BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 5, 2026 – Stavros Gadinis, George R. Johnson Professor of Law at UC Berkeley School of Law and Faculty Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, will speak on two panels at Web Summit 2026, taking place November 9-12, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal. His sessions will examine corporate accountability for autonomous AI and emerging risks in non-bank finance, bringing his research on corporate governance and financial regulation to an international audience of technology leaders, investors and policymakers.
The appearances follow the publication of his book, “Corporate Ordering: How Corporations Navigate Social Conflict” (Cambridge University Press). The book examines how companies establish rules for emerging topics such as artificial intelligence, ridesharing safety and climate sustainability while lawmakers are still debating how to respond. Those internal decisions shape outcomes for workers, customers and communities, and can become the basis for subsequent regulation.
“Companies cannot wait for lawmakers to resolve every question before deciding how to deploy AI or respond to an emerging risk,” said Gadinis. “But acting first carries responsibility. Boards need to understand how decisions are being made, whose concerns have been considered and whether safeguards work in practice. In Corporate Ordering, I examine how companies build that capacity and how corporate law should hold them accountable for using it. I’m excited to explore these topics further during Web Summit.”
Gadinis will participate in the following sessions:
2:25 p.m.
Future of Work Summit stage
“Who takes the fall for autonomous AI?”
Gadinis will join Maike Kauffmann, Co-Lead Nonprofit of Purpose and Sam Kidd, CEO of LawVu, to examine the responsibilities that remain with corporate boards when companies delegate decisions to AI. The discussion will explore human oversight, contractual safeguards and governance structures for managing AI-related risks.
2:20 p.m.
Policy Summit stage
“Governing the shadows: Emerging risks in non-bank finance”
Gadinis will join Daniela Gabor, professor of economics at SOAS University of London, for a conversation moderated by Anita Hawser, Europe editor at The Banker. The panel will examine emerging risks and oversight in non-bank finance, drawing on Gadinis’ research into financial regulation and the institutions through which standards are developed and enforced.
Both sessions connect to the central argument of Corporate Ordering: on AI, climate and gig work, companies are writing the first draft of the rules before lawmakers and regulators act. Based on interviews with practitioners and analysis of Delaware corporate law, with case studies on ridesharing platforms, climate governance and AI, the book shows how corporations turn broad social disagreements into practical decisions through their internal systems.
Gadinis is a frequent commentator on corporate governance and litigation for outlets including CNBC, Bloomberg and Forbes, and recently wrote in Fortune on why AI safety requires stronger corporate governance. Web Summit is one stop on a book tour that includes Duke, Columbia and Harvard law schools, followed by events in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore.
“Corporate Ordering: How Corporations Navigate Social Conflict” is available now from Cambridge University Press and Amazon. Learn more at corporate-ordering.com.
About Stavros Gadinis
Stavros Gadinis is the George R. Johnson Professor of Law at UC Berkeley School of Law and Faculty Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Business. His research examines corporate governance, corporate law and financial regulation, including how companies develop internal rules and how courts and regulators evaluate them. He is the author of Corporate Ordering: How Corporations Navigate Social Conflict (Cambridge University Press, 2026). His recent scholarship appears in The Business Lawyer and the Journal of International Economic Law, and his commentary has appeared in Fortune, CNBC, Bloomberg and Forbes. Before entering academia, he practiced corporate law in Europe. He holds an S.J.D. from Harvard University, an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge and a law degree from Aristotle University in Greece.