About
Professor Dörte Poelzig is a distinguished scholar of Civil Law and Commercial and Corporate Law at the University of Hamburg's Faculty of Law. She holds the W3 Chair for Civil Law and Commercial and Corporate Law since October 2021, having previously served as a professor at the Universities of Leipzig (2017-2021) and Passau (2011-2017). Professor Poelzig has established herself as a leading expert in capital markets regulation, corporate governance, and comparative law, contributing significantly to both academic discourse and practical legal frameworks in Germany and Europe.
Professor Poelzig's educational background includes:
- Legal studies at TU Dresden and University of Konstanz (1997-2002)
- First state law examination (2002)
- Magister Juris in European and Comparative Law from University of Oxford (2003-2004)
- Doctorate from University of Konstanz (2004)
- Second state law examination (2006)
- Habilitation from Heidelberg University (2010) with venia legendi for Civil Law, Commercial and Corporate Law, Civil Procedure, and Comparative Law
Professor Poelzig's research focuses on the intersection of civil law principles with modern commercial and financial systems. Her work particularly examines enforcement mechanisms in capital markets, corporate governance structures, and the legal challenges posed by digital financial innovations. She has made significant contributions to understanding prospectus liability, insider trading regulations, and the application of civil law remedies to market abuse. More recently, her research has expanded to address emerging issues in cryptocurrency regulation, climate-related financial disclosure, and sustainable finance frameworks. Her comparative approach, informed by her Oxford education and extensive European collaborations, provides valuable insights into harmonizing legal standards across jurisdictions while respecting national legal traditions.
Professor Poelzig's extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with evolving regulatory landscapes. Her work shows a clear trajectory from traditional civil and commercial law topics toward increasingly specialized areas of capital markets regulation, with growing attention to digital finance and sustainability issues in recent years. The interdisciplinary nature of her scholarship bridges doctrinal legal analysis with practical regulatory concerns, making her work valuable to both academic and professional audiences.
Professor Poelzig's notable professional recognition includes:
- Appointment as Research Member at the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
- Geschäftsführende Mitherausgeberin (Managing Co-Editor) of Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Rechtswissenschaft (ZVglRWiss)
- Mitherausgeberin (Co-Editor) of Zeitschrift für Bank- und Kapitalmarktrecht (BKR)
- Mitherausgeberin of Zeitschrift für materielles und prozessuales Klimarecht (KlimaRZ)
- Mitherausgeberin of Zeitschrift für Unternehmens- und Gesellschaftsrecht (ZGR)
Professor Poelzig actively supervises doctoral candidates and serves as a mentor to numerous early-career researchers through her editorial positions and participation in academic networks. Her research has been supported through various institutional frameworks including the Albrecht Mendelssohn Bartholdy Graduate School of Law at the University of Hamburg. She frequently collaborates with international scholars, as evidenced by her co-authored works and participation in cross-border research initiatives focused on corporate governance and financial regulation.
Professor Poelzig leads a research team at the University of Hamburg comprising several research assistants who support her scholarly activities and teaching. Through her editorial roles with multiple prominent law journals, she helps shape scholarly discourse in corporate law, capital markets regulation, and comparative legal studies. Her work with the European Corporate Governance Institute further extends her influence to international policy discussions on corporate governance standards.
