Sagi Peari

Dr. Sagi Peari researches and teaches within private law, commercial law, international law and their intersections. He is an author of two research monographs published by Oxford University Press: The Foundation of Choice-of-Law: Choice & Equality (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018) and International Negotiable Instruments (with Professor Benjamin Geva) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021). Sagi is the only Australian academic who has authored two research monographs in law with Oxford University Press. His papers have been accepted for publication in leading UK, US, Canadian and Australian journals, including Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Cambridge Law Journal, American Journal of Comparative Law, Delaware Journal of Corporate Law and the University of Toronto Law Journal. Presently, with Professor Warren Swain of the University of Auckland, Sagi leads a global interdisciplinary initiative to tackle the current incoherency of private law. 

In essence, Sagi’s scholarship lays out a global theory of just public institutions and the legal effects of cross-border interactions, which extends its conceptual argument to concrete legal categories: contracts, torts, restitution, negotiable instruments, corporations and taxation. His work shows how the traditional legal doctrines, principles and concepts can be accommodated and qualified within the advancing reality of the digital age and online communications. 

Sagi holds an SJD degree from the University of Toronto where he was the recipient of the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier and Connaught Doctoral Fellowships. He was also a recipient of the Hauser Global Fellowship at New York University Law School, and of the Connection Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. One of Sagi’s papers received the best paper prize award from the American Society of International Law. Another paper received the best paper prize award from the Corporate Law Teachers Association of Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region.

Sagi is also a passionate teacher whose classes are filled with joy, positive spirit, friendly attitude and comprehensive treatment of the legal doctrine. He is a recipient of the 2019 & 2020 UWA Student Guild Choice Awards and the 2020 & 2022 Faculty's and Law School's Excellence in Teaching  Awards. In April 2023 Sagi received the 2023 UWA's Excellence in Teaching Award.  

Director, UWA Business Law Major

Member, Management & Commerce Board of Studies

Fellow, Higher Education Academy

Warden, Law Link Building

Prior to joining UWA, Sagi held academic appointments at New York University Law School (USA) and Osgoode Hall Law School (Canada)

International Taxation

A Liberal Theory of Conflict of Laws

Restitution of Mistaken Payments

The Unjust Enrichment Disaster: Australia

Taxpayers & Fairness

Books

Rethinking Unjust Enrichment: History, Sociology, Theory & Doctrine (with Professor Warren Swain eds.) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2023)  

International Negotiable Instruments (with Professor Benjamin Geva) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021)

The Foundation of Choice-of-Law: Choice & Equality (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018)

Selected Articles

"Choice of Law Meets Private Law Theory" (with Hanoch Dagan) Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (forthcoming 2024).

"Justifying Concurrent Claims in Private International Law" (with Marcus Teo) 82 (1) Cambridge Law Journal 138-170 (2023).

"Pairing International Taxation and Conflict of Laws: Common Challenges and Reciprocal Lessons' (with Nolan Sharkey) 41 (2) University of Queensland Law Journal 211-241 (2022).

"An Assessment of the US Rules which Determine the Relevant Law Applicable to Corporations: A Suggestion for Reform" 45 (3) Delaware Journal of Corporate Law 469-530 (2021)

“Three Objections to Forum of Necessity: Global Access to Justice & Proper Party” 55 (1) Osgoode Hall Law Journal 225 (2018)

“Can Better Law Be Married with Corrective Justice or Evil Laws?” 61 (2) McGill Law Journal 1-50 (2016)

“Better Law as a Better Outcome” 63 (1) The American Journal of Comparative Law 701 (2015)

“Savigny’s Theory of Choice-of-Law as a Principle of Voluntary Submission” 64 (1) University of Toronto Law Journal 106 (2014)

University of Western Australia Law School

Research Engagement & Impact Grant, 'The Current Incoherency of Private Law' (2022-2023), valued at $2,500

WA Law Reform Grant, 'The Remedial Consequnces of Frustration for Contract' (with Professor Robyn Carroll and others) (2020-2021), valued at $9,700.

Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Canada

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015- 2017), valued at $82,000.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Connection Grant to support conference organization (2015-2016), valued at $7,999.

Osgoode Hall Faculty Research Intensification Grant to support conference organization (2015- 2016), valued at $6,000.

Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation Grant, York University to support funding for scholarly events and outreach activities (2016- 2017), valued at $1,500. 

New York University, School of Law, USA

Hauser Global Law School’s Fellowship (2013-2014), valued at $45,000.

University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Canada

Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Fellowship (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) (2010- 2013), valued at $105,000.

Connaught International Doctoral Fellowship (2009), valued at $20,000.

University of Toronto Graduate Fellowship (2008), valued at $18,000.

