This paper builds on the wide-ranging policy discussion on shareholder activism in Europe. It seeks to define which shareholder actions are useful in reducing managerial agency costs and which could be interpreted as frivolous or abusive. We develop a typology, comprising of a number of Abuse...

Is coronavirus accelerating the future? Will the crisis provide a tipping point that encourages corporations to promote socially desirable values? Will there be a wider recognition that a sole focus on profits and investors hurts both companies and society? Or, will we simply return to...

In a technology-driven, digital world, many of the largest and most successful businesses now operate as “platforms.” Such firms leverage networked technologies to facilitate economic exchange, transfer information, connect people, and make predictions. Platform companies are already...

This Chapter in a comparative book on private limited liability companies starts with an illustration of the former success of the Dutch limited liability company (BV). Next it addresses the competitive European legal environment within which the Dutch BV has to operate. The study shows how the...

This paper examines the impact of increased corporate mobility on corporate lawmaking in the European Union (EU). More specifically, we seek an answer to a simple question: Has the increased mobility which arose from the implementation of the Societas Europaea (SE) and the path-breaking...

Lower barriers of entry for new firms and more flexibility in structuring a business organization are the two important factors motivating the introduction of the new company law. In general, policymakers use new company law initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship, innovation, and cooperative...

This is a time of spirited debate about regulatory competition in Europe. Discussions about competitive lawmaking abound. At the same time, the introduction of the European Company and the further harmonization attempts by the European Commission puts questions about the necessity of EU...

Investor confidence in financial markets depends in large part on the existence of an accurate disclosure regime that provides transparency in the beneficial ownership and control structures of publicly listed companies. This is particularly true for corporate governance systems that are...

Investor confidence in financial markets depends in large part on the existence of an accurate disclosure and reporting regime that provides transparency in the beneficial ownership and control structures of publicly listed companies. Today, a common post-financial crisis regulatory reform theme...

The digital transformation is disrupting the financial sector. Venture capital, private equity and hedge funds are also affected. We see more and more firms implement emerging technologies in their investment process. There are several common trends. Big Data analytics and the use of artificial...