The SEED Team
Faculty Directors and Staff
Stephen Choi
Bernard Petrie Professor of Law and Business
Director, Pollack Center for Law & Business
