Zicklin Insights
ZICKLIN TALKS Business
Webinar Series
Please join Dean Bruce Weber, our benefactor Larry Zicklin, faculty members, and special guests for these webinars, featuring business executives and faculty discussing current business topics. This webinar series is offered by the Office of Executive Programs.
Why are corporations leaving Delaware and what does it portend for shareholders?
May 13, 2025, 11 am
The state of Delaware has been the preferred home of American corporations for many years:
•Its Court of Chancery is a specialized business court that relies on judges who are more knowledgeable about business laws than juries.
•It has developed a large body of case law that provides clarity and predictability for businesses.
•Additional factors include administrative efficiency, a regulatory environment that is less onerous than in other states, and more than 100 years of successful experience in resolving disputes.
Despite these strengths, a growing number of businesses are opting to reincorporate in Texas or Nevada. What’s driving this shift? What are the legal, financial, and operational implications for corporations making the move? What are the implications for business and society?
In this webinar, Larry Zicklin and his guests will explore the key factors influencing these decisions, from tax incentives and regulatory landscapes to shareholder rights and governance structures. They will also discuss how this trend could reshape the broader corporate legal environment and the possible implications for market integrity.
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, right) discusses these questions with Paul Roth (top left), Founding Partner Emeritus, Of Counsel, Schulte Roth + Zabel LLP, and Thomas Baxter (top center), Senior Fellow at NYU Law School, Managing Partner at Law Offices of Thomas C. Baxter, Jr., LLP, and former General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Are Private Credit Firms Disrupting Traditional Banking Businesses?
April 8, 2025, 11 am
In this webinar, we will explore the market for private credit and how it functions. Who are the lenders and where do their funds come from? Why would a borrower choose to use a private lender as opposed to a bank? Will these lenders be regulated, and if so, by whom?
We will consider the overall implications for the traditional banks. Are they likely to lose some of their best corporate customers? What are some possible outcomes for small vs. large banks, and for the banking industry as a whole? How will the banks react to a competitor trying to invade their markets?
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, right) discusses these questions with Ken Abbott (top left), Lecturer in the Zicklin School Law Department, and Hank D’Alessandro (top, center), Vice Chairman of North American Private Credit and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley.
With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
What’s Going on in Big-Time College Sports?
March 11, 2025, 11 am
The world of big-time college sports has evolved far from the traditional view that student athletes are students first and athletes second. Recent developments raise a host of questions for the athletic programs of the NCAA Division 1 schools:
• Are colleges now the paid minor leagues of professional football and basketball?
•How much does it take a college to recruit a top-notch high school athletes?
•Are colleges choosing to compete for students by paying their athletes?
•Will new bills under consideration in Congress make these payments tax deductible?
•Is any of this behavior new, or is it just becoming more transparent?
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Marc Edelman (top left), Professor of Law in the Zicklin School Law Department, and Marc Sulam (top center), Adjunct Lecturer in Finance in the Zicklin School Economics & Finance Department. He is also the Chairperson of the Georgetown University Advisory Committee of the Hoyas Rising group, organized to “help Georgetown University student-athletes to capitalize on their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), but more importantly, their brand for lifetime success.” With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Do More Food Recalls Mean Our Food Supply is Less Safe, or is Testing Better?
February 11, 2025, 11 am
Several food recalls have been in the news recently. What does this really mean for our food supply?
Who issues recalls, and when do they issue them? How are risks from forever chemicals, pesticides, and human pathogens in the food supply managed by the industry and regulatory agencies? Are specific consumer demographics such as children and pregnant women at higher risk from different hazards? What scientific research is underway to identify key food safety problems and how to manage them? What roles do academic, government and industry players have in assuring food safety?
The bottom line: are we doing enough to ensure that our food is safe to eat?
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Valerie Watnick (top left), Professor of Law and Chair of the Zicklin School of Business Law Department, and Donald W. Schaffner, Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, Department Chair, and Extension Specialist in Food Science. With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
The Outlook for Commercial Real Estate in NYC
December 10, 11 am
Several commercial buildings in Manhattan have recently been sold at prices just a fraction of their values before the Covid 19 pandemic. Many remain occupied at levels far below capacity, with some tenants significantly behind on their lease payments. Owners of many of these buildings will find it difficult, if not impossible, to adapt them to new uses such as apartments or hotels.
