Centre-affiliated PhD Alumni Profiles

Professor Daniel Attenborough

Professor of Corporate Law, Durham University, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: Corporate Law

Supervisors: Professor Andrew Keay & Dr. Chloe Wallace

Year of Graduation: 2008

 Daniel Attenborough is Professor of Corporate Law   at Durham University and has held that position since 2021. He was formerly Director of the Law School’s Institute for Commercial and Corporate Law (2015-2017; 2023-2025) and has held various other senior leadership positions, including Director of Admissions, Chair of the LLB Board of Examiners and, temporarily, Director of Internationalisation. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), now Advance HE, and has held this distinction for over a decade. He teaches mainly corporate law subjects and has supervised a number of doctoral students in this field. This is also the principal area in which he publishes. He has published approximately 20 peer-reviewed articles in top-level law journals, such as Law Quarterly Review, Legal Studies, Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, Journal of Corporate Law Studies, European Business and Organization Law Review, and Journal of Environmental Law. He is a contributing author to an authoritative company law textbook, now in its 10th edition, aimed at law students and practitioners. He also has several chapters in prestigious international edited collections. Prior to joining Durham in 2015, he was an Assistant Professor, then Associate Professor, at the University of Leicester between 2007-2014. He has held visiting posts at various institutions including the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Berkeley Law School, and the University of Sydney.

My research supervisor, Prof. Andrew Keay, used to refer to a PhD as a ticket to ride; and that is certainly true in modern academia.  But it is more than this in the sense that I learned how to be an academic and about the craft – to question things; to quickly form robust views; to structure ideas and arguments.  And I learned a lot about teaching and PhD supervision and think regularly that Andrew’s imprimatur is observable in my own teaching and supervision.  And the institutional setting – e.g., Brotherton Library, academic staff, the students, even the vibrant campus – were all foundational parts of my journey as an academic.

Dr. John Wood

Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: Corporate rescue: a critical analysis of its fundamentals and existence

Supervisors: Professor Andrew Keay & Dr. Sarah Brown

Year of Graduation: 2013

After completing his PhD as a part-time student in 2013, John M. Wood started his academic career at the University of Central Lancashire (now Lancashire University), before joining Lancaster University in 2022. From January 2027, he is a Senior Lecturer in Commercial Law at the University of Liverpool, where he continues to research and teach in company and insolvency related fields. He completed all his higher education [LLB (Hons), LLM in Insolvency Law, and PhD] at the University of Leeds and is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority. His research and publications focus on corporate insolvency regulation, corporate insolvency theory, and corporate rescue. Specifically, his work provides a critical perspective on insolvency frameworks and critiques legal rules to determine what should be the objectives of an insolvency regime. His research has established him as a specialist in these fields. He has published several key books, including a monograph titled Interpretation and Value of Corporate Rescue (Edward Elgar, 2022), and two edited volumes: Emilie Ghio, John M. Wood and Jennifer L.L. Gant, Re-examining Insolvency Law and Theory in the 21st Century (Edward Elgar, 2023), and J. M. Wood, S. Ellina, and J. Tribe, Directors and Creditors: Law and Liability (Oxford University Press, 2026). He has also published book chapters and articles, including works in top tier journals such as the Journal of Corporate Law Studies, Journal of Business Law, Legal Studies, and Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly. In addition to his research, he regularly delivers papers at academic conferences and to practitioners, including the St Philips Chambers Annual Insolvency Conference, Exchange Chambers Annual Insolvency Conference, and the Liverpool Business and Property Court Forum.

As a part-time PhD candidate, the odds of completing a doctorate are unfortunately stacked against you. The reality is that it will often not be your only priority in life. Nevertheless, under the guidance of Professor Andrew Keay, he gave me that belief that not only could I succeed, but a career in academia was possible. I can honestly say that the four years went by in a breeze. It wasn’t always easy, but with a lot of hard work, diligence and focus, coupled with Andrew’s mentorship and devotion it is of no surprise that I find myself sharing his passion for all things insolvency.

