3CL Travers Smith Seminar Series

Cambridge University

The Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law (3CL) at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, was formally opened by Lord Mustill at the conclusion of its first conference on 'Shareholder's Rights and Remedies' (held on the 12 April 1997). The 3CL has links with similar institutions in universities around the world, and through the Faculty's Herbert Smith Visitor Programme, it is able from time to time to invite leading international corporate and securities lawyers to Cambridge. The 3CL is a member of Cambridge Finance which coordinates the programmes of research and study in all areas of finance across the University of Cambridge. 3CL is grateful to Travers Smith for the generous support of the Seminar Series. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/ read less
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'Responsible Investment: Strategies of Government Pension Fund of Norway Explained': 3CL Lecture
14-03-2024
'Responsible Investment: Strategies of Government Pension Fund of Norway Explained': 3CL Lecture
Speaker: Elisa Cencig (Norges Bank Investment Management) Cambridge 3CL invites you to a seminar on the responsible investment strategies of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the entity responsible for managing Norway's government pension fund, valued at over 1 trillion US dollars. Operating in over 70 countries, NBIM is at the forefront of shaping sustainable and fair market practices globally. This session will delve into NBIM’s role in policy-making and standard setting, highlighting its commitment to responsible stewardship. The focus will be on NBIM's active investment approach across various levels - from market-wide initiatives to individual company engagements. NBIM works to ensure long-term growth in its investments while minimizing environmental and societal harm, through direct company engagement, goal setting, and strategic voting at shareholder meetings. Key topics like climate change action, responsible AI practices, and CEO compensation will be discussed, showcasing NBIM's dedication to guiding global investments towards ethical and sustainable outcomes. Leading this session is Elisa Cencig, Senior ESG Policy Advisor at NBIM. Her expertise will provide a comprehensive view into how a major global investor like NBIM navigates the complexities of responsible investment. Biography: Elisa is Senior ESG Policy Advisor at Norges Bank Investment Management, where she is responsible for the fund’s engagement with international organisations, standard-setters and policymakers on sustainability, responsible investment and corporate governance. Prior to that, she worked at the UK Financial Authority, first on EU Withdrawal Policy and Strategy and more recently leading the FCA’s engagement at the Financial Stability Board. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Association of Financial Markets in Europe’s Brussels office on prudential and resolution policy and advocacy. She is an alumna of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa (Italy) and the College of Europe (Belgium) and holds a PhD in Political Science from the London School of Economics. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website: http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/

Episodes

'Responsible Investment: Strategies of Government Pension Fund of Norway Explained': 3CL Lecture
14-03-2024
'Responsible Investment: Strategies of Government Pension Fund of Norway Explained': 3CL Lecture
Speaker: Elisa Cencig (Norges Bank Investment Management) Cambridge 3CL invites you to a seminar on the responsible investment strategies of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), the entity responsible for managing Norway's government pension fund, valued at over 1 trillion US dollars. Operating in over 70 countries, NBIM is at the forefront of shaping sustainable and fair market practices globally. This session will delve into NBIM’s role in policy-making and standard setting, highlighting its commitment to responsible stewardship. The focus will be on NBIM's active investment approach across various levels - from market-wide initiatives to individual company engagements. NBIM works to ensure long-term growth in its investments while minimizing environmental and societal harm, through direct company engagement, goal setting, and strategic voting at shareholder meetings. Key topics like climate change action, responsible AI practices, and CEO compensation will be discussed, showcasing NBIM's dedication to guiding global investments towards ethical and sustainable outcomes. Leading this session is Elisa Cencig, Senior ESG Policy Advisor at NBIM. Her expertise will provide a comprehensive view into how a major global investor like NBIM navigates the complexities of responsible investment. Biography: Elisa is Senior ESG Policy Advisor at Norges Bank Investment Management, where she is responsible for the fund’s engagement with international organisations, standard-setters and policymakers on sustainability, responsible investment and corporate governance. Prior to that, she worked at the UK Financial Authority, first on EU Withdrawal Policy and Strategy and more recently leading the FCA’s engagement at the Financial Stability Board. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Association of Financial Markets in Europe’s Brussels office on prudential and resolution policy and advocacy. She is an alumna of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa (Italy) and the College of Europe (Belgium) and holds a PhD in Political Science from the London School of Economics. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website: http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'What is Project Finance, and Why is it Important?': 3CL Seminar
14-02-2024
'What is Project Finance, and Why is it Important?': 3CL Seminar
