IBT Seminar Series

Transnational disputes often arise from international business transactions. Readers who are interested in international business transactions may want to participate in the International Business Transactions Virtual Seminar Series, which returns for 2026–2027 with the theme: “Asia at the Center of Global Business.” This year’s lineup features scholars exploring legal, economic, and institutional developments shaping cross-border business across Asia and beyond.

The legal architecture of cross-border business often shapes the disputes that follow: how multinational firms structure themselves across jurisdictions; when corporate boundaries are respected or disregarded; how credit and financing arrangements travel across borders; and how differences among legal and regulatory regimes affect firms and their counterparties.

The series is designed as an informal forum for conversation among scholars, practitioners, and others interested in the legal and institutional questions shaping cross-border business. All are welcome. Papers are not generally circulated in advance. Instead, presenters share their research for approximately 15 minutes, leaving most of each session for discussion among participants. The seminars are virtual and scheduled to facilitate participation across Asia, Australia, and the United States.

The 2026–2027 schedule:

• September — Umakanth Varottil (National University of Singapore): “Flipping Companies”
• October — Virginia Harper Ho (City University of Hong Kong): “Regulatory Partitioning, Corporate Veil-Peeking, and the (Un)bounding of Chinese Firms”
• November — Gen Goto (The University of Tokyo): “Corporate Scandals in Japan”
• January — Lin Lin (National University of Singapore): “Artificial Intelligence in China’s Banking Sector: Promises, Perils, and Regulation”
• February — Ruoying Chen (Australian National University): “Law and Finance of Local Special Development-Purpose Vehicles: Australia, China and Beyond”
• March — Giuliano Castellano (The University of Hong Kong): “Getting Credit Across Borders: How Legal Reform Templates Travel—and Why Results Diverge”
• April — Ernest Lim (National University of Singapore): “Directors’ Duties and Climate Change”
• May – James Zeng (The University of Hong Kong): “A Legal Theory of State Owned Enterprises”

Those interested in receiving seminar invitations and updates can join the IBT Virtual Seminar Series here.