Dr. Lerong Lu

Reader in Law, Director of Postgraduate Studies, The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: The Regulation of Private Lending in China (International Financial Law and Regulation)

Supervisors: Dr. Sarah Brown & Professor Andrew Campbell

Year of Graduation: 2017

Lerong Lu is a Reader in Law and Director of Postgraduate Studies at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London, teaching company law, international financial regulation, and law & technology. He is also the Director of King’s Law and Technology LLM programme. He holds a PhD and an LLM with Distinction from the University of Leeds. He has built an academic career in international financial law and financial technology regulation, progressing from Lecturer in Law at the University of Bristol to Reader in Law at King’s College London. He now serves as the Law Faculty’s Director of Postgraduate Studies and leads the Law and Technology LLM programme at King’s. He has authored three books: Private Lending in China (Routledge, 2019), Global FinTech Revolution (Oxford University Press, 2024), and Towards Financial Superpower (Oxford University Press, 2025). He has published over 70 articles in academic journals and edited volumes. His research examines how law responds to financial innovation, including digital currencies, tokenisation and artificial intelligence. He has secured research funding from the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust. Alongside his scholarship, he advises governments, financial regulators and professional bodies on corporate and financial law reform and contributes to LawTech and FinTech training for legal practitioners. He regularly advises governments, bar associations, central banks, financial regulators, and international organisations across Asia, Europe, and the US on corporate finance law reform and innovation policy. His expert commentary has featured in the BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal, and has appeared in major international media outlets, including the BBC, Bloomberg, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and The Straits Times. In 2025, he received the King’s Supervisory Excellence Award, recognising his contribution to doctoral supervision.

My doctoral studies at Leeds laid the foundations for my career in financial law. Researching private lending and shadow banking taught me to connect legal analysis with the economic realities facing businesses and to ask how regulation could respond to financial innovation. I am particularly grateful to my supervisors, Professor Sarah Brown and Professor Andrew Campbell, for encouraging rigorous research and independent thinking. The intellectual environment at Leeds and CBLP helped me develop the confidence to pursue an international academic career. Those foundations continue to shape my research on FinTech and digital finance, my engagement with policymakers, and the support I offer my own doctoral students.

Dr. Taskin Iqbal

Senior Lecturer in Law, The City Law School, City St.George’s, University London, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: The Possible Impact of the Concept of Enlightened Shareholder Value on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Scope for Reform (Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility)

Supervisors: Professor Andrew Keay & Professor Jingchen Zhao

Year of Graduation: 2018

Taskin Iqbal is a Senior Lecturer in Law at The City Law School. During the final year of her PhD, she began her academic career as a Lecturer in Law at the University of Lincoln. In 2020, she joined The City Law School, where she is now a Senior Lecturer in Law. Her doctoral thesis was commended for research excellence by its examiners, Professor Charlotte Villiers and Professor Joan Loughrey. She subsequently developed her doctoral research into a monograph, The Enlightened Shareholder Value Principle and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Theoretical and Qualitative Analysis (Routledge, 2021). Her interdisciplinary research focuses on corporate law, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and business and human rights. She has a particular interest in empirical research examining the influence and responsibilities of multinational corporations within global supply chains. Her empirical work has examined global supply chains, and her articles have been published in the Journal of Law and Society, the Journal of Business Law, Common Law World Review, Deakin Law Review, International Trade Law and Regulation, and the Company Lawyer. Alongside her research, she has contributed to curriculum development by designing and leading undergraduate and postgraduate modules in corporate law, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and business and human rights. She also convenes The City Law School Staff Research Seminar Series, helping to foster a vibrant research culture within the School.

My doctoral studies laid the foundations for my academic career, but I value the people I met at CBLP and the School of Law most of all. I am especially grateful to my supervisor, Professor Andrew Keay, whose intellectual generosity and unwavering encouragement helped me find my voice as a researcher. He gave me the confidence to trust my judgement, pursue my ideas and develop as an independent scholar. His mentorship has had a lasting influence on me. I am also deeply grateful to my second supervisor, Professor Jingchen Zhao, for his invaluable guidance and insight. Professor Nick Taylor helped shape my approach to teaching and build my confidence in the classroom. The collegiality and support I experienced continue to inform my academic work today.

