The 2020 “300 Years of Fraud” symposium conducted a historical and contemporary examination of financial fraud, marking the 300th anniversary of notable financial scams (such as the South Sea Bubble of 1720).

Part of a broader BCLB program called “Fraud Fest 2020,” the symposium was adapted to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought together academics, regulators, and practitioners to discuss lessons from centuries of fraud schemes and how modern law can better detect and prevent fraud. Topics included historical ponzi schemes, securities fraud enforcement, and the impact of technology on fraud (e.g. cryptocurrency scams). Berkeley Law even hosted a special session with the SEC as part of this program.

Author and financial journalist Diana B. Henriques (known for investigating Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme) presented insights from her book Taming the Street at Fraud Fest. The event also featured Berkeley Law faculty and guest experts in panels on fraud detection and regulation.

The discussions informed BBLJ online articles about improving fraud regulation (Additionally, Fraud Fest led to a follow-up Fraud Issue in BBLJ’s online Network blog).

Details

Date: June 23 – 25, 2020

Venue: Virtual Event