On September 12 and 13, 2024, early-career researchers from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany gathered at the University of Innsbruck to discuss current issues in corporate law research as part of the Forum for Young Corporate Law Scholars.

The forum, which originated from the postdoctoral colloquium of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, was held for the fifth time. The event was jointly organized by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Butterstein, LL.M. (University of Liechtenstein) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. MMag. Mathias Walch, LL.M. (University of Innsbruck), and provided a valuable platform for junior faculty members and postdoctoral researchers to present their latest findings and engage in in-depth exchange with peers from the field. Institutions represented included the MPI Hamburg, Bucerius Law School Hamburg, the Universities of Münster, Mainz, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Graz, Salzburg, Zurich, and the University of Liechtenstein.

Following the arrival of participants on Thursday morning and a warm welcome by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Butterstein, LL.M. and Assoc. Prof. Dr. MMag. Mathias Walch, LL.M. (Yale), the conference began with a varied and thematically diverse program. Participants gave short presentations on the current status of their research, offering scholars the opportunity to make valuable connections and deepen interdisciplinary dialogue.

A wide range of corporate law topics were discussed at the event. These included the distribution of power in the insolvency of a limited liability company shareholder, corporate body competencies during impending insolvency, the corporate purpose between the autonomy of the articles of association and management independence, and judicial control of shareholder resolutions on capital raising. Recent developments in football corporate law were also examined, as were comparative perspectives on private autonomy in stock corporation law between common law and civil law systems. Reflections on the lifespan of a pre-emption right provided insights into the intersection of civil and corporate law, and fundamental legal questions concerning partnerships under civil law (GesbR) and co-ownership were addressed.

The Forum for Young Corporate Law Scholars 2024 offered outstanding opportunities for young researchers in corporate law to present their work to a broad expert audience and to exchange ideas with colleagues from four different legal systems. The University of Liechtenstein was represented by Prof. Dr. Alexandra Butterstein, LL.M. and Dr. Marco Lettenbichler, LL.M., who contributed important perspectives on Liechtenstein’s corporate law.