I had to bring the car to the shop again today, and while it was raining off and on I was able to walk around a bit and listen to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was an incredible talk by M. R. Sauter on the political and legal origins of venture capital at Western University. Sauter delivers an absolutely devastating analysis of the evolution of the sector, demonstrating how various actors systematically worked to dismantle investor protections. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBvwxn90Am8

Next was a thought-provoking session on the case for mandatory disclosure for PE firms at the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) led by Jeffrey Gordon and Dorothy Lund with discussion from William Birdthistle, Norm Champ, William Clayton, Josh Lerner, and Daniel Serota. While I'm not sure how likely this and other proposals at this conference are likely to become law, the points brought up here are important to consider. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OD1jWXDqRY

Next was a compelling session on the growing role of contracts in corporate governance and possible fixes for issues that arise from this trend at ECGI, with an opening talk by Eric Talley and Dorothy Lund followed by comments from Cathy Hwang, VC Laster, Edward Rock, Sarath Sanga, and Kate Yoon. Highly recommend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeJhEdaJeDc

Next was a great panel on pressures on shareholder rights at ECGI with Jill Fisch, Erik Gerding, Scott Grinsell, Jeff Mahoney, and William Savitt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1AJBATncD8

Last was "For Jobs and Freedom" by Robert Zieger. Zieger lays out the co-evolution of labor and civil rights post-Civil War, clearly laying out how the legacy of slavery in the South and racism more broadly continued to echo through labor and race relations long after that conflict ended. As one might expect, there's also a lot of analysis of the fraught, complex relations between Black people and the organized labor movement, with early movements such as the Knights of Labor and the IWW contrasting strongly with the overtly racist stance of the AFL and other unions. The importance of solidarity across communities is also explored, with conflicts between immigrants and Black workers only serving to reduce the earnings potential of both groups. As the history moves into the early 21st century Zieger makes it clear how far we still have to go, but also how much real progress has been made. Highly recommend https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_african_american_studies/34/