One underlying factor is the change in post-pandemic work attitudes towards remote work. This is coupled with the many challenges faced by central business districts, a problem Manhattan shares with many other large cities across the US.
Does NYC commercial real estate face a major restructuring? What is in the future for commercial real estate here and in other large cities? Are there also serious potential risks for banks that are major lenders in this sector?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Stephen Riker (top left), Vice Chair, Cushman & Wakefield – United States. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Delaware Law, Positive Social Responsibility,
and Possible Negative Effects on Profits
November 12, 11 am
Many US corporations are incorporated in Delaware and are subject to Delaware corporate law which requires that they act in the best interests of the company’s shareholder/owners. This has traditionally been interpreted to mean that directors must focus on strategies that maximize profit.
What about corporate activities that promote values that are viewed as socially good, especially those relating to sound environmental, social, and governance principles? Does Delaware corporate law allow for ESG activities that are not designed to maximize shareholder profit? Going one step further, can Delaware corporate law be considered at least partly responsible for the weakness of the ESG movement in the United States?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with David Rosenberg, Esq., Associate Professor, Department of Law, and Academic Director of the Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity (top Left), and Adam Sulkowski (top center), Professor of Law and Sustainability at Babson College Law School. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Litigation Finance: An Innovation in Legal Services
October 8, 11 am
Imagine you are a corporate plaintiff, and you have a high-value legal claim but you don’t want to spend your company’s working capital to pursue it, or you don’t want to wait years for the case to resolve to be able to put your expected recovery to use.
Enter the world of legal finance, where leading law firms and Fortune 500 companies use capital from legal finance providers such as Burford pay for claims to proceed or to accelerate the expected value of pending claims, judgments and awards. The capital is non-recourse, meaning the financier only receives its money back if the case wins. Thus, the risk to corporate clients and law firms is shifted to the legal finance provider.
What is the process for financing cases? What kinds of matters do legal finance providers most often pursue? How does legal finance benefit both law firms and companies? What are some notable cases? Are there disadvantages to using legal finance? What are the broader economic benefits?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Christopher Bogart, Esq., (top left), CEO and co-founder of Burford Capital, and the leading innovator in this field. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
The Future of Work
September 10, 2024 at 11 am
First there was the COVID-19 pandemic. Then came the widespread implementation of remote work enabled by new technologies. Then came flexible work schedules combining remote and in-person work. Now we seem to have confusion.
Where is the world of work headed? Are businesses properly identifying which jobs can be done remotely and which are better in person? Are they finding the ideal mix for their own workforce?
More important for college students, what are the implications of remote work for younger workers establishing their professional credentials? What are the implications for employee engagement and organizational commitment? What research and solid evidence do we have on these questions, if any?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Stephan Dilchert (top left), Associate Professor of Management in the Narendra Paul Loomba Department of Management at the Zicklin School of Business, and Dan Clivner (BBA, ’85), Esq.(top center), Managing Partner LA and Global Co-Head of Private Equity at Sidley Austin LLP. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
FTC Bans Non-Competes: What Are the Implications for Business?
July 9, 2024 at 11 am
The FTC recently announced a new rule banning non-compete agreements (NCAs) with the rosy goals of promoting competition and of making it easier for workers to change jobs and form innovative new businesses.
Why do businesses use NCAs? Which uses are most (or least) defensible? Which types of businesses have the most to lose if their uses of NCAs are curtailed? Are there alternatives that businesses can use to gain equivalent protections against the loss of competitive information?
Is the FTC rule consistent with the almost dizzying array of existing state laws that also govern business uses of NCAs? What about non-compete agreements that are written and either not enforced or are not enforceable?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Lauren Aydinliyim (top left), Assistant Professor of Strategic Management in the Narendra Paul Loomba Department of Management at the Zicklin School of Business and Prof. Matt Marx (top center), the Bruce F. Failing, Sr. Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top, right).
