IN BRIEF
He said he often reads law professors’ blogs when assessing issues, adding that the availability of information online is transforming how Justices approach case research. Another revelation: Kennedy confessed that
family members call him a “cultural dinosaur.” Last year, he overheard someone say, ‘What was Lady Gaga talking about?’ Kennedy remarked, “That’s not a nice thing to call that woman.” —Susan Gluss and Andrew Cohen
Savvy NEWCOMERS: Steven M. Davidoff, left, and Kenneth Ayotte will join the Boalt faculty on July 1. Both have extensive business law and teaching experience.
oalt’s business law boon will get another momentum jolt July 1 when Steven M. Davidoff and Kenneth Ayotte join the faculty. Both migrate from Midwestern law schools—Davidoff from Ohio State and Ayotte from Northwestern. “It’s a great opportunity to work with fantastic scholars and extraordinary students,” Davidoff says. “There’s a deep well of knowledge and experience at Boalt.” Davidoff’s profile has risen sharply in recent years thanks to “The Deal Professor,” his weekly New York Times column. As a lawyer in New
York and London before entering academia, he represented clients in acquiring and selling companies, joint ventures, and private equity and venture capital investments. “Corporate law isn’t case-driven,” says Davidoff, whose research centers on mergers and acquisitions, deal theory, and jurisdictional competition. “It’s teaching students how to practice and how transactions work. That was my everyday life for many years.” Before joining Northwestern Law in 2007, Ayotte taught for five years at Columbia Business School and won its Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence. His academic interests focus on bankruptcy, corporate finance, and law and economics. Ayotte is currently leading a study on the effect of an important change in the Bankruptcy Code regarding commercial leases. He hopes the study will illuminate how the change could affect outcomes in large Chapter 11 cases. “I was incredibly impressed by the Boalt faculty’s collegiality and willingness to pursue cross-disciplinary research,” Ayotte says of his recruiting visit. “Of course, I was also impressed by the raw talent of the faculty and students.” —Andrew Cohen
Steven M. Davidoff, professor of law
Kenneth Ayotte, professor of law
n Specialization: Business law, corporate gov-
n Specialization: Bankruptcy, corporate
Helping Boalt Take Care of Business “ It’s a great opportunity to work with fantastic scholars and extraordinary students.”
B
—Steven M. Davidoff
ernance, securities law n Education: B.A., University of Pennsylvania (1992); J.D., Columbia University (1995); M.S., London Business School (2005) n Did you know: Named to the National Association of Corporate Directors’ list of America’s 100 most influential governance professionals in 2013
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finance, law and economics
n Education: B.A., University of Virginia
(1997); Ph.D., Economics, Princeton University (2002) n Did you know: Serves as associate editor of the International Review of Law and Economics