Photo of Joan Heminway

Professor Heminway brought nearly 15 years of corporate practice experience to the University of Tennessee College of Law when she joined the faculty in 2000. She practiced transactional business law (working in the areas of public offerings, private placements, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, and restructurings) in the Boston office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP from 1985 through 2000.

She has served as an expert witness and consultant on business entity and finance and federal and state securities law matters and is a frequent academic and continuing legal education presenter on business law issues. Professor Heminway also has represented pro bono clients on political asylum applications, landlord/tenant appeals, social security/disability cases, and not-for-profit incorporations and related business law issues. Read More

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, Alabama, 16 April 1963, in Atlantic Monthly August 1963

I had wanted to post a tribute to Dr. King here early on Monday.  However, after posting the Emory conference announcement, I moved on to other work, and that work filled up the available time in the day.  So, this late post including the quote above will have to suffice.

As I read meaningful quotes from Dr. King on social media and elsewhere all day on Monday, I found myself thinking of examples of inequality and injustice.  Many are compelling; many are meaningful.  Some are current events; and some of those involve business law questions.

For a number of days now (since before MLK Day) we have been showered with news stories relating to the compensation disparity between Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams for reshooting scenes from All the Money in the World in the wake of Kevin Spacey’s replacement in the film resulting from allegations of sexual misconduct.  (See here, among other places.)  Most folks who follow Hollywood business issues know that gender discrimination is common.  My sister, a visual effects

Sixth Biennial Conference:
To Teach is to Learn Twice: Fostering Excellence in Transactional Law and Skills Education

June 1-2, 2018 • Atlanta

Emory’s Center for Transactional Law and Practice is delighted to announce its sixth biennial conference on the teaching of transactional law and skills.  The conference, entitled “To Teach is to Learn Twice:  Fostering Excellence in Transactional Law and Skills Education,” will be held at Emory Law, beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2018, and ending at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 2, 2018. 

Four New and Different Things about the Conference: 

  • Presentation of the inaugural Tina L. Stark Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Transactional Law and Skills.  Note:  For information about how to nominate yourself or someone else for this award, please visit http://bit.ly/2C1HdMW.
  • New 45-minute “Try-This” time slots for individual presenters to demonstrate in-class activities.   
  • Reduced registration fee for new transactional law and skills educators.
  • Reduced registration fee for adjunct professors.  

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

We are accepting proposals immediately, but in no event later than 5 p.m. on Monday, February 16, 2018. 

We welcome you to present on any aspect of transactional law and skills education as long as you view

AALS2018(SHProposalPanel)

Last week, I had the privilege of attending and participating in the 2018 annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (#aals2018).  I saw many of you there.  It was a full four days for me.  The conference concluded on Saturday with the program captured in the photo above–four of us BLPB co-bloggers (Stefan, me, Josh, and Ann) jawing about shareholder proposals–as among ourselves and with our engaged audience members (who provided excellent questions and insights).  Thanks to Stefan for organizing the session and inspiring our work with his article, The Inclusive Capitalism Shareholder Proposal.  I learned a lot in preparing for and participating in this part of the program.

Earlier that day, BLPB co-blogger Anne Tucker and I co-moderated (really, Anne did the lion’s share of the work) a discussion group entitled “A New Era for Business Regulation?” on current and future regulatory and de-regulatory initiatives.  In some part, this session stemmed from posts that Anne and I wrote for the BLPB here, here, and here.  I earlier posted a call for participation in this session.  The conversation was wide-ranging and fascinating.  I took notes for two essays I am writing this

I am laboring with what I hope is the tail end of the fourth cold I have had since the end of October–two in December alone.  Ugh.  So, I am afraid that my new year’s day spirit is somewhat dulled by all the cold medicine.  (I get on a plane for San Diego tomorrow morning, so getting all the head congestion out of the way today is a primary goal!)

Nevertheless, since New Year’s Day is commonly associated with resolutions, I thought I would offer one in the spirit of the BLPB.   It’s not your typical new year’s resolution.  But my co-bloggers and most of our readers will no doubt find it oddly familiar . . . .  Here goes.  (Oh, and happy new year!)

*          *          *

CONSENT OF SOLE NEW YEAR’S DAY BLPB BLOGGER

Monday, January 1, 2018

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WHEREAS, our weblog is blessed by some of the best blog editors known to man (and woman and others); and

WHEREAS, our weblog has garnered over 1,045,000 page views; and

WHERAS, our readers are amazing, patient folks with interesting and diverse ideas, thoughts, and perspectives; and 

WHEREAS, all of

Christmas2017(MorningBeverage)

Merry Christmas to all celebrating today.  I am enjoying a white Christmas in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my dad and my brother and his husband, joined later today by my son and his fiancée (who had to work the night shift last night–she’s a hospital nurse).  For the first time in many, many years–I think since before I was married in 1985–I am separated from my husband this Christmas.  He is back in Tennessee with my daughter, who celebrated her 26th birthday yesterday.  Their work schedules didn’t accommodate holiday travel this year.  My daughter, in particular, worked yesterday and will work again tomorrow.  The working world is a different place now during the holidays than it was when I was a child.

As I sit here with a blood orange mimosa on Christmas morning, that observation set me to thinking about blue laws and Christmas.  (Ann and I are thinking along similar lines this week, it seems . . . .)  A lot of folks save their shopping–including shopping for alcohol–until somewhat the last minute.  This year, Christmas is on a Monday, meaning that Christmas Eve–a prime shopping day–was on a Sunday.  I wondered whether any blue laws prevented stores

Our colleagues and friends at the Burgundy School of Business have informed me about an opportunity to participate in the European Academy of Management (EURAM) conference to be held in Reykjavik, Iceland from June 20-23.  (Note: these dates overlap with the 2018 National Business Law Scholars Conference.)  The Strategic Interest Group on Entrepreneurship (GIS 03) for the EURAM conference has established a sub-track on the “Sharing Economy” at the EURAM 2018 meeting. Djamchid Assadi of the Burgundy School of Business is coordinating this part of the program.

Djamchid is looking for both paper submissions and reviewers for the Sharing Economy sub-track.  Paper submissions are due by January 10 (2:00 pm Belgium time) and applications to serve as a reviewer are due December 31.  (Paper presenters are required to review at least two papers at the conference.)  Information about the conference can be found here.  The reviewer application form is available here.

Please contact Djamchid at Djamchid.Assadi@bsb-education.com if you are interested in submitting a paper.  He can tell you how to designate the paper for GIS 03.  Apparently, in GIS 03, you can declare your interest in the “The Sharing Economy” subtract.  Please feel free to use my name in