Call for Papers-- UCincinnati 2008 Corporate Law Symposium

CALL FOR PAPERS

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COLLEGE OF LAW
Corporate Law Center and Law Review 2008 Corporate Law Symposium

The Dysfunctional Board: Causes and Cures

March 14, 2008

Hewlett-Packard presents a cautionary tale of the damage caused by distrust and dissension within the boardroom.  In fall 2006, Hewlett-Packard became embroiled in a headline-grabbing scandal and disgrace when the media reported that the board had authorized the use of possibly illegal tactics to determine the source of boardroom leaks.  In the resulting publicity, the underlying problem – the breach of the directors’ obligation to maintain the confidentiality of corporate information – was often overlooked.  More recently, Dow Chemical announced that it had fired two senior executives, one of whom is a director, for allegedly engaging in unauthorized talks to sell the company.  In another well-publicized “civil war,” in 2005 Morgan Stanley replaced its CEO and substantially reshaped its board of directors.

  What confluence of events can cause governance at highly-regarded corporations to go awry?   This symposium will explore the causes of dysfunctional boards and attempt to formulate some possible cures.

This is a call for papers.  If you are interested in presenting a paper on any aspect of this topic, please submit a proposal to Barbara Black, Charles Hartsock Professor of Law and Director, Corporate Law Center, University of Cincinnati College of Law.  Submissions should be no more than 5 single-spaced pages and should be sent by e-mail by May 31 to: barbara.black@uc.edu.

Presenters will be reimbursed for reasonable travel expenses to attend the conference, and papers will be published in the symposium issue of the University of Cincinnati Law Review.

Confirmed Speakers:

Lissa Lamkin Broome, Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of Law

Lawrence A. Cunningham, Academic Dean, Libby Scholar and Professor of Law &  Business, Boston College Law School 

Tamar Frankel, Professor and Michaels Faculty Research Scholar, Boston University School of Law 

Kimberly D. Krawiec, Professor, University of North Carolina School of Law