Dr. Ilaria Zavoli

Associate Professor in Law, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: In Absentia Proceedings in International Criminal Justice: Foundations, Operation, and Future Perspectives (International Criminal Law)

Supervisors: Professor Peter Whelan & Professor Ilias Trispiotis

Year of Graduation: 2019

Since completing her PhD in International Criminal Law at the University of Leeds in 2019, Ilaria Zavoli has developed an academic profile that combines internationally recognised research, leadership, and teaching excellence. She progressed from Lecturer to Associate Professor in Law at the University of Leeds, where she currently serves as Co-Director International and module leader for International Criminal Law. She holds a PhD in International Criminal Law from the University of Leeds, an Advanced LLM in Public International Law from Leiden University, and a PG Diploma in Law and a Law Degree from the University of Bologna. She has established herself as a specialist in international criminal justice, financial crime, anti-money laundering, cryptocurrencies, and international law. Building on earlier work examining money laundering in the UK real estate sector, she has led several research projects as Principal Investigator, including studies on money laundering risks in insolvency proceedings and the construction industry, as well as projects exploring professionalism and identity within international law and international criminal justice. She has also led several funded research projects examining money laundering risks in sectors such as insolvency, construction, and real estate, while also exploring professionalism and identity within international law and international criminal justice. Her work has helped clarify emerging financial crime risks, including those linked to cryptocurrencies, and has produced recommendations to strengthen regulatory and policy responses. Alongside her research, she has built a strong teaching and academic leadership portfolio across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, supervising doctoral researchers and contributing to curriculum development in areas such as international criminal law and financial crime. She teaches and supervises across a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including International Criminal Law and Financial Crime. Her work bridges legal scholarship, policy development, and professional practice to address contemporary global justice and financial crime challenges. Her contributions have been recognised through professional distinctions, including a Fellowship of Advance HE and a Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship (2022).

My PhD provided the foundation for everything I have achieved since I graduated. Beyond developing expertise in international criminal law, it taught me how to undertake independent, rigorous research, engage critically with complex legal and policy issues, and communicate findings to both academic and professional audiences. I also had the opportunity to engage with and be mentored by leading scholars in the field of my research through the research centres at the School of Law at the University of Leeds. The doctoral experience gave me the confidence to pursue interdisciplinary and applied research, shaping my work on international criminal justice, financial crime, and money laundering. Most importantly, it instilled the resilience, curiosity, and intellectual independence that have underpinned my progression from PhD researcher to academic leader, researcher, and educator.

Professor Magali Eben

Professor of Competition Law and Policy, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: Addressing the Main Hurdles of Product Market Definition for Online Services: Products, Price, and Dynamic Competition (Competition Law)

Supervisors: Professor Pinar Akman & Professor Peter Whelan

Year of Graduation: 2020

Magali Eben joined the University of Glasgow in the final year of her PhD. In 2026, she was promoted to Professor of Competition Law and Policy. At the University of Glasgow, she reshaped the competition law offering and, upon departure of the great Mark Furse, put together a new competition law team. She also became Deputy Director of CREATe, Centre for the Regulation of the Creative Economy, relaunching it with expanded scope as co-investigator on the £1.1m infrastructure grant obtained from the AHRC. CREATe is both research infrastructure for the UK and a teaching subject area for the University, covering IP, competition law, and tech law. CREATe is core funded by the AHRC as UK research infrastructure, with a focus on the regulation of creativity, technology and markets. Magali’s work focuses on market definition (both its practical challenges and normative foundations) and the control of abuse of power and the regulation of digital markets, the enforcement of competition law within a wider context of cooperation across different regulatory and enforcement bodies and different legal fields, as well competition, innovation and creativity in the creative industries. Her work covers a range of jurisdictions, primarily the UK and EU, but also Brazil, USA, and China. She has had the opportunity to engage in policy impact work individually and in teams across several jurisdictions, most notably UK and Brazil. She was also elected Vice President of ASCOLA, the academic society for competition law.

I think it is safe to say that without the University of Leeds I would not be where I am right now. I was always interested in research, but I did not start giving serious thought to a PhD until I joined the University of Leeds as an LLM student and met the two Professors who would become my supervisors: Pinar Akman and Peter Whelan, who inspired me to pursue a PhD. As supervisors, they modelled research excellence and ambition. Other people at Leeds also helped and inspired me, including - just to name a few - Alistair Mullis and Nick Taylor, and my fellow PhD friends. I was encouraged to seize opportunities which came my way – which is advice I took to heart to such an extent that saying yes to new things became my mantra. I am very grateful.

