Erasmus School of Law PhD researchers explore transatlantic ties at Columbia Law School

During the seminar, Smits and Tilgner joined an interdisciplinary classroom of faculty, practitioners, and researchers from around the world. Smits took part in Corporate Decision-Making and the Law of the New Global Economy, taught by Geneviève Helleringer, Associate Professor in French Law and Business Law at the University of Oxford, which discussed the impact of legal diversity, geopolitical fragmentation, regulatory competition, and technological disruption on corporate decision-making. The class  connected closely to his research on banking business models, which essentially revolves around  the corresponding corporate decision-making. 

Tilgner took part in Deals: The Law and Economics of Transactions, taught by David Schizer, Harvey R. Miller Professor of Law and Economics and Dean Emeritus at Columbia Law School. The course aligned directly with his research on equity-based compensation at VC-backed startups, which he is conducting as part of the European Doctorate in Law & Economics (EDLE). Tilgner highlights the universality of incentive problems in transactions, the need for multi-stage optimization, and the strategic role of regulatory arbitrage.  

The value of a transatlantic outlook 

Both PhD researchers emphasize the value of the transatlantic and comparative outlook which the seminar offered. “Combining the institutional strengths and jurisdiction-specific expertise of Columbia Law School and Erasmus School of Law opens the door to research insights which would be difficult to reach within the context of one single financial and legal system.” 

Expanding the horizon of knowledge and collaboration 

The invitation to the Global Law & Business Seminar followed a visit by Adam Kolker, Assistant Dean and Executive Director for International and Comparative Law Programs at Columbia Law School, to Erasmus School of Law last autumn Columbia Law School offered the two early-career researchers a fee waiver for the seminar. A follow-up visit by Kolker is planned for September, when further details of a potential partnership will be discussed. 

The initiative is a valuable illustration of what internationalization can achieve. Encouraging early-career researchers to engage with leading institutions abroad strengthens their academic development and lays the groundwork for lasting institutional partnerships. Philip Hans Franses, Vice Dean of Impact and Reputation, and Ilva Putzier, coordinator of internationalisation, underline its importance: “The opportunity for our academic staff members to discuss their research pursued at Erasmus School of Law in a high-profile international environment is priceless and we hope to expand the collaboration within the next years”.