Speaker: Professor Paul Deemer (Vanderbilt Law School) Abstract: This lecture will focus on the development and project financing of large international infrastructure projects, and will cover – - What is “project finance” and what is not? How does a “project financing” differ from other types of financing? - Why is project finance used on large infrastructure projects? What is “leverage,” and why is that important? - What legal structures and documents are commonly used in project financings? - Who are the participants in a project financing? What are their roles? - What is the role of the lawyer? Why should a new lawyer be familiar with project finance? In discussing these issues, the speaker will draw on his experience representing clients on projects in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information: https://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Modernising Commercial Dispute Resolution': 3CL Seminar
23-01-2024
'Modernising Commercial Dispute Resolution': 3CL Seminar
Speaker: Associate Professor John Sorabji (UCL) The presentation will look at why England and Wales has, historically, been a 'good forum to shop in' for commercial dispute resolution. It will then consider four challenges to its ability to maintain that position, before turning to practical steps that could and, perhaps should, be taken to enable it to remain a forum of choice for commercial disputes. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information: https://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Structured Finance: A Primer': 3CL Seminar
01-12-2023
'Structured Finance: A Primer': 3CL Seminar
Speaker: Martin Voitko (World Bank) Abstract: The Structured Finance seminar is intended to be a primer on understanding key concepts of these complex financial instruments and their benefits/limitations. The seminar will cover securitisation trades (both traditional (or cash) securitisations and synthetics) as well as covered bonds. The presentation will further explain what different types of those trades are used for as well as provide examples of typical structures. In the discussion part, the seminar can dive deeper into topics of interest for the audience such as ABS securities, CLN notes and covered bonds. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Asset Partitioning without Legal Personality': 3CL Lecture
14-11-2023
'Asset Partitioning without Legal Personality': 3CL Lecture
Speaker: Professor Chris Thomale (University of Vienna, University Roma Tre) Abstract: According to a widely received concept coined by Hansmann/Kraakman, “asset partitioning” denotes a bundle of doctrines surrounding the relationship of business owners as well as their business and private creditors, so-called entity shielding and owner shielding. Often, this configuration is associated with a legal entity, e.g., providing the “corporate veil” which allegedly protects owners’ assets from business creditors. Contrary to this intuition, it will be shown that legal personality, while offering a metaphorical framework for asset partitioning, is no institutionally indispensable prerequisite for it. To support this claim, we will look at historical and contemporary comparative evidence from continental-European as well as Middle- and South-American legal orders. This allows us to compare asset partitioning with and without legal personality and evaluate the policy implications of each. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Principles of Corporate Finance Law: New Developments': 3CL Lecture
31-10-2023
'Principles of Corporate Finance Law: New Developments': 3CL Lecture
Professor Eilís Ferran (Cambridge), Assistant Professor Elizabeth Howell (LSE) and Professor Felix Steffek (Cambridge) present the third edition of the book ‘Principles of Corporate Finance Law’ published by Oxford University Press in September 2023. Each of the three co-authors presents fundamental issues and new developments in corporate finance law reflected in the chapters of the book they were leading. For further details on ‘Principles of Corporate Finance Law’, please see the OUP website at https://global.oup.com/academic/product/principles-of-corporate-finance-law-9780198854074 The Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law (3CL) runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics and high-profile practitioners. This seminar was presented in cooperation with SMU School of Law who joined via Zoom. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Principles of Corporate Finance Law: New Developments': 3CL Lecture (audio)
31-10-2023
'Principles of Corporate Finance Law: New Developments': 3CL Lecture (audio)
Professor Eilís Ferran (Cambridge), Assistant Professor Elizabeth Howell (LSE) and Professor Felix Steffek (Cambridge) present the third edition of the book ‘Principles of Corporate Finance Law’ published by Oxford University Press in September 2023. Each of the three co-authors presents fundamental issues and new developments in corporate finance law reflected in the chapters of the book they were leading. For further details on ‘Principles of Corporate Finance Law’, please see the OUP website at https://global.oup.com/academic/product/principles-of-corporate-finance-law-9780198854074 The Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law (3CL) runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics and high-profile practitioners. This seminar was presented in cooperation with SMU School of Law who joined via Zoom. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Rethinking Securities Law': 3CL Lecture (audio)
11-10-2023
'Rethinking Securities Law': 3CL Lecture (audio)
Speaker: Professor Marc I. Steinberg (SMU Dedman School of Law) Abstract: This presentation, based on Professor Steinberg’s recent Oxford University Press book Rethinking Securities Law, which was awarded Winner — Best Law Book of 2021 by the American Book Fest Awards, focuses on the need to “rethink” the U.S. securities laws — with particular emphasis on the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and as amended). In both transactional and litigation settings, with frequency, U.S. securities law mandates apply that are erratic and antithetical to sound public policy. The objective of this book — and the presentation — is to highlight the deficiencies that exist under the current regimen, address their failings, provide recommendations for rectifying these deficiencies, and set forth a thorough analysis for remediation in order to prescribe a consistent and sound securities law framework. The book has received widespread favorable reviews from both practitioners and academicians. Professor Steinberg will focus on several key subjects that are addressed in the book. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/ This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.
