral Scholar

Professor Ben-Ishai's research focuses on systemic vulnerabilities in financial systems, with particular emphasis on consumer bankruptcy, payday lending regulation, and the intersection of law with social justice. Her work examines how over-indebtedness impacts marginalized populations and proposes innovative debt relief mechanisms, consistently bridging theoretical scholarship with practical law reform. Recent scholarship addresses emerging challenges including AI-driven credit discrimination and cannabis industry bankruptcy.

Her 2019-2023 publications reveal a strategic focus on contemporary financial crises, analyzing high-cost lending practices, pandemic-related insolvency trends, and cross-border regulatory challenges in emerging industries. This body of work demonstrates methodological diversity spanning empirical analysis, comparative law, and policy-oriented scholarship with increasing attention to technological disruption in credit markets.

Her accolades include:

• American Bankruptcy Institute Medal of Excellence
• York University Distinguished Research Professor
• INSOL International Scholar
• Distinguished Fulbright Fellowship
• Sprout Fellowship in Canadian Studies
• Thomas Feeney Visiting Professorship

Professor Ben-Ishai has supervised graduate research in bankruptcy and financial regulation while securing substantial research funding:

• Four SSHRC grants as Principal Investigator
• Law Foundation of Ontario funding
• Law Commission of Canada research support
• Industry Canada grants
• Schulich School of Business National Research Program awards

She co-founded and edits the Insolvency Institute of Canada Law Journal and directs the Osgoode Business Clinic providing pro bono legal services to small enterprises. Her international engagement includes visiting professorships at eight law schools across four countries and active participation in global insolvency research networks.