Research Handbook on Fiduciary Law

Fiduciary duties are widely viewed as essential to myriad private relationships, including guardianships, employment relationships, trusts, business organizations, and professional relationships. Recently, legal scholars and courts have devoted increasing attention to the application of fiduciary principles to public officials and public institutions. Some have argued that fiduciary relationships are unified by a common structure, but courts and commentators typically treat each fiduciary relationship as distinct. As a result, fiduciary law is often viewed as fragmented. The Research Handbook on Fiduciary Law shows that fiduciary law can be a distinctive field of study in its own right. This timely work presents important accounts of fiduciary relationships and new ideas on how fiduciary law can be explained. Coverage includes discussion of fiduciary obligations, fiduciary remedies, the role of equity and trusts, and public fiduciary law. A number of comparative perspectives are introduced to highlight similarities and differences between leading jurisdictions. The chapters in this Research Handbook help to show why this subject has drawn so many distinctive points of view, and sheds new light on a multi-faceted and rapidly growing field of study. This Research Handbook will be of interest to readers concerned with both the theory and practice of fiduciary law, as it incorporates significant new insights and developments in the field. It will also act as a starting point of new inquiry for those looking to contribute to the field themselves. Contributors include: S.M. Bainbridge, S.L. Bray, C.M. Bruner, M. Conaglen, E.J. Criddle, D.A. DeMott, E. Fox-Decent, S. Galoob, M. Gelter, A.S. Gold, M. Harding, G. Helleringer, C. Hill, J. Hill, L.P.Q. Johnson, S.H. Kim, A. Laby, E. Leib, A. Licht, B. McDonnell, P. Miller, D.T. Rave, D.G. Smith, A. Tuch, J. Velasco

Table of Contents:
Contents: Part I Theories of Fiduciary Law 1. Fiduciary Law’s Mixed Messages Evan J. Criddle 2. Interpreting Fiduciary Law Andrew S. Gold 3. Fiduciary Relationships, Fiduciary Law, and Trust Matthew Harding 4. Delimiting Fiduciary Status Julian Velasco Part II Fiduciary Duties 5. The Parable of the Talents Stephen M. Bainbridge 6. Fiduciary Law’s Anti-Corruption Norm Sung Hui Kim 7. Competing Accounts of Fiduciary Obligation Arthur B. Laby 8. Motivation, Information, Negotiation: Why Fiduciary Accountability Cannot be Negotiable Amir N. Licht 9. Dimensions of Fiduciary Loyalty Paul B. Miller Part III Liability and Remedies 10. Punitive Damages Against Trustees? Samuel L. Bray 11. Culpable Participation in Fiduciary Breach Deborah A. DeMott Part IV Corporations 12. Structural Bias, R.I.P.? Claire A. Hill and Brett H. McDonnell 13. Relating fiduciary duties to corporate personhood and corporate purpose Lyman P.Q. Johnson Part V Comparative Fiduciary Law 14. Opting Out of Fiduciary Duties and Liabilities in U.S. and U.K. Business Entities Christopher M. Bruner 15. Directors’ Duties and Legal Safe Harbours: A Comparative Analysis Jennifer G. Hill and Matthew Conaglen 16. Corporate Opportunities in the US and in the UK: How differences in enforcement explain differences in substantive fiduciary duties Martin Gelter and Genevieve Helleringer 17. The Weakening of Fiduciary Law Andrew F. Tuch Part VI Public Fiduciaries 18. Challenges to Public Fiduciary Theory: An Assessment Evan Fox-Decent 19. The Core of Fiduciary Political Theory Stephen R. Galoob and Ethan J. Leib 20. Institutional Competence in Fiduciary Government D. Theodore Rave Index