Keynote Speaker: Lisa M. Fairfax

Lisa M. Fairfax is the Leroy Sorenson Merrifield Research Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School. Professor Fairfax is the Director of the GW Corporate Law and Governance Initiative. She teaches courses in the business area including Corporations, a Securities Law Seminar, and Contracts II. Professor Fairfax’s scholarly interests include corporate governance matters, fiduciary obligations, board diversity, shareholder activism, affinity fraud, and securities fraud. In addition to her many law review articles, Professor Fairfax has authored a book entitled, “Shareholder Democracy: A Primer on Shareholder Activism and Participation.” Professor Fairfax also has written several book chapters on board independence. Professor Fairfax is a member of the Investor Advisory Committee of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She is also a member of the SEC Historical Society Board of Advisors and the BYU Law School Board of Advisors. Professor Fairfax serves as Co-Director of the DirectWomen Board Institute, which promotes board diversity by identifying and supporting qualified women attorneys to serve as board candidates. In 2015, Professor Fairfax was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Professor Fairfax is a former member of the Committee on Corporate Laws of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, which has jurisdiction over the Model Business Corporation Act. Professor Fairfax is a former chair of the Securities Regulation Section of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) and a former chair of the Business Associations Section of the AALS. Professor Fairfax is a former member of the National Adjudicatory Council (NAC) of the Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA), where she served as chair of its subcommittee on waivers. Professor Fairfax is also a former member of the NASDAQ Market Regulation Committee of FINRA. Prior to joining the GW law faculty, Professor Fairfax was a Professor of Law and Director of the Business Law Program at the University of Maryland School of Law, and was voted “Teacher of the Year” by the Maryland law school students. Before entering academia, Professor Fairfax practiced corporate and securities law with the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston and the District of Columbia. Her practice included venture capital transactions, public offerings, private placements, and mergers and acquisitions. Professor Fairfax graduated from Harvard Law School and Harvard College with honors. Professor Fairfax is introduced by Brant J. Hellwig, Dean of the Washington and Lee University School of Law and Professor of Law