Dr. Oriana Casasola

Associate Professor in Commercial, Corporate, and Banking Law, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: Harmonising Transaction Avoidance inside and outside Corporate Insolvency Law in the European Union

Supervisors: Professor Gerard McCormack & Dr. Zinian Zhang

Year of Graduation: 2020

Oriana Casasola is Associate Professor in Commercial, Corporate and Banking Law at the University of Leeds and Programme Manager for the LLM in International Business Law. After obtaining an LLM in International Economic and Business Law and completing her PhD at Leeds, she held academic positions at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany and the University of Huddersfield before returning to the University of Leeds in 2021. She has built an academic career focused on cross-border insolvency and restructuring law. Her research focuses on cross-border insolvency and restructuring law, private international law, and comparative approaches to legal harmonisation, with particular expertise in transaction avoidance and cross-border cooperation. Her work combines doctrinal, comparative, and policy-oriented research and has informed discussions on insolvency reform at both national and European levels. Her research has examined the interaction between insolvency law, private international law, and transnational cooperation. She has published widely on insolvency and restructuring law. A particular focus has been the harmonisation of transaction avoidance rules, culminating in the publication of her monograph, The Harmonisation of Transaction Avoidance in the EU (Edward Elgar, 2023). She has also contributed to policy-oriented research commissioned by the European Commission, including studies on abusive forum shopping and asset recovery in insolvency proceedings. More recently, her work has expanded into anti-money laundering risks within insolvency systems and the challenges faced by farmers in financial distress. She has contributed to the development of cross-border insolvency cooperation tools, including the European Model Protocol, and continues to engage with academic, professional, and policy communities on insolvency law reform.

My PhD at the University of Leeds introduced me to a community defined by intellectual curiosity, generosity, and a genuine commitment to supporting one another’s development. I was fortunate to be supervised by Professor Gerard McCormack, whose mentorship combined academic rigour with remarkable openness and encouragement. My fellow PhD researchers were equally influential; their willingness to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and celebrate each other’s successes created an intellectually vibrant environment. Those experiences taught me the value of collaboration and collegiality, principles that continue to shape how I conduct research, teach students, and contribute to academic life.

Dr. Ningyao Ye

Associate Professor, China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), China

PhD Title/Research Area: The deposit insurance system after the global financial crisis: A comparative study between the US, the UK and China

Supervisors: Professor Andrew Campbell & Professor Gerard McCormack

Year of Graduation: 2020

Ningyao Ye is an Associate Professor and Young Top Talent at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). Since completing his PhD in 2020, he has developed an active academic profile in financial law, with particular interests in banking regulation, securities law, financial stability, deposit insurance, and the regulation of emerging financial technologies. He teaches Banking Law and Securities Law, integrating comparative legal analysis and contemporary regulatory developments into his teaching and research. He previously taught at the Universities of Bristol and Leeds. He is the author of Deposit Insurance in China: Lessons from the US and UK Experience (Routledge, 2025). His research examines the legal and institutional frameworks governing financial markets, particularly the relationship between financial innovation, regulatory standards, and investor protection. His recent research on the tokenisation of real-world assets has contributed to the academic discussion of emerging practices and regulatory trends in Asia, including comparative perspectives from Mainland China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. His work has appeared in leading academic journals, including the Computer Law and Security Review, Asia Pacific Law Review, and the Journal of Business Law. Beyond academic research and teaching, he actively engages in interdisciplinary dialogue and public communication. He has participated in academic forums on cross-border securities regulation and global banking regulatory standards, organised international academic exchanges, and provided expert commentary on financial and regulatory developments through media interviews. He regularly provides expert commentary on financial and economic developments through interviews with major media outlets, including China Central Television (CCTV), and serves as a regular guest on China National Radio’s Economic Voice and a columnist for 21st Century Business Herald. These activities reflect his commitment to advancing financial law scholarship, fostering international academic collaboration, and contributing to informed public understanding of financial regulation.

My doctoral studies, completed in 2020, marked a turning point in my academic development. My research on deposit insurance systems in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, supervised by Professors Andrew Campbell and Gerard McCormack, provided rigorous training in comparative legal analysis and financial regulation. This foundation has shaped my subsequent progression as an academic at the China University of Political Science and Law, where I teach and conduct research in financial law. Building on my doctoral work, I have expanded my research interests to financial stability, banking regulation, and emerging issues in digital finance, including the tokenisation of real-world assets. My doctoral training continues to inform my scholarship, teaching, and international academic engagement.

