Dr. Nicola Sharpe

Biography

Professor Nicola Faith Sharpe teaches business law courses including Business Associations, Antitrust, Compliance, and Ethics at the University of Illinois College of Law. Her research adopts an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates organizational behavior theory to critique and improve corporate law. She utilizes insights from group decision-making and board processes to accurately conceptualize the relationship between boards of directors and firms. Her research also analyzes efforts to regulate modern business practices, particularly in understanding the interaction between corporate boards, directors, and executive management. Current projects extend these insights to explore ethics and compliance functions in large corporations, with works-in-progress such as 'Bad Decisions & Harmful Emissions: Volkswagen’s Board Polluted World' and 'Internal Structure, Group Process, Ethics Compliance Reporting.' Professor Sharpe has received the Arnold O. Beckman Award for projects of special distinction and promise. She has presented her research at various esteemed law schools, including Indiana University and Loyola University Chicago. Before her tenure at the University of Illinois, she was a visiting assistant professor at Northwestern University School of Law and worked at Shearman & Sterling LLP, counseling corporate clients on antitrust matters.

Research Interests

Courses