'Rethinking Securities Law': 3CL Lecture
11-10-2023
'Rethinking Securities Law': 3CL Lecture
Speaker: Professor Marc I. Steinberg (SMU Dedman School of Law) Abstract: This presentation, based on Professor Steinberg’s recent Oxford University Press book Rethinking Securities Law, which was awarded Winner — Best Law Book of 2021 by the American Book Fest Awards, focuses on the need to “rethink” the U.S. securities laws — with particular emphasis on the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and as amended). In both transactional and litigation settings, with frequency, U.S. securities law mandates apply that are erratic and antithetical to sound public policy. The objective of this book — and the presentation — is to highlight the deficiencies that exist under the current regimen, address their failings, provide recommendations for rectifying these deficiencies, and set forth a thorough analysis for remediation in order to prescribe a consistent and sound securities law framework. The book has received widespread favorable reviews from both practitioners and academicians. Professor Steinberg will focus on several key subjects that are addressed in the book. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Leading Wherever They Want? CSR, ESG and Directors’ Duties': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar
15-03-2023
'Leading Wherever They Want? CSR, ESG and Directors’ Duties': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar
Speaker: Professor Jens Binder (University of Tübingen) 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Leading Wherever They Want? CSR, ESG and Directors’ Duties': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar (audio)
15-03-2023
'Leading Wherever They Want? CSR, ESG and Directors’ Duties': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar (audio)
Speaker: Professor Jens Binder (University of Tübingen) 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/ This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.
'Harmonisation of transactions avoidance law': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar (audio)
15-03-2023
'Harmonisation of transactions avoidance law': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar (audio)
Speaker: Professor Reinhard Bork (University of Hamburg) 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/ This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.
'Harmonisation of transactions avoidance law': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar
15-03-2023
'Harmonisation of transactions avoidance law': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar
Speaker: Professor Reinhard Bork (University of Hamburg) 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website at http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/
'Assessing Antitrust Damages in Follow-on Actions Against Cartels': 3CL Travers Smith/CELS seminar (audio)
09-03-2023
'Assessing Antitrust Damages in Follow-on Actions Against Cartels': 3CL Travers Smith/CELS seminar (audio)
Speaker: Professor Wolfgang Wurmnest Biography: Wolfgang Wurmnest is a full professor of law at the University of Hamburg since 2021. Previously he served as a full professor at the Universities of Augsburg (2013–2021) and Hanover (2009–2013), and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Private International and Comparative Law, Hamburg (2004–2008). He was a visiting scholar in Foggia, Lyon, Hanoi and (from September 2022 onwards) Cambridge. His main fields of research are comparative and international tort and competition law. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. The Cambridge Private Law Centre acknowledges with gratitude the generous financial support of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and of South Square: https://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/centre-activities For more information about CELS see: https://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/weekly-seminar-series This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.
'Assessing Antitrust Damages in Follow-on Actions Against Cartels': 3CL Travers Smith/CELS seminar
09-03-2023
'Assessing Antitrust Damages in Follow-on Actions Against Cartels': 3CL Travers Smith/CELS seminar
Speaker: Professor Wolfgang Wurmnest Biography: Wolfgang Wurmnest is a full professor of law at the University of Hamburg since 2021. Previously he served as a full professor at the Universities of Augsburg (2013–2021) and Hanover (2009–2013), and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Private International and Comparative Law, Hamburg (2004–2008). He was a visiting scholar in Foggia, Lyon, Hanoi and (from September 2022 onwards) Cambridge. His main fields of research are comparative and international tort and competition law. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. The Cambridge Private Law Centre acknowledges with gratitude the generous financial support of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and of South Square: https://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/centre-activities For more information about CELS see: https://www.cels.law.cam.ac.uk/weekly-seminar-series
'Penalty Clauses from a Comparative Perspective: Different Legal Approaches, Same Functions?': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar/CPLC Event (audio)
28-02-2023
'Penalty Clauses from a Comparative Perspective: Different Legal Approaches, Same Functions?': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar/CPLC Event (audio)
Speaker: Professor Jorge Feliu Rey (University Carlos III of Madrid) Commentator: Professor Hugh Beale (University of Warwick) Held in collaboration with CPLC. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. The Cambridge Private Law Centre acknowledges with gratitude the generous financial support of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and of South Square. This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.
