Regulatory Show and Tell: Lessons from International Statutory Regimes

Historically, the evolution and growth of American corporate law has occurred with only limited and sporadic attention to international corporate governance regimes. This article considers some possible reasons for the relative lack of attention in the United States to international corporate regimes in the past. It also discusses some interesting differences between the law relating to shareholder rights in the United States and in other jurisdictions, including common law countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia. This article argues that, in an era when there is growing skepticism about the influence of the competition for corporate charters within the United States, it makes sense for the United States to examine and test how international jurisdictions address common problems in corporate regulation.