Recently, I received the following conference announcement via e-mail:

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Understanding the Modern Company

Organised by the Department of Law, Queen Mary University of London,

in cooperation with University College London

Saturday 9 May 2015, 09.00 to 17.00

Centre for Commercial Law Studies

Queen Mary University of London

67-69 Lincoln’s Inn Fields

London WC2A 3JB

From their origin in medieval times to their modern incarnation as transnational bodies that traverse nations, the company remains an important, yet highly misunderstood entity. It is perhaps not surprising then that understanding what a company is and to whom it is accountable remains a persistent and enduring debate across the globe.

Today, the company is viewed in a variety, and often contradictory, ways. Some see it as a public body; others view it as a system of private ordering, while still others see it as a hybrid between these two views. Companies have also been characterized as the property of their shareholders, a network, a team, and even akin to a natural person. Yet the precise nature of the company and its role in society remain a modern mystery.

This conference brings together a wealth of scholars from around the world to explore the nature and function of companies. By drawing from different backgrounds and perspectives, the aim of this conference is to develop a normative approach to understanding the modern company.

SPEAKERS

Professor William Bratton, University of Pennsylvania

Professor Christopher Bruner, Washington & Lee University

Professor Karin Buhmann, Roskilde University

Dr Barnali Choudhury, Queen Mary University of London

Professor Janet Dine, Queen Mary University of London

Professor Luca Enriques, University of Oxford

Professor Brandon Garrett, University of Virginia

Professor Martin Gelter, Fordham Law School

Professor Paddy Ireland, University of Bristol

Dr Dionysia Katelouzou, King’s College London

Professor Andrew Keay, University of Leeds

Professor Ian Lee, University of Toronto

Dr Marc Moore, University of Cambridge

Dr Martin Petrin, University College London

Professor Beate Sjåfjell, University of Oslo

Professor Lynn Stout, Cornell University

To register, please visit: www.bit.ly/QM-Modern-Company