2nd Lecture
Why Constitutions Fail (with Mila Versteeg)
Prof. Adam Chilton (University of Chicago Law School)
April 22, 2025 (Tues) 11 am – 12 pm (HKT)
Abstract
Constitution-making often occurs during pivotal moments. At these times, constitutions are typically written with the hope of fixing big social problems, like economic inequality, ethnic violence, or government unresponsive to popular will. This leads constitutional drafters to experiment with new institutional arrangements. But although existing institutional arrangements can be undesirable and, in theory, better alternatives are available, a radical institutional changes often lead new constitution-making projects to fail. The goal of this project is to try to understand what leads constitutional writing projects to fail and what leads them to succeed.
Ist Lecture
Governance in US Startups: Protecting VCs and Founders (from each other)
Prof Jesse M. Fried (Harvard Law School)
March 12, 2025 (Wed) 4pm – 5:30pm (HKT)
Pictures of 1st Lecture
Abstract
The United States dominates the world of venture capital. Many reasons are well-known: the size of the US economy, its deep and fluid labor markets, American’s risk-taking culture, and the rule of law. An overlooked set of factors, which this talk explores, are the governance mechanisms that facilitate contracting between VCs and founders; namely, contractual devices, corporate law, and the VC reputational market.