Corporate Governance

This seminar focuses, at an advanced level, on contemporary debates in corporate governance, particularly in light of recent North American and international developments.

Particular attention is paid to how these developments are situated both within theories of corporate governance and within the history of the development of corporate governance laws and norms in Canada and internationally.

Among the subjects considered are:

(1) the purpose and theory of the corporation and a re-evaluation of the divorce of corporate control from ownership;

(2) the duties and responsibilities of directors and officers including in the context of family-owned corporations;

(3) the role and responsibilities of institutional investors including private equity and hedge funds, and proxy advisory firms;

(4) the move from shareholder capitalism towards stakeholder governance and the interests of constituents such as employees, consumers and the environment;

(5) ESG issues including diversity on boards, human rights issues in supply chain management and climate change;

(6) TRC #92 and economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities; (7) the effect of emerging technologies such as AI and blockchain and cybersecurity issues on corporate governance practices;

(8) comparative corporate governance and ongoing reforms at national and international levels.

Method of Evaluation: 

Research paper (7,000 words excluding excluding footnotes or endnotes, bibliography and appendices) 70%; short comments on readings 20%; class participation 10%