Professor Ian M Ramsay

Ian Ramsay is the Harold Ford Professor of Commercial Law and Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne, where he is Director of the Law School's Centre for Corporate. Ian practised law in New York and Sydney and is a member of the Corporations Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia. Former positions he has held include Head of the Federal Government inquiry on auditor independence, chair of the independent panel to review the financial system’s external dispute resolution and complaints framework, member of the Takeovers Panel, member of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's External Advisory Panel, member of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission Enforcement Review Taskforce, member of the Australian Government's Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee, member of the Audit Quality Review Board, member of the Australian Government's Auditors and Liquidators Disciplinary Board, member of the Law Committee of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and member of the International Federation of Accountants task force on rebuilding confidence in financial reporting.

Ian has published extensively on corporate law, corporate governance and financial regulation issues both internationally and in Australia and is the co-author of Ford, Austin and Ramsay’s Principles of Corporations Law with Dr RP Austin. He is well known for his policy related research which has been undertaken for the Australian Government, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the Australian Law Reform Commission and other organisations. This research has resulted in important regulatory changes.

Ian is a respected commentator in the media on corporate governance, corporate law and financial regulation. He is regularly interviewed in the financial press and has been interviewed for international newspapers including the New York Times. His research has been reported in international newspapers including the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. Ian has been interviewed on major TV programs such as the 7.30 Report and Lateline, as well as radio programs including the Law Report and various current affairs programs.

Publications and Editorial Contacts

• Ford's Principles of Corporation Law, Looseleaf - contact: LN LL Publishing
• Company Directors: Principles of Law and Corporate Governance, Contact: Practitioner Texts
• Ford's Principles of Corporations Law, 17th Edition. Contact: Academic Texts​
• Key Developments in Corporate Law and Trusts Law - Essays in Honour of Professor Harold Ford, Contact: Practitioner Texts