Renee Jones

Renee Jones is Professor and Dr. Thomas F. Carney Distinguished Scholar at Boston College Law School. She previously served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (2018–2021) and Director of the Division of Corporation Finance at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2021–2023), where she led over 400 professionals in implementing federal securities laws and rulemaking on climate disclosure, cybersecurity, SPACs, and executive compensation.

Her research focuses on securities regulation, corporate governance, and startup financing. She is a leading voice on governance challenges in high-valued startups, explored in her influential article The Unicorn Governance Trap and her forthcoming book Untamed Unicorns: Why Startup Finance is Broken – and How to Fix It (Harvard University Press, 2026). Her work addresses systemic risks in private markets and the need for updated regulatory frameworks.

Her recent publications and media appearances reflect her expertise in corporate governance trends, public vs. private markets, and ethical leadership—particularly in tech sectors where issues like executive drug use intersect with corporate responsibility. She is frequently invited to speak at top institutions worldwide, including Columbia, Penn, LSE, and Sorbonne.

Selected Honors and Appointments:

• Research Member, European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), 2025
• Dr. Thomas F. Carney Distinguished Scholar
• Faculty Award for Inspirational Achievement, BC Law Business & Law Society, 2010
• Eugene P. Beard Faculty Fellow in Ethics, Harvard, 2005–2006

Advising and Professional Service: Jones has served on the Academic Advisory Board of the Institute for Law and Economic Policy, the Editorial Board of the Cambridge Forum on Corporate Climate Governance, and the American Law Institute. She has held leadership roles in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, co-chaired the Boston Bar Association’s Securities Law Committee, and served on the Governing Committee of the Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Reinsurance Plan.

Visiting Positions: She has been a Visiting Fellow at NYU Law School and a Visiting Professor at the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law and Sorbonne University, Paris.