TheCorporateCounsel.net

In this 23-minute episode of our “Women Governance Trailblazers” podcast, Courtney Kamlet & I had the pleasure of speaking with Anat Alon-Beck. Anat (a.k.a. the “Unicorn Lady”) is an Associate Professor of Law at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Her extensive research on large privately held companies – and their impact on our market – has been cited to Congress, the SEC, and federal courts. Her findings have also influenced conversations & policy on a variety of high-profile corporate governance and securities law issues – including board diversity and human capital, corporate purpose, risk oversight, public benefit corporations, direct listings, and more. Listen to hear:

1. How Anat found her way into academia after practicing as a corporate & tech lawyer, and what led her to focus her research on corporate governance & securities issues.

2. The common thread that ties Anat’s published topics together – and a bit about her forthcoming research.

3. What the research shows about legal & regulatory reforms that could improve opportunities for corporate governance & securities practitioners and our markets overall – and what practitioners could do from a practical perspective to support reforms.

4. Thoughts on how boards & advisors can navigate the competing tensions and fraught political environment. Specifically, whether there are theories or data that could guide decision-making on sensitive topics without diverting too much time and money from the company’s core mission.

5. What Anat thinks women in the corporate governance field can add to the current conversation on the role of corporations in society.

To listen to any of our prior episodes, visit the podcast page on TheCorporateCounsel.net or use your favorite podcast app. If there are “women governance trailblazers” whose career paths and perspectives you’d like to hear more about, Courtney and I always appreciate recommendations! Shoot me an email at liz@thecorporatecounsel.net.

– Liz Dunshee