The Nature of the Corporation

By invitation only

The nature of the corporation has been debated for centuries across disciplines and subdisciplines. Fundamental questions of corporate law, like how directors and shareholders should behave, and whether the corporation currently performs the function in society that it should, come back to this core question. We cannot, ultimately, know how corporate governance should operate and the role of the corporation without a strong understanding of the corporation itself. Yet there are as many different viewpoints as there are commentators. At the event we will explore how these perspectives fit together providing intra and interdisciplinary analysis. 

This event is organised by Edinburgh Law School, the University of Auckland, Monash University and Copenhagen Business School. It is connected to a 5 volume, interdisciplinary collection that explores the nature of the corporation from various different perspectives. Volume 1 will discuss core corporate law theories of the corporate form, volume 2 will discuss core aspects of the corporate form, volume 3 will look at the corporation from adjacent legal fields, like antitrust law and employment law. Volume 4 will explore the corporation as an actor, and volume 5 will explore how the corporation is viewed from non-legal perspectives. The two-day offers an opportunity to present advanced papers on these themes, act as discussants for papers, and present kernels of ideas.

📆 Conference details: 
Monday 22 - Tuesday 23 June 2026

📍 Conference Location: 
Edinburgh Law School, Old College, Edinburgh.