The Renewed (and Wild) Race in Corporate Law with Eric Talley | School of Law

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Add to Calendar: Add to Calendar: 2025-02-25 16:30:00 2025-02-25 17:30:00 The Renewed (and Wild) Race in Corporate Law with Eric Talley Event Description For much of the last century, Delaware reigned supreme in corporate law. Nearly two-thirds of all public companies—and countless private ones—chose to incorporate there, facing little competition from other jurisdictions. In the process, Delaware became the epicenter of high-stakes legal battles, attracting the world’s largest companies and most influential legal minds. Its dominance seemed self-perpetuating, reinforced by network effects, an extensive body of case law, and sheer institutional inertia. Yet today, that dominance is under challenge. Over the past year, a chorus of voices—some anxious, others eager—has suggested that Delaware stands on the precipice of losing its hegemony. Other states, sensing an opening, are making moves to reshape their corporate law landscapes in ways that range from strategic to seemingly haphazard. The result? A renewed and unpredictable contest for influence in corporate governance. What has brought about this moment of upheaval? And why now? Most importantly, how should practitioners, scholars, and policymakers navigate this shifting terrain? Bio Eric Talley is an expert on the intersection of corporate law, governance and finance. He additionally teaches and conducts research in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, quantitative methods, machine learning, contract and commercial law, alternative investments, game theory, and economic analysis of law. As a co-director of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, Talley directs research and programs focused on the future of corporate governance and performance. Talley is a frequent commentator in the national media and speaks regularly to corporate boards, judges, and regulators on issues pertaining to fiduciary duties, governance, and finance. He also hosts the Columbia-based podcast, Beyond “Unprecedented”: The Post Pandemic Economy. Talley is a two-time recipient of the Law School’s Willis L.M. Reese Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2017 and 2022). Before joining Columbia in 2015, Talley held tenured faculty appointments at the University of California, Berkeley (2006-15) and the University of Southern California (1995-2006). He has also held visiting appointments at Caltech, Pardee RAND Graduate School, University of Chicago, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and Stanford University. Moot Courtroom School of Law School of Law America/New_York public

Event Description

For much of the last century, Delaware reigned supreme in corporate law. Nearly two-thirds of all public companies—and countless private ones—chose to incorporate there, facing little competition from other jurisdictions. In the process, Delaware became the epicenter of high-stakes legal battles, attracting the world’s largest companies and most influential legal minds. Its dominance seemed self-perpetuating, reinforced by network effects, an extensive body of case law, and sheer institutional inertia. Yet today, that dominance is under challenge. Over the past year, a chorus of voices—some anxious, others eager—has suggested that Delaware stands on the precipice of losing its hegemony. Other states, sensing an opening, are making moves to reshape their corporate law landscapes in ways that range from strategic to seemingly haphazard. The result? A renewed and unpredictable contest for influence in corporate governance. What has brought about this moment of upheaval? And why now? Most importantly, how should practitioners, scholars, and policymakers navigate this shifting terrain?

Bio

Eric Talley is an expert on the intersection of corporate law, governance and finance. He additionally teaches and conducts research in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, quantitative methods, machine learning, contract and commercial law, alternative investments, game theory, and economic analysis of law.

As a co-director of the Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership, Talley directs research and programs focused on the future of corporate governance and performance. Talley is a frequent commentator in the national media and speaks regularly to corporate boards, judges, and regulators on issues pertaining to fiduciary duties, governance, and finance. He also hosts the Columbia-based podcast, Beyond “Unprecedented”: The Post Pandemic Economy. Talley is a two-time recipient of the Law School’s Willis L.M. Reese Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2017 and 2022).

Before joining Columbia in 2015, Talley held tenured faculty appointments at the University of California, Berkeley (2006-15) and the University of Southern California (1995-2006). He has also held visiting appointments at Caltech, Pardee RAND Graduate School, University of Chicago, Harvard University, Georgetown University, and Stanford University.

Event Location

Moot Courtroom