About the Center on Law and Finance

Our complex world creates ever more intellectual challenges at the intersection of law, business, and finance. The need for sophisticated and thoughtful analysis in the academy, in practice, in government, and in the public discussion remains enormous. By connecting field defining research from academics with expert practitioners on the ground, the Center on Law and Finance strives to both deepen understanding and bring relevant professionals together to expand the reach and impact of its work.

The Center on Law and Finance has two primary objectives. The first is to advance the research and understanding of how law interacts with—and shapes—financial systems. Leveraging the strength of the University in the fields of law, finance, and economics, the Center on Law and Finance takes the next step to be the intellectual leader on tomorrow’s core legal issues in finance—issues across a range that includes distressed investments, negotiated reorganizations, venture capital structuring, investor activism, litigation finance, and valuation disputes.

The second objective is to connect our research concretely to the real world. Continuing the Law School’s commitment to the practical application of legal theory, the Center holds events that foster a meaningful dialogue between academics and practitioners. The academy is at its best when it translates scholarly work into useful information for practitioners. At the same time, the best research will be deeply informed by the experience of and insight from practitioners in the field.

With the launch of the Center in 2019, we have held a yearly schedule of conferences, roundtables, speaker events, and seminars on various topics. These events are designed to highlight and produce great scholarship at the Law School and to connect our faculty and alumni to each other and to other leaders in these fields.