Professor Lorraine Talbot

Professor Lorraine Talbot

Birmingham Law School
Professor of Company Law and Company Law in Context

Contact details

Address
Birmingham Law School
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Talbot approaches company law and corporate governance from a law in context position, with particular emphasis the corporation as a social, economic, cultural, moral and aesthetic phenomenon, and the dehumanising consequences of an identity which is distinct from the living actors. Her current research is concerned with two distinct areas; one, the company’s legal architecture and its relationship with growth and sustainability in a capitalist economy; (forthcoming article, ‘The Degrowth Tendency of the Modern Corporation’, forthcoming chapter, ‘Growth, Sustainability and Human Rights’ (Edward Elgar 2024)); and, two, how the visual arts shape the company’s identity and promote an understanding of the historical development of the company and company law, (recently published article, ‘Revealing the Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies through law and the Painted Moment’, Business History (2024), forthcoming chapter, ‘Capitalism as Personal: Brunner, Mond & Co Ltd (1881-1926)’ in The Origins of Company Law (Hart 2024)). 

Professor Talbot is also concerned with teaching company law from a law in context perspective. Her latest teaching text is the 2nd edition of Great Debates in Company Law (forthcoming Hart, April 2024) co-authored with Dr Andreas Kokkinis.

Qualifications

  • BA (hons)
  • LLM, PhD (Kent Law School)

Biography

Professor Talbot Joined Birmingham Law School in January 2018. She previously held a Chair at the University of York and was an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick.  

Teaching

  • Company Law (UG/LLM)
  • International Corporate Governance (LLM)

Postgraduate supervision

I am available to supervise in the following areas. Business History, corporate law theory, critical approaches to shareholder rights and shareholder centred governance, the socio-economic and political impact of corporate activities, growth, degrowth and corporate sustainability, the visual arts and corporations, corporations and labour, corporations and social progress, business human rights, feminism, gender and corporations and the political economy of companies.


Find out more - our PhD Law  page has information about doctoral research at the University of Birmingham.

Research

Professor Talbot approaches company law and corporate governance from a law in context position, with particular emphasis the corporation as a social, economic, cultural, moral and aesthetic phenomenon, and the dehumanising consequences of an identity which is distinct from the living actors. Her current research is concerned with two distinct areas; one, the company’s legal architecture and its relationship with growth and sustainability in a capitalist economy; (‘‘The Complexities of Growth and the Degrowth Company’ The Journal of Law and Society (Winter 2024)/ 'Looking at Clouds from Both Sides: Business human rights and the  corporate sustainability.’ Chapter. 9,000 words (Edward Elgar 2025)): and, two, how the visual arts shape the company’s identity and promote an understanding of the historical development of the company and company law, (‘Revealing the Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies through law and the Painted Moment’, Business History (2024), ‘Capitalism as Personal: Brunner, Mond & Co Ltd (1881-1926)’ in The Origins of Company Law (Hart 2024)). 

Professor Talbot is also concerned with teaching company law from a law in context perspective. Her latest teaching text is the 2nd edition of Great Debates in Company Law (Hart, April 2024) co-authored with Dr Andreas Kokkinis.

Expertise

  • Companies and corporate governance
  • Business History
  • Corporate law theory
  • Companies, company law and reform
  • Critical approaches to shareholder rights and shareholder centred governance
  • The socio-economic and political impact of corporate activities
  • Growth, degrowth and corporate sustainability
  • Visual arts and corporations
  • Corporations and labour
  • Business human rights 
  • Corporations and social progress
  • Feminism, gender and corporations
  • The political economy of companies

Expertise

  • Corporate governance and reform
  • Company Law and reform
  • Shareholder rights and shareholder centred governance
  • The impact of corporate activities: sustainability and labour 
  • Corporations and social progress, including gender issues
  • The political economy of companies