Background
Richard Ferguson has been practicing law for more than 40 years and is a partner with the business law firm of Lynass, Ferguson & Shoctor in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He was schooled in Saskatchewan, and graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in Arts (B.A. 75) and Law (LL.B. 76). Richard has successfully represented his clients before all courts in Alberta, and has broad experience in business and commercial law.

Areas of Practice and Professional Experience
Richard’s primary practice area involves representing and advising business owners and operators on a wide variety of legal matters including incorporation and registration of businesses; buying, selling and leasing of real estate; business acquisitions and dispositions; shareholder agreements; employment and contractor agreements as well as a variety of other contractual matters. In certain limited circumstances the representation of business and commercial clients extends to appearing before tribunals, agencies or courts in Alberta. In specialized areas of practice, outside experts are engaged on behalf of clients to ensure continuity of service and efficient use of resources.

Professional Activities
Richard is and has been very active in the Canadian Bar Association at a local, provincial and national level and is a past Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee and the Law Practice Management and Technology Section of the Canadian Bar Association (National). He is a past Chair of the Law Practice Management Section of the Canadian Bar Association (Alberta Branch) for 1995-2005, the Canadian liaison to the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section and a past Chair of its Technology Core Group and has served on its Publications Board and its Professional Development Board.

For two years Richard was engaged by the Legal Education Society of Alberta to provide consulting services and assistance to its AFutures Project@ looking at the ways and means lawyers can, will or wish to obtain legal education and information services.

Richard has been very involved in the distance education initiatives of the CBA and has been both a moderator and presenter in a variety of in person and internet delivered CLE programs for the CBA both at a national and a local level, the Legal Education Society of Alberta, the Pacific Legal Technology Conference, the Legal Technology for Lawyers Conference (Toronto), the Law Society of Upper Canada, ABA Law Practice Management Section and ABA Techshow (Chicago) on a variety of law practice management and technology topics

In September 2009 Richard was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management in recognition of activities in the area of Legal Education related to law practice management and technology.

Community Activities
Richard has been a director of the West Edmonton Business Association (1995-2003), and has served as the Chairperson of the Municipal Affairs Committee . Richard has been actively involved in community based sports groups in S.W. Edmonton, a director of the Alberta Choral Federation for several years until 1998, and was a founding member of the Edmonton Children’s Choir, Edmonton Youth Choir, and “Young Voices Festival”. In 2003 Richard received the Patricia Cook Award for Arts Advocacy from the Alberta Choral Federation.