Prizes and Nominations

2023 UWA's Excellence in Teaching Award  

2022 Law School's Excellence in Teaching Award

Higher Education Academy Fellowship 2022

UWA Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2021

UWA Student Guild Students' Choice Award for Semester 1, 2020

UWA Student Guild Students' Choice Award for Semester 2, 2019

Corporate Law Teachers Association Prize for the Best Paper (2019). Prize awarded by the Governance Institute of Australia, valued at $500 

Nomination by York University (Canada) for Talent Impact Award to represent York University in Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada federal competition (2016)

Nomination by University of Toronto Faculty of Law (Canada) for CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Competition for best doctoral thesis written between 2013 and 2015 amongst Canadian and American universities in the area of social sciences & humanities (2014)

American Society of International Law Prize for the Best Paper (2013), valued at $700

2018-2023

Obligations X International Conference, Banff, Canada (10 -14 July 2023).

Judge, Ian Fletcher International Insolvency Moot Competition (online) 17-22 February 2023.

Private and Commercial Law Annual Conference (UWA) 8-9 December 2022.

Banking and Financial Services Law Association, Academic Colloquium (Sydney) 1-2 December 2022 

Rethinking Unjust Enrichment: History, Sociology, Theory and Doctrine (convenor with Professor Warren Swain) 14-16 September 2022.

The HCCH Conference on Commercial , Digital and Financial Law Across Borders (with Professor Benjamin Geva, 12 September 2022) 

2022 Australasian Law Academics Association Conference (8 July 2022)

International Students in UWA (21 April 2022)

Contract Law in Common Law Countries Conference (7 December 2021)

Australian Consumer Law Conerence (1 December 2021)

Private and Commercial Law Research Cluster, UWA Law School (19 April 2021)

Unjust Enrichment and Restitution Law Conference, Melbourne Obligations Group (3 - 4 December 2020) 

Continuing Professional Development presentation for practitioners and academics, UWA Law School (18 November, 2020)

Max Planck Institute, Hamburg (Germany). Invited to write and present a paper in the forum of leading global experts on the nature of conflict of laws. The paper will be published in the edited collection of papers, titled Philosophical Foundations of Conflict of Laws (OUP, 2022) (4-5 November, 2020)

University of Pretoria International Consumer Law Conference (22-23 September 2020)

Quayside Chambers. An interactive talk for WA practitioners, arbitrators, on the principles of contractual frustration and force majure clauses.  CBD Perth, 31 August, 2020.

Interviewed for WA Business News newspaper on the point of contractual interpretation and underlying rationales of the contract law. 22 July 2020 WA Business News issue.

Corporate Law Teachers Annual Conference, Monash Business School. 4-6 February, 2020.

Contract Law Conference, Melbourne Law School. 5-6 December 2019

Consumer Law Workshop, Melbourne Law School. 4 December 2019.

Successful publishing in North American journals seminar. Panel member. 15 October 2019. UWA Law School.

Interviewed for ABC radio on the potential extension of the consumer guarantees regime under the Australian Consumer Law. 7 October, 2019.

MODEL United Nations conference, Adjudicator in the MODEL United Nations conference at UWA to high school students- Aquinas College, Christ Church Grammar School, Guildford Grammar School, Hale School, Scotch College, Trinity College and Wesley College. UWA, 18 September 2019.

8th Journal of Private International Law Conference, Munich, Germany (the leading bi- yearly international event in the area of private international law) 12 Septemebr, 2019.

Interviewed for WA Business News newspaper on the topic of validity of terms and conditions in online contracts. 2 September, 2019 WA Business News issue.      

Quayside Chambers, 110 attendees. An interactive talk for WA practitioners, arbitrators, on the he general principles of contract law and contract law remedies (with Tim Owen).  CBD Perth, 22 August, 2019.

Corporate Teachers Annual Conference, Auckland Law School, 2-4 February, 2019 (part of this event included a ceremony awarding Dr. Peari the Corporate Law Teachers Association award). 

Obligations Research Group, UWA Law School, 3 December, 2018.

K & L Gates Lawyers & Solicitors, 30 attendees. An interactive talk for practitioners, arbitrators, practitioners, member of judiciary and general public on various aspects of the published Oxford University Press book. CBD, Perth, 13 November, 2018.

WA Teachers’ Conference, Edith Cowen University, 12 October, 2018.

Showcase for industry business partners, UWA Business School, 15 September, 2018.

Conflict of Laws (Private International Law)

International Taxation

Private Law (Contracts, Torts, Property and Restitution)

Commercial Law (Secured Transactions, E-Commerce and Consumer Protection)

Taxpayers' Fairness