A.A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities, and Financial Law

The A.A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law was established in 2000 by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in tribute to their distinguished partner, Al Sommer, who dedicated over three decades of service to the legal profession and to public service. Al Sommer was an expert in a broad range of securities law topics and was influential in creating important regulatory innovations in the securities markets in addition to those in the accounting profession. Mr. Sommer, a prolific writer and Adjunct Professor of Securities Law at the University of Michigan Law School, was also chair or a member of virtually every significant organization in corporate and securities laws. Mr. Sommer served as a Commissioner with the SEC (1973-1976) and Chair of the Public Oversight Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (1986-99), before starting the Morgan, Lewis & Bockius securities law practice in 1979. He was a partner there until 1994 and then became Of Counsel.

Through this lecture series, the world's leading regulators share with the Law School and the business community their insights into the critical problems confronting the global financial markets. Past speakers have included leaders from the country's most important regulatory agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and the U.K. Financial Services Authority. Beginning in 2004 with the Fourth Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture and in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC Historical Society joined the Corporate Law Center in honoring Commissioner Sommer.

Past Speakers

John C. (“Jack”) Coffee Jr., Adolf A. Berle Professor of Law and director of the Center on Corporate Governance, Columbia Law School, The 18th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "The Agency Costs of Activism" (11/08/2017)

Ira D. Hammerman, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), The 17th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "SEC - Don't Throw Away Your Shot! A Renewed Call for a Uniform Fiduciary Standard to Protect Individual Investors" (11/10/2016)

Joseph A. Grundfest, The William A. Franke Professor of Law and Business Senior Faculty, Rock Center on Corporate Governance, Stanford Law School, The 16th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "Is the SEC Afraid of Federal Juries and Judges? An Empirical Analysis and a Legislative Recommendation" (11/18/2015)

Daniel M. Gallagher, Jr., Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The 15th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "The Securities and Exchange Commission--The Next 80 Years" (10/16/2014)

Mary Jo White, Chair, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The 14th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "The Importance of Independence" (10/03/2013) Video

Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services, The 13th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "Regulating in an Evolving Financial Landscape" (04/18/2013)

Troy A. Paredes, Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The 12th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "The Philosophy and Practice of Disclosure" (10/27/2011) Video

Peter J. Wallison, Arthur F. Burns Fellow in Financial Policy Studies & Co-Director, Financial Policy Studies Program, American Enterprise Institute; Member, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, The 11th Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law (10/28/2010) Video

Elisse B. Walter, Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The Tenth Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law (10/28/2009) Video

Linda Chatman Thomsen, Director, Division of Enforcement, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The Ninth Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "True to Our Mission: Why We Need the SEC" (11/06/2008)

Paul S. Atkins, Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The Eighth Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law (10/09/2007)

Margaret Cole, Director of Enforcement, United Kingdom Financial Services Authority, The Seventh Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "The UK FSA: Nobody Does It Better?" (10/17/2006)

Edward Greene, General Counsel, Citigroup Global Corporate and Investment Bank, The Sixth Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "An Approach to Resolving Regulatory Conflicts Between the U.S. and Europe" (11/17/2005)

Richard G. Ketchum, Chief Regulatory Officer, NYSE Regulation, The Fifth Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Financial and Securities Law, "The Self-Regulatory Compact" (11/09/2004)

William J. McDonough, Chairman, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), The Fourth Annual A A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, Remarks Concerning the PCAOB's mission (11/03/2003)

Harvey J. Goldschmid, Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, The Third Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "Post-Enron America: An SEC Perspective" (12/02/2002)

Mary L. Shapiro, President, National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), The Second Annual A. A. Sommer, Jr. Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "The New Normal: Changes in Self-Regulation and the Securities Industry in the Wake of the 9/11 Tragedy" (11/13/2001)

Arthur Levitt, Jr., Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Inaugural Address, A. A. Sommer, Jr. Annual Lecture on Corporate, Securities and Financial Law, "Costs Paid with Other People's Money" (11/03/2000)