Dr. John Coates

Professor

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Biography

John Coates is the John F. Cogan, Jr. Professor of Law and Economics at Harvard Law School, where he also serves as Deputy Dean and Research Director of the Center on the Legal Profession. With a background as General Counsel and Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Professor Coates specializes in corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and finance. He has been a partner at the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and has taught at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. His research interests lie in the intersection of law, finance, and economics, and he has provided congressional testimony and advice to federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Treasury. His published work includes a significant piece on the cost-benefit analysis of financial regulation in the Yale Law Journal, and he has recently published analysis on the dominance of financial institutions. He is active in discussions around ethics in legal professions and has contributed to education in contracts and corporate transactional law.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2010-01-01 — Present

Harvard Law School • Cambridge, MA

Teaches corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and finance.

Partner

— Present

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz •

Specialized in financial institutions and M&A.

General Counsel and Acting Director

— Present

Securities and Exchange Commission •

Oversaw the Division of Corporation Finance.

Courses

Contracts

Requirements for Harvard Law School

Master Program
Requirements
TOEFL
Listening
Required:25
Reading
Required:25
Writing
Required:25
Speaking
Required:25
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
J.D. from an ABA-approved U.S. law school or a first law degree (LL.B. or equivalent) from a foreign law school
Application Checklist
  • Online application form
  • CV/Résumé
  • Personal statements (Parts A and B)
  • At least two recommendations
  • Official transcripts and diplomas
  • Official TOEFL report (if applicable)
  • Application fee ($85)
Specialization Notes

Applied for under 'Department of Law', 'Department of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law', 'Department of Constitutional Law', 'Department of Japanese Legal Studies', and 'Department of Human Rights'.