'Penalty Clauses from a Comparative Perspective: Different Legal Approaches, Same Functions?': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar/CPLC Event
28-02-2023
'Penalty Clauses from a Comparative Perspective: Different Legal Approaches, Same Functions?': 3CL Travers Smith Seminar/CPLC Event
Speaker: Professor Jorge Feliu Rey (University Carlos III of Madrid) Commentator: Professor Hugh Beale (University of Warwick) Held in collaboration with CPLC. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. The Cambridge Private Law Centre acknowledges with gratitude the generous financial support of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and of South Square.
'Responsible Algorithms: Guiding Principles for Automated Decision-Making in Commercial Transactions': 3CL/CPLC Seminar (audio)
29-11-2022
'Responsible Algorithms: Guiding Principles for Automated Decision-Making in Commercial Transactions': 3CL/CPLC Seminar (audio)
Speaker: Professor Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell (University Carlos III of Madrid) Held jointly with the Cambridge Private Law Centre. Biography: Professor Rodriguez de las Heras Ballell is Professor of Commercial Law, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain. She works extensively in the area of AI, the digital economy and fintech, and is a member of EU Expert Groups on Liability for AI and other emerging technologies, on the Platform Economy and on Model Contract Terms for B2B Data Sharing and Cloud Computing. She is also an expert at UNIDROIT and UNCITRAL in Working Groups on Enforcement (Technology), Warehouse Receipts and Digital Economy (AI for international trade, Data transactions, Online Platforms) and has been the Spanish Delegate to UNCITRAL WG VI on Security Interests and WG IV on E-Commerce (Projects on AI in international data and Data transactions), and to UNIDROIT for the MAC protocol to the Cape Town Convention. She is an active member of the European Law Institute, and has been involved in many ELI projects: as the author of “Guiding Principles on ADM in Europe”, (2022), as co-reporter to the Project on Algorithmic Contracts, as a member of the project on Model Rules for Online Platforms and as assessor to the project on Smart Contracts and Blockchain. Her main other research interests focus on international business transactions and secured transactions and corporate finance. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.
'Responsible Algorithms: Guiding Principles for Automated Decision-Making in Commercial Transactions': 3CL/CPLC Seminar
29-11-2022
'Responsible Algorithms: Guiding Principles for Automated Decision-Making in Commercial Transactions': 3CL/CPLC Seminar
Speaker: Professor Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell (University Carlos III of Madrid) Held jointly with the Cambridge Private Law Centre. Biography: Professor Rodriguez de las Heras Ballell is Professor of Commercial Law, Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain. She works extensively in the area of AI, the digital economy and fintech, and is a member of EU Expert Groups on Liability for AI and other emerging technologies, on the Platform Economy and on Model Contract Terms for B2B Data Sharing and Cloud Computing. She is also an expert at UNIDROIT and UNCITRAL in Working Groups on Enforcement (Technology), Warehouse Receipts and Digital Economy (AI for international trade, Data transactions, Online Platforms) and has been the Spanish Delegate to UNCITRAL WG VI on Security Interests and WG IV on E-Commerce (Projects on AI in international data and Data transactions), and to UNIDROIT for the MAC protocol to the Cape Town Convention. She is an active member of the European Law Institute, and has been involved in many ELI projects: as the author of “Guiding Principles on ADM in Europe”, (2022), as co-reporter to the Project on Algorithmic Contracts, as a member of the project on Model Rules for Online Platforms and as assessor to the project on Smart Contracts and Blockchain. Her main other research interests focus on international business transactions and secured transactions and corporate finance. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners.
'Sustainable Finance in Private Markets': 3CL Lecture (audio)
16-11-2022
'Sustainable Finance in Private Markets': 3CL Lecture (audio)
Speaker: Professor Simon Witney (Travers Smith, LSE) The EU and, more recently, the UK have introduced very significant new sustainable finance regulation in recent years, most notably the SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation), the Green Taxonomy and mandatory TCFD (Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) reporting. Simon will explain what these regulations are seeking to achieve, how they apply in private markets and assess whether they are achieving their objectives. Biography: Dr Simon Witney, Visiting Professor in Practice at LSE Law, is a practising lawyer who also teaches on the LLM programme at LSE Law. His doctoral thesis, completed at LSE in 2017, was on corporate governance in private equity-backed companies. Simon continues to research and write on corporate governance, company law and related topics. Simon is a Senior Consultant at London-based law firm, Travers Smith. 3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners. This entry provides an audio source for iTunes.