Bite-Sized Business Law

The U.S. just added another $5 trillion to its borrowing capacity, thanks to President Trump’s new bill. While this move may ease short-term pressure, it raises deeper questions about debt, inflation, and economic stability. In this episode we welcome back Richard Squire, Professor of Business Law at Fordham Law School and faculty director of the Corporate Law Center, to unpack the deeper implicat...

Is American democracy starting to look more like corporate governance? In this episode we unpack the ways in which the language and logic of the boardroom are reshaping our political system to understand what happens when citizens are treated like shareholders and politicians act more like CEOs. Legal scholars Sarah Haan (Brooklyn Law School), Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci (Hofstra Law School), an...

Can a CEO be too big to fail? In this episode of Bite-Sized Business Law, we dive into the volatility, legal wrangling, and power dynamics surrounding Elon Musk and Tesla with Ann Lipton, a leading scholar in corporate governance and business law and the Laurence W. DeMuth Chair of Business Law at the University of Colorado Law School. As Tesla’s stock swings wildly, Ann unpacks why Musk’s leaders...

Delaware may still be the gold standard for corporate law, but the Lone Star State is stepping up. In this episode, we explore how Texas is positioning itself as a serious alternative for corporate litigation and incorporation, as companies increasingly reconsider Delaware. Joining us is Michael Holmes, head of litigation at Vinson & Elkins and Vice Chair of the firm, whose practice spans both...

When global cartel collusion enters the equation, the best friend a CEO can have is a preeminent lawyer on the frontlines of competition law. Enter John Terzaken, global co-chair of the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice at Simpson Thacher and former Director of Criminal Enforcement of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division. With decades of experience navigating the complexities of antitrust enforcemen...

What does it take to catch a fraudster? In this episode of Bite-Sized Business Law, we explore the world of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs), the experts who investigate wrongdoing across corporations, government agencies, and beyond. Our guest is John Gill, President of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), who began his journey with the organization over 30 years ago as general co...

The controversy surrounding Delaware’s Senate Bill 21 (SB21) is far from over. In this episode, we examine a major new legal challenge that raises fundamental questions about the democratic process and the enduring power of Delaware’s Court of Chancery. Joining us is Anthony Rickey, founding partner of Margrave Law, whose boutique practice centers on fiduciary duties and shareholder litigation. Wi...

No one goes to law school to become a psychologist, yet every lawyer eventually faces deeply human questions. Why is my client making this decision? What do they really need from me? How will this advice land? In this episode of Bite-Sized Business Law, we explore how behavioral science can help answer those questions with guest Nitish Upadhyaya, Director of Behavioral Insights at Ropes & Gray...

With each new administration, businesses brace for shifts in antitrust enforcement. What’s changing now, and what’s next? In this episode, we examine the current landscape and future trends. To break it all down, we’re joined by Stephen Fishbein, a leading trial lawyer and partner at A&O Shearman in New York City, who has tackled some of the biggest antitrust cases in recent history. As a case...

First, there was Brexit, now, there’s DExit. Is Delaware at risk of losing its status as the undisputed leader in general corporation law? Senate Bill 21 (SB21) has sparked a fierce debate: some see it as a major overhaul of Delaware’s legal framework, while others believe it’s a necessary fix to prevent companies from reincorporating elsewhere. Fordham Law professors Sean Griffith and Richard Squ...

Investors hold a special place in American hearts. Even those who invest in law-breaking firms are treated as victims rather than actors who may bear some responsibility for the harm those firms cause. Is it time to change this perspective? And if so, what are the risks and benefits inherent in such a seachange? Today, we are joined by Associate Professor of Law at Emory School of Law, Andrew Jenn...

What is driving disputes in the business of healthcare, and how should providers and other parties handle the growing range of legal claims? Amidst renewed interest in healthcare in America, these are the questions we unpack today with the help of our guest, the Senior Vice President at Burford Capital, Charles Griffin. Charles has a background in litigation and finance, and he begins by walking u...

