Yesterday, I posted the AALS Section on Business Associations Call for Papers for the New Voices in Business Law program.  Today, I am posting the section's general call for papers, which focuses on a very salient topic: Corporate Boards in the Age of COVID-19.  There certainly is a lot that we can say about that from the advisory, compliance, and litigation (prevention and management) angles.

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Call for Papers for the
Section on Business Associations Program on
Corporate Boards in the Age of COVID-19

2021 AALS Annual Meeting

The AALS Section on Business Associations is pleased to announce a Call for Papers for its program at the 2021 AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. The topic is Corporate Boards in the Age of COVID-19. Up to three presenters will be selected for the section’s program.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put corporate boards under tremendous stress. In the midst of unprecedented financial and operational challenges, boards must comply with legal obligations that are often complex, uncertain, and contested. This panel will explore the impact of COVID-19 on the corporate board. How should boards exercise their oversight and disclosure responsibilities during these times? Should boards reevaluate the corporate purpose, especially considering the increased vulnerability of employees and other stakeholders? Should boards rethink their dividends and stock buyback policies? And, as market instability continues, how should boards approach planned transactions and use defensive mechanisms? We hope to facilitate a robust conversation that connects corporate law theory to the immediate challenges facing corporate boards.

Submission Information:

Please submit an abstract or a draft of an unpublished paper to Jessica Ericsson, jerickso@richmond.edu, on or before August 3, 2020. Authors should include their name and contact information in their submission email but remove all identifying information from their submission.

Papers will be selected after review by members of the Executive Committee of the Section. Authors of selected papers will be notified by August 28, 2020. Presenters will be responsible for paying their registration fee, hotel, and travel expenses.

Please direct any questions to Jessica Erickson, University of Richmond School of Law, at jerickso@richmond.edu.