"For all I know, we are using solar panels made by slave labour somewhere…" – Exploring the Ethics of Corporate Lawyers

What are the ethics of lawyers? And, are these ethics different in corporate finance lawyers compared with other types of lawyer?

A distinct ethicality is argued to be one of the hallmarks of a profession. But what are the ethics of lawyers? And, are these ethics different in corporate finance lawyers compared with other types of lawyer? These are not just academic questions. The SRA has announced a significant review of professionalism and professional identity among solicitors.

At the same time, the government is looking to professionalise the banking sector in a post crisis world. In this seminar, Dr Steven Vaughan of Birmingham Law School will raise some questions about (the ethicality of) transactional practice in large law firms and draw on his interviews with more than 100 corporate finance lawyers from 30 of the top 100 firms, as part of his ESRC ‘Future Research Leaders’ project.

Steven practised as a solicitor in the City for nine years, first with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and then with Latham & Watkins, before making the move into academia. He has held lectureships at Bristol University and Cardiff University, and is now a Lecturer at Birmingham Law School and the Director of Education in its Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER).

He has published, with Hart, a popular book on the future of legal education and the legal profession, conducted research for the SRA on the concept of lawyer independence in large law firms, and will, in 2016, take over the guest editorship of ‘Legal Ethics’ for a special issue on corporate lawyers.

Attendance is free for this event and there is no requirement to pre-book. Light refreshments will be available after the seminar.