The Symposium on Executive Compensation, held at the Columbia Law School on October 15, 2004, brought together leading academics, investors, and members of the media to discuss whether and how executive-compensation arrangements need to be reformed. Professor Jeffrey Gordon and the Center for Law and Economic Studies organized the daylong conference. Attendees included the deans of Columbia's law, business, and journalism schools, respectively, David Schizer, Glenn Hubbard, and Nicholas Lemann. The event was catalyzed by the publication of Pay without Performance: The Unfulfilled Promise of executive Compensation, by professors Lucian Bebchuk and Jesse Fried, which criticizes compensation arrangements and proposes certain reforms in the relationship between boards and shareholders. Participants in the symposium vigorously debated the issues raised by this critique of existing arrangements and reflected on reform possibilities.

View the full speaker list and biographies.

View the conference video.