1. Introduction Barnali Choudhury and Martin Petrin; Part I. Comparative and Historical Perspectives: 2. The four transformations of the corporate form Reuven S. Avi-Yonah; 3. Comparative corporate governance: old and new Martin Gelter; 4. The corporation's intrinsic attributes Christopher M. Bruner; Part II. The Company: Public or Private?: 5. Understanding the modern company through the lens of quasi-public power Marc T. Moore; 6. Reflections on the nature of the public corporation in an era of shareholder activism and stewardship Dionysia Katelouzou; 7. Regulating for corporate sustainability: why the public-private divide misses the point Beate Sjåfjell; Part III. Rights or Duty Bearer?: 8. The constitutional rights of corporations in the United States Brandon L. Garrett; 9. Understanding corporate criminal liability Ian B. Lee; 10. Human rights and business: expectations, requirements and procedures for the responsible modern company Karin Buhmann; 11. A balancing approach to corporate rights and duties Martin Petrin; Part IV. Governing the Modern Company: 12. Corporate law reform in the era of shareholder empowerment William W. Bratton; 13. Board accountability and the entity maximization and sustainability approach Andrew Keay; 14. The corporation and the question of time Lynn Stout; 15. Epilogue: a look to the future Barnali Choudhury and Martin Petrin.