(from left to right) Keynote Speakers at the conference, Professor Lynn Stout and Professor Deborah DeMott

Corporate collapses, shareholder power, trade unions, and surprisingly mild weather dominated the Corporate Law Teachers Association’s annual conference on 5-7 February.

The CLTA annual conference was hosted this year by the TC Beirne School of Law at The University of Queensland. 

The conference drew an impressive turnout of delegates from interstate and overseas, as well as corporate law teachers from most Queensland universities.

Delegates travelled from the UK, New Zealand and Canada to participate in the conference, which specialises in discussing current corporate law issues and research being undertaken by company law teachers in universities.

The conference, entitled “The Pathology of Company Law”, kicked off proceedings with a relaxed evening cocktail reception on the Brisbane River in the heart of the CBD. The conference continued at Customs House, a UQ owned heritage listed venue.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, Professor Ian Zimmer

The conference was opened by the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, Professor Ian Zimmer, who applauded the strong attendance and encouraged the Corporate Law Teachers Association to consistently develop and innovate.

The plenary sessions reflected Australia’s growing accord with the United States, with both speakers from prestigious American universities. Delegates filled the riverside Long Room at Customs House to hear Professor Deborah DeMott, from Duke University, and Professor Lynn Stout, from UCLA, present the latest developments in corporate law. 

In the wake of Enron and HIH scandals, Professor DeMott considered executives duties during corporate collapse and suggested that such collapses ultimately assist in highlighting corporate practices. “Massive corporate collapses engender close scrutiny of conduct that would not otherwise be transparent,” she said.

Professor Stout’s presentation considered the the issue of the role of shareholders and their changing place in the traditional paradigms taught in corporations law. Professor Stout said, “A new generation of corporate scholars … have sought to develop new models.”

The range of speakers considered a wide variety of topics from psychology in corporate law to the lightness of punishments given to fraudulent executives in Taiwan. The conference sessions stimulated lively discussion, with delegates keen to engage with the presenters and provide challenging points of view.

	(from left to right) CLTA prize winner Mr Michael Rawlings and CSA President Mr John Nelson

The conference prize for the Best Paper, sponsored by Chartered Secretaries Australia, was awarded to Michael Rawlings for his paper, ‘Australian Trade Unions as Shareholder Activists.’

Delegates enjoyed a picturesque citycat ride to attend the conference dinner at Brisbane’s iconic riverside restaurant, Brett’s Wharf. 

The conference dinner also hosted a book launch to celebrate the publication by Thomson of the 13^th edition of Philip Lipton’s and Abe Herzberg’s Understanding Company Law. Lipton and Herzberg have long been academic colleagues and co-writers and their text is often referenced in corporate law teaching.

The location for the next conference will be decided by the CLTA and announced shortly. For further information on the association, visit www.clta.edu.au.