Corporate Law Center
Originally formed in 2001 as a think tank to explore business and finance topics, today the Center continues to support leading-edge research and facilitate public discourse on issues which reflect real-world developments in corporate and financial law.
The Center showcases the business-law scholarship of Fordham Law faculty and research affiliates in a wide variety of corporate law sub-specialties. We also serve as a resource for Fordham Law students, connecting them with our distinguished alumni and other leading business and finance professionals.
On March 6, 2023, the Corporate Law Center held its annual Albert A. DeStefano Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law. This year, the Honorable Kathaleen McCormick, Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, was the guest lecturer. Chancellor McCormick not only delivered a fascinating lecture on current developments in corporate officer oversight, but also spent time with our students throughout the day. She discussed her path to the bench over lunch with students, and later joined Professor Griffith's Advanced Business Seminar to give a presentation on the work of the Chancery Court.
Chancellor McCormick's lecture focused on the decision in In re McDonald's Stockholder Derivative Litigation, No. 2021-0324-JTL, 2023 WL 387292 (Del. Ch. Jan. 26, 2023), which was recently decided by the Delaware Court of Chancery. In re McDonald's extended the fiduciary duties of oversight, which already apply to boards of directors, to corporate officers. Chancellor McCormick discussed the backdrop of oversight obligations generally before moving on to the recent development that In re McDonald's has ushered in. She also explained how demand futility creates a heightened procedural hurdle for plaintiffs seeking to plead a failure of oversight claim.
Chancellor McCormick joined the lectures' attendees at a reception following her remarks. In attendance were DeStefano family members Paul, James, and Katherine DeStefano, as well as Dean Diller, other faculty, students and alumni. We thank Chancellor McCormick for lending her time, energy, and invaluable legal insights to the Fordham community.
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Supporting learning
The Center allows students to learn the fundamental principles of business law from leading scholars and prominent practitioners. Our business law faculty includes professionals who have been involved in high-level business transactions. Our adjunct professors work in prominent positions for large companies throughout the city and are as dedicated to teaching as they are passionate in their business career.