Conference on Contractual Innovation

The Conference on Contractual Innovation was jointly sponsored by Columbia Law School, NYU School of Law and the Kauffman Foundation. The principal papers were presented by a group of the most eminent scholars currently writing on the interface of contract law and innovation, including,  Stephen Choi, Kevin Davis, Clayton Gillette, Ronald Gilson, Mitu Gulati, Ed Iacobucci, Florencia Marotta-Wurgler, Eric Posner, Charles Sabel, Robert Scott, Eric Talley and George Triantis. A group of distinguished discussants will comment on the conference papers.

See below for the conference schedule and papers to be discussed.  For further information and to RSVP, please contact Tricia Philip-Rao.

A compilation of all the papers will be provided at the conference.  Please do not cite papers without express permission of the authors.

May 3-4 2012, NYU Law School

Thursday, May 3

8:00–8:30

  • Continental Breakfast: Lester Pollack Room, 9th Floor of Furman Hall (245 Sullivan Street)

8:30

  • Introductory Remarks: Dean Richard Revesz, NYU Law School

8:30–10:45

  • Session I: Innovation in Standard Form Contracting: The Empirical Evidence
    Presenter: Florencia Marotta-Wurgler
    Set in Stone? Change in Consumer Standard Form Contracts
    Discussant: David Skeel
    Presenters: Stephen Choi & Mitu Gulati (with Eric Posner)
    X Marks the Spot: The Dynamics of Contract Evolution
    Discussant: David Skeel
    Moderator: Michal Barzuza

10:45–11:00

  • Coffee Break

11:00–1:15

  • Session II: Innovation in Commercial Contracting: Theoretical Perspectives
    Presenters: Ronald Gilson, Charles Sabel & Robert Scott
    Contract and Innovation
    Discussant: Gillian Hadfield
    Presenter: Kevin Davis
    Contracts as Technology
    Discussant: Lisa Bernstein
    Moderator: George Geis

1:15–2:45

  • Lunch

2:45–5:00

  • Session III: Innovation in Corporate Contracting
    Presenter: Victor Goldberg
    Brown v. Cara, the Type II Preliminary Agreement, and the Option to Unbundle
    Discussant: Jody Kraus
    Presenter: Edward Iacobucci
    Innovation and the Organizational Contract: Lessons from Income Trusts
    Discussant: Barry Adler
    Moderator: Jill Fisch

Friday, May 4

8:30–9:15

  • Continental Breakfast

9:15–11:45

  • Session IV: Exogenous Influences on Contract Design
    Presenter: George Triantis
    Market Conditions and Contract Design: Variations in Debt Covenants and Collateral
    Discussant: Alan Schwartz
    Presenter: Clayton Gillette
    Tacit Agreement, Investment and Contract Design
    Discussant: Victor Goldberg
    Moderator: Neil Cohen

12:00–1:30 

  • Concluding Lunch