Reinier H. Kraakman is the Ezra Ripley Thayer Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches corporate law, corporate finance, and organizational law. He previously served as a professor at Yale Law School and has held visiting positions at Georgetown University Law Center and New York University School of Law. His academic and policy work has influenced corporate governance reforms in countries such as Russia and Vietnam. Education: J.D., Yale Law School, 1979 Ph.D. in Sociology, Harvard University, 1973 B.A. in History and Science, Harvard College, 1971 Fulbright Fellowship, University of Frankfurt, 1971 His research focuses on corporate law, corporate governance, comparative corporate law, and the economic foundations of organizational law. Kraakman is renowned for identifying core agency problems in corporations—between managers and shareholders, controlling and minority shareholders, and shareholders and other stakeholders. His work emphasizes the functional and comparative analysis of legal institutions across jurisdictions. The recent publications of Professor Kraakman reflect a sustained focus on the intersection of law, economics, and institutional design. His articles and books analyze corporate governance structures, market efficiency, CEO turnover, and the historical evolution of business entities. He frequently collaborates with leading scholars such as Henry Hansmann, Lucian Bebchuk, and Ronald Gilson, producing influential interdisciplinary work that shapes both academic discourse and policy debates. Scientific Awards: Elected ECGI Research Associate (2006) Fulbright Fellowship (1971) Kraakman has advised on legal reforms and contributed to major amicus briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court, particularly in cases involving corporate political speech and shareholder rights. His work on compliance, executive compensation, and board accountability has informed regulatory thinking globally. He is a key figure in the academic network promoting empirical and theoretical rigor in corporate law. He is a co-author of the seminal treatise The Anatomy of Corporate Law , now in its third edition, and has published extensively in top law journals including the Yale Law Journal , Georgetown Law Journal , and Harvard Law Review . His scholarship continues to be central to understanding the convergence and divergence of corporate legal systems worldwide.
