Center for Business Law and Society Symposium

California and the Future of Business Law

Featuring Keynote Speaker Commissioner Khalil “KC” Mohseni ’12

Khalil “KC” Mohseni is Commissioner of the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (DFPI), the State’s financial regulator. Commissioner Mohseni was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on February 7, 2025, and served as DFPI’s Chief Deputy Commissioner since November 2023. He is committed to the Department’s mission to protect consumers and foster trust and innovation in the financial marketplace.

Prior to joining DFPI, Commissioner Mohseni was Chief Operating Officer at the State Controller’s Office; Deputy Director of Administration at the California Department of Housing and Community Development; Project Director for the California Homeless Data Integration System at the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency; and Chief Fiscal Officer at the Board of State and Community Corrections, where he oversaw the implementation of the Financial Information System for California.

**California MCLE credits available.

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California has long shaped the direction of business regulation, governance, and innovation—and UC Davis School of Law’s new Center for Business Law and Society (CBLS) is deepening that influence. Our inaugural symposium, California and the Future of Business Law, brings together leaders to examine how California’s unique legal and policy landscape continues to redefine business law.

Keynote speaker Commissioner Khalil “KC” Mohseni '12 will open the symposium with his perspective on financial oversight in California, sharing insights shaped by his experience as a regulator.

Panels will explore M&A and dealmaking, California’s influence on tax policy, and the impact of some of the world’s largest institutional investors on corporate governance. The discussion will feature regulators; representatives of two of the largest pension funds in the United States, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS); general counsel from companies headquartered in California; and law firm partners—many of whom are King Hall alumni. Our business law faculty, nationally recognized experts in corporate governance, dealmaking, finance, antitrust, and tax, will contribute their scholarship to these critical conversations.

Situated near California’s capital, CBLS will serve as a hub connecting business law scholarship with the institutions that shape markets and policy. We hope you can join us to explore how California drives the evolution of business law and its impact on society!

Programming at the Center is supported in part by the James T. Lim and So Yun Park Endowment Fund.

Agenda

11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
Lunch

12:20–12:25 p.m.
Welcome to the Center for Business Law and Society

Dean Jessica Berg, UC Davis School of Law

12:25–12:55 p.m.
Financial Oversight in California: The Commissioner’s Perspective

Featuring Commissioner Khalil “KC” Mohseni '12, California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, in conversation with Professor Afra Afsharipour, UC Davis School of Law

1–1:50 p.m.
The Evolving Landscape of California Dealmaking

Featuring:

Professor Menesh Patel, UC Davis School of Law
David Richardson '07, Partner, DLA Piper
Sanam Saaber '09, General Counsel, Axonius
Tina Singh '88, Singh Law Corporation

Moderated by: Professor Afra Afsharipour, UC Davis School of Law

1:50–2:05 p.m.
Break

2:05–2:30 p.m.
Power, Policy, and Revenue: California Tax Law in Focus

Presented by Professor Darien Shanske, UC Davis School of Law

2:35–3:25 p.m.
California’s Institutional Investors and The California Effect on Corporate Governance

Featuring:

Drew Hambly, Investment Director, Global Stewardship, CalPERS
Professor Amelia Miazad, UC Davis School of Law
Brian Sytsma, Corporate Counsel, CalSTRS
Professor Ayako Yasuda, UC Davis Graduate School of Management

Moderated by: Professor Menesh Patel, UC Davis School of Law

3:25–3:40 p.m.
Break

3:40–4:30 p.m.
Insights from King Hall GCs

Featuring:

Jacques Baritot '13, Associate General Counsel, Coinbase
Cindy Dole '09, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Samsung Catalyst Fund
Matthew Tolve '09, General Counsel, Altimeter
Victoria Wong '15, Deputy General Counsel, Sierra

Moderated by: Professor Amelia Miazad, UC Davis School of Law