Business structures may seem like a modern invention, but their roots stretch back to ancient civilizations. In this episode, we explore the origins of trade and commerce with Barry Hawk, whose latest book, Family, Partnerships and Companies: From Assur to Amsterdam, uncovers how early societies shaped the way we do business today. In addition to being an author, Barry has had a long and successfu...

It wasn’t all that long ago that a woman on Wall Street was unheard of. However, through sheer determination and dwindling employee numbers after World War II, women began to make their mark on the trading hub of the world’s biggest economy. Paulina Bren has uncovered the real stories of women’s hard-fought battles to make a name for themselves on Wall Street, and she joins us today as an author,...

It started with a simple question: Was the richest person in the world overpaid? While the Delaware Court of Chancery twice concluded yes — Elon Musk’s Tesla compensation package was indeed unreasonably large and flawed in its process — the debate continues as to whether the decision was faithful to Delaware’s governance processes or an affront to shareholder democracy. In today’s conversation, Am...

Not all investors hail from a similar origin. From retail to institutional investors, each category is defined by specific characteristics like investment knowledge and the size of their trades. Today, we explore a rising class reshaping the stock market: wireless investors. Joining us is Christina Sautter, the law professor who coined the term. Based at SMU Dedman School of Law, Christina’s work...

How did our laws evolve to allow corporate spending on elections and who were the players driving the effort to deregulate campaign finance? In this episode, we are joined by Ann Southworth, professor of law at UC Irvine School of Law and co-director of the Center for Empirical Research on the Legal Profession. Her latest book, Big Money Unleashed: The Campaign to Deregulate Election Spending , un...

If you’ve sat on a corporate board, you already know just how painful even the most crucial board meetings can feel. During this episode, Robert Wolfe joins us to share his story of founding a company that not only promises to make board governance more efficient and effective but also to solve the overall problem of boredom in the boardroom. After building a background in entrepreneurship and adv...

Litigation finance is a fast-growing industry that promises to level the playing field, promote access to justice, and serve as a new source of legal funding. In this episode, we welcome Aviva Will, President of Burford Capital, the leader in legal finance. To kick off our conversation, Aviva shares her journey, from graduating from Fordham Law to working at Cravath and Time Warner before taking t...

At a time when everyone is feeling the pinch of rising food prices, the largest grocery store merger in US history is looming on the horizon. Kroger and Albertsons are set to join forces in a $25 billion deal, but will the FTC be able to block it and if not, what will the deal mean for consumers? Will it exacerbate the rising cost of groceries, provide some relief, or simply go unnoticed? To help...

We often talk about how corporations affect society, but what about the way society impacts corporations? Shareholders, customers, and employees are increasingly leveraging social media to influence corporate behavior. During this episode, we are joined by Dr. Akshaya Kamalnath, who is an expert in this arena, referring to the phenomenon as Hashtag Capitalism. She teaches Business Law, Corporate G...

When the Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated opinion in the Purdue Pharma case this June, decades of bankruptcy practice was called into question. The Court’s opinion removed a potent shield from the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, who many believe caused the opioid crisis, and it also clarified the fundamental limits of bankruptcy law. Today, we take another look at this groundbr...

Is the current corporate tax system fair, or does it enable companies to exploit legal loopholes while sidelining essential societal goals? Today, we continue our in-depth discussion on tax within the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) space, delving into the intricacies of corporate tax with Seth Piken. Seth is tax counsel at Ropes & Gray, specializing in corporate and international...

The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) movement is often hailed as one of the most transformative initiatives in modern corporate history. But are we overlooking a critical element that could redefine what it means to be a truly responsible corporation? In this episode, we explore an often-overlooked aspect of ESG—what the authors of a groundbreaking paper call the “missing T.” We are joi...

As much as the past three decades have relaxed us into thinking otherwise, recent outbreaks of conflict have proven once again how war is inextricably intertwined with our economy and the business world. So, what is the role of the private sector in geopolitical crises, and how should we modernize our businesses to meet the challenges of the 21st century? William Jannace is an Assistant Professor...