Dr. Dennis Cardinaels

Guest Professor, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium & Associate Lecturer, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: Companies’ and creditors’ distress: how to untie the Gordian knot in the non-controlling unsecured creditors’ interests? (Corporate and Insolvency Law)

Supervisors: Professor Andrew Keay & Professor Duncan Sheehan

Year of Graduation: 2021

Dennis Cardinaels is a Belgian legal academic specialising in commercial, corporate and insolvency law. He obtained his PhD in Law from the University of Leeds in 2021, following an LLM in International Business Law (Distinction) from the same University. Since completing his PhD, he has pursued a career combining academia, legal practice and research, primarily in the fields of commercial, corporate and insolvency law. Following his appointment as Lecturer in Commercial and Company Law at the University of Lincoln, he returned to Belgium to complete his professional training at the Brussels Bar. Between 2021 and mid-2026, he practised as an attorney-at-law at the Brussels Bar, specialising in commercial, corporate and insolvency matters. This experience enabled him to gain a thorough understanding of corporate and insolvency practice, providing useful insights for his academic research. Alongside his legal practice, he has continued his academic career and is now a Guest Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and an Associate Lecturer in Law at the University of Lincoln, teaching and supervising students across various areas of business law. As of 2026, he has been appointed Module Coordinator for Common Law and Enterprise Law at the VUB. Previously, at the VUB, he contributed to the teaching and development of the Research Methodology modules in both the first and second years of the Bachelor of Laws programme, whilst also contributing to the teaching of the LLM module International and Comparative Economic Law. His research focuses on insolvency governance, (unsecured) creditor protection and corporate restructuring. He has continued his academic scholarship, publishing on these subjects and presenting his research at international academic and professional conferences. His professional involvement extends to INSOL Europe, where he now also serves as Co-Chair of its Turnaround, Restructuring and Insolvency Practitioners (TRIP) Group.

My LLM and subsequent doctoral studies at the University of Leeds were instrumental in shaping both my academic and professional development. Beyond allowing me to develop my expertise in corporate and insolvency governance, they laid the foundation for me to become a critical legal researcher as well as an engaged Law Lecturer. In this regard, I am particularly indebted to my doctoral supervisors, Professor Andrew Keay and Professor Duncan Sheehan. Their constructive feedback, intellectual engagement and unwavering encouragement not only strengthened my confidence in my own abilities but also played an instrumental role in shaping the academic I am today, both from research and a teaching perspective. Equally importantly, my time at Leeds provided me with invaluable opportunities to engage with a(n) (inter)national academic community, exchange ideas with leading scholars within my field of expertise, and forge lasting personal connections with colleagues and fellow researchers whom I am delighted to call my friends today. Undoubtedly, I look back on my time at the University of Leeds and the Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP) with immense pride and fond memories.

Dr. Tu Anh Tran

Lecturer, National Economics University, Vietnam and Curriculum Leader, University of Sheffield’s International College, United Kingdom

PhD Title/Research Area: Tax Non-Compliance in   Developing Countries: Evidence from Vietnamese Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Tax morale, comparative tax law, Bayesian process tracing method, political economy of taxation law)

Supervisors: Professor Rita de la Feria & Dr. Suren Gomtsian

Year of Graduation: 2023

Tu Anh Tran is a Lecturer at National Economics University (Vietnam) and Curriculum Leader at the University of Sheffield’s International College. He completed his PhD in Tax Law at the University of Leeds School of Law in 2023, under the supervision of Professor Rita de la Feria and Dr. Suren Gomtsian. Since completing his PhD in 2023, he has built an active research profile in comparative tax law and the political economy of taxation law, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia, tax morale and fiscal policy design. His article with Professor Rita de la Feria, “(Dis)obeying the law: Corporate tax morale in developing countries”, was published in the Journal of Law and Society in 2026, and his research has been cited by the OECD. He has also published a book review in the British Tax Review and authored a Vietnamese textbook on international taxation. He has presented parts of these papers at the Tax Research Network and the Society of Legal Scholars conferences. Methodologically, his work combines comparative-legal analysis with qualitative methods, including interviews and Bayesian process tracing. Alongside research, he has developed a substantial teaching career, both in the UK and in Vietnam, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has taught at Brunel University London, the University of Leeds, Leeds International Study Centre and the National Economics University, Vietnam.

My doctoral studies at Leeds taught me to see tax law as an institution shaped by politics, state capacity and trust between citizens and the state. Working with Professor Rita de la Feria and Dr. Suren Gomtsyan, I learned to ask questions that matter beyond any single jurisdiction, and to answer them with methodological rigour. It led directly to my publications, it gives my comparative work on Southeast Asia its theoretical grounding, and it shapes how I teach students to think critically about evidence. CBLP gave me not only a degree, but an intellectual home and a way of thinking.