John C. Coffee
Encyclopedia
John C. "Jack" Coffee, Jr. (born November 15, 1944) is the Adolf A. Berle
Professor of Law at Columbia Law School
and director of the Center on Corporate Governance at Columbia University Law School.
. He attended Manhasset High School
where he was in the National Honor Society
. After graduation, he attended Amherst College
with his high school friend and classmate, actor Ken Howard
. He received his B.A.
from Amherst College
in 1966, his LL.B.
from Yale Law School
in 1969 and later an LL.M.
(in taxation) from New York University School of Law
.
. He entered private practice as an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore
from 1970-76. He has also served as Reporter for the American Bar Association
for its Model Standards on Sentencing Alternatives and Procedures and for the American Law Institute
's Principles of Corporate Governance. From 1976-1980, he was a professor at Georgetown University Law Center
before coming to Columbia. He was also a visiting professor at Harvard Law School
(2001), Stanford University Law School (1988), the University of Virginia Law School (1978), and the University of Michigan Law School
(1979).
Coffee has been listed by the National Law Journal as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in the United States." He is often quoted by The New York Times
, The Wall Street Journal
and other major media outlets, such as Fox News and CNN
, in their corporate and securities reporting. He has also written one of the best known casebook
s on U.S. securities regulation
, as well as another on corporations. He is considered one of the foremost legal scholars in that area of securities law. Professor Coffee is the most cited law professor in law reviews in the combined corporate, commercial, and business law field.
with his wife, Jane, who is a professor of Mathematics
at the College of Staten Island
. They have one daughter, who is a physician.
On August 10, 2011, Coffee was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Articles
Adolf A. Berle
Adolf Augustus Berle, Jr. was a lawyer, educator, author, and U.S. diplomat. He was the author of The Modern Corporation and Private Property, a groundbreaking work on corporate governance, and an important member of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt's "Brain Trust".-Childhood, Education, and...
Professor of Law at Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
and director of the Center on Corporate Governance at Columbia University Law School.
Education
Coffee grew up in Manhasset, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He attended Manhasset High School
Manhasset High School
Manhasset Secondary School is a four-year public high school and middle school located in Manhasset, at 200 Memorial Place, in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island...
where he was in the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
. After graduation, he attended Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
with his high school friend and classmate, actor Ken Howard
Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow...
. He received his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
in 1966, his LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1969 and later an LL.M.
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(in taxation) from New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law
The New York University School of Law is the law school of New York University. Established in 1835, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law, and is located in Greenwich Village, in the New York City borough of Manhattan....
.
Career
Following graduation from law school, Coffee was a Reginald Heber Smith fellow for one year, doing poverty law litigation in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He entered private practice as an attorney at Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is a prominent American law firm based in New York City, with an additional office in London. The second oldest firm in the country, Cravath was founded in 1819 and consistently ranks first among the world's most prestigious law firms according to a survey of partners,...
from 1970-76. He has also served as Reporter for the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
for its Model Standards on Sentencing Alternatives and Procedures and for the American Law Institute
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
's Principles of Corporate Governance. From 1976-1980, he was a professor at Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
before coming to Columbia. He was also a visiting professor at Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
(2001), Stanford University Law School (1988), the University of Virginia Law School (1978), and the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
(1979).
Coffee has been listed by the National Law Journal as one of the "100 Most Influential Lawyers in the United States." He is often quoted by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
and other major media outlets, such as Fox News and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, in their corporate and securities reporting. He has also written one of the best known casebook
Casebook
A casebook is a type of textbook used primarily by students in law schools. Rather than simply laying out the legal doctrine in a particular area of study, a casebook contains excerpts from legal cases in which the law of that area was applied. It is then up to the student to analyze the language...
s on U.S. securities regulation
Securities regulation in the United States
Securities regulation in the United States is the field of U.S. law that covers various aspects of transactions and other dealings with securities...
, as well as another on corporations. He is considered one of the foremost legal scholars in that area of securities law. Professor Coffee is the most cited law professor in law reviews in the combined corporate, commercial, and business law field.
Personal
Coffee lives in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
with his wife, Jane, who is a professor of Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the College of Staten Island
College of Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is a four-year, senior college of and is one of the 11 senior colleges in the City University of New York. Programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies lead to bachelor's and associate's degrees. The master's degree is awarded in 13 professional...
. They have one daughter, who is a physician.
On August 10, 2011, Coffee was a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Publications
Books- 2008 (with Choper and Gilson). Cases and Materials on CorporationsChoper, Coffee, GilsonChoper, Coffee, Gilson refers to the casebook entitled "Cases and Materials on Corporations," edited by Jesse H. Choper, John C. Coffee, Jr., and Ronald J. Gilson...
, 7th ed. - 2004 (with Klein). Business Organization and Finance: Legal and Economic Principles, 9th ed.
- 2003 (with Seligman). Cases and Materials on Securities Regulation, 9th ed.
- 1988 (with Lowenstein and Rose-Ackerman). Knights, Raiders and Targets: The Impact of the Hostile Takeover.
Articles
- 2010 'Dispersed Ownership: The Theories, the Evidence, and the Enduring Tension Between 'Lumpers' and 'Splitters Columbia Law and Economics Working Paper No. 363
- 2008 'Redesigning the SEC: Does the Treasury Have a Better Idea?' Columbia Law and Economics Working Paper No. 342 (with Hillary Sale)
- 2006 'Reforming the Securities Class Action: An Essay on Deterrence and its Implementation' Columbia Law and Economics Working Paper No. 293
- 2002 'Understanding Enron: It's About the Gatekeepers, Stupid' Columbia Law & Economics Working Paper No. 207
- 2001 'Do Norms Matter?: A Cross-Country Examination of the Private Benefits of Control' Columbia Law and Economics Working Paper No. 183
- 2000 'The Rise of Dispersed Ownership: The Role of Law in the Separation of Ownership and Control' Columbia Law and Economics Working Paper No. 182
- ‘The Future as History: The Prospects for Global Convergence in Corporate Governance and its Implications’, (1999) 93 Northwestern University Law ReviewNorthwestern University Law ReviewThe Northwestern University Law Review is a scholarly legal publication and student organization at Northwestern University School of Law. The Law Review's primary purpose is to publish a journal of broad legal scholarship. The Law Review publishes four issues each year...
643 - 'Hail Britannia?: Institutional Investor Behavior Under Limited Regulation' (1994) 92 Michigan Law Review 1997-2087 (with Bernard S. Black)
- 'Shareholders Versus Managers: The Strain in the Corporate Web' (1986) 85 Michigan Law Review 1