Elon Musk and the $56 Billion Pay Package: Should There Be Any Limits on CEO Compensation?
June 11, 2024 at 11 am
Elon Musk, CEO and product architect of Tesla, is famous for his unconventional compensation package, which includes large grants of stock options designed to incentivize him to drive the firm to meet ambitious market value goals. While the $56 billion in pay indicates that the firm met the performance goals set in the package, it raises important questions.
How high should executive compensation be? Is its purpose to reward the CEO without limit, or to provide just enough incentives to reach certain company goals? Is there any way of knowing how much of a firm’s performance can truly be attributed to one person? Or whether and how a firm’s financial success should be shared with the shareholders as a group, not to mention the firm’s employees, customers, vendors, and local towns and cities?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Jeroen van Kwawegen, Esq (top left)., of the law firm Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP, and Gregory Varallo, Esq (top, center)., also of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Is Private Equity the Business of Plunderers, or Just a Part of Our Capitalist System?
May 14, 11 am
Some private equity firms have really bad reputations. They have been the cause of the near or full destruction of formerly well-run, stable firms, such as Toys “R” Us, HCR ManorCare, and Allstate Insurance, among many others. In some cases, the destruction has spread widely within an industry, such as healthcare.
Among the original premises of private equity firms is that they would take on troubled firms, improve their operational efficiencies, and help restore them to profitability. Taking into consideration the serious harm that private equity firms have done to the economy, we ask whether there are any private equity firms that deserve praise for doing what they were intended to do—that is, turning around underperforming and struggling firms for the benefit of all.
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Gretchen Morgenson (top left), co-author with Joshua Rosner of These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs — and Wrecks — America. She is currently the senior financial reporter with the NBC News Investigative Unit, and before that wrote for both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for financial reporting. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Will the Insurance Industry Help Solve Our Climate Challenge?
April 9, 2024 at 11 am
One of the biggest impediments in addressing climate change is the fact that the public sees little or no economic incentive to do so, when it is others who bear the cost of climate-related events. But insurance companies are suddenly either refusing to write homeowner’s insurance in areas they consider too risky or pricing climate risk into the premiums and making the insurance unaffordable. And the public is beginning to feel the pain.
We will be discussing the implications of these changes in insurance coverage and prices on both business and the general public, as well as changing government policies in this area.
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Lin Peng, (top left), Krell Chair Professor, Department of Economics and Finance, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, and Alice Hill (top, center), the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Understanding Online Scammers and Victims:
A Cameroon-based Study
March 12, 2024 at 11 am
We have all heard the very sad stories of victims of online scams who have lost money, the affection of a hoped-for pet, or even the love of their life. But we hardly know anything about the scammers themselves.
Who exactly are they? Why are so many of them from African countries? Are they motivated solely by financial gain? Is this their career path? How do they feel about their victims? What are the costs to their societies over and above the losses their victims suffer? What can we learn by knowing more about the scammers themselves?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Alain Claude Tambe Ebot (top left), Assistant Professor, Department of Information Systems and Statistics, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, and Volkan Topalli (top, center), Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology, The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Why is Baseball The Only Professional Sport to Have An Antitrust Exemption?
February 13, 2024 at 11 am
Unique among professional sports in the US, Major League Baseball is exempt from antitrust laws, allowing owners to take anti-competitive actions to their benefit at the expense of players, rival sports leagues, and even their devoted fans.
The exemption dates back to 1922. How did it come about? Is it really fair for baseball to have this exemption, while other major sports don’t have it? How has it affected the game and the business of baseball? How has it lasted so long? What are the modern legal and economic arguments in favor of ending the exemption? What changes are likely, or even feasible, in view of the current state of legal cases challenging it?
In this session, Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Marc Edelman (top left), Professor of Law, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, and John T. Holden (Top, center), Associate Professor, William S. Spears Chair in Business Administration, Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University. With an introduction by Zicklin School Dean Bruce Weber (right) and a Q&A session moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).