Columbia Law School plays an important role in both the legal and economic communities by convening conferences that address the role of law and legal institutions in the economy—and vice versa. Following is a sampling of recent conferences.
Shareholder Democracy: Its Promises and Perils
This conference brought together experts to focus on the growing role of shareholders in governing public corporations. It was sponsored by the Center on Corporate Governance and the UCLA-Sloan Research Program on Business Organizations.
Narrowing the Tax Gap
This roundtable, sponsored by the Transactional Studies Program, focused on issues related to tax compliance, enforcement, and substantive innovations aimed at improving tax administration. Speakers included Columbia professors as well as Donald Korb, chief counsel of the Internal Revenue Service, and George Yin, chief of staff of the U.S. Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation.
Gatekeepers and Corporate Governance: Recent Developments in the United States and Japan
Held in Tokyo and organized by Professor Curtis Milhaupt and the Center for Japanese Legal Studies, the conference examined the roles and responsibilities of independent advisors in light of changing regulations and practices.
Law and Business
Organized by Professor Edward Morrison and sponsored by the Law School and Federal Judicial Center, this conference was attended by more than 40 federal bankruptcy judges who took part in three days of meetings addressing wide-ranging subjects including the rise of hostile takeovers in Japan, the evolution of bankruptcy laws in transition economies, punitive damages, and eminent domain.
Law, Finance, and Political Economy
Held under the auspices of the Center for Law & Economic Studies, the conference brought together a distinguished group of economists and lawyers to address issues related to economic development around the world, such as globalization, banking regulation, and labor.
ALI-ABA 11th Annual Advanced Corporate Governance Institute
Sponsored by the Law School's Center for Corporate Governance and mod- erated by its director, Professor John Coffee, the institute featured seven panel discussions that dealt with new tactics and priorities of institutional investors, SEC and stock exchange initiatives in the wake of recent scandals, and aspects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Symposium on Executive Compensation
Sponsored by the Center for Law & Economic Studies, the event addressed the rapid growth in CEO pay, coupled with poor performance, in recent years. The question of how to restore public and investor confidence in corporate America led to a spirited debate over whether executive pay is excessive.
This conference brought together experts to focus on the growing role of shareholders in governing public corporations. It was sponsored by the Center on Corporate Governance and the UCLA-Sloan Research Program on Business Organizations. 
This roundtable, sponsored by the Transactional Studies Program, focused on issues related to tax compliance, enforcement, and substantive innovations aimed at improving tax administration. Speakers included Columbia professors as well as Donald Korb, chief counsel of the Internal Revenue Service, and George Yin, chief of staff of the U.S. Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation.
Held in Tokyo and organized by Professor Curtis Milhaupt and the Center for Japanese Legal Studies, the conference examined the roles and responsibilities of independent advisors in light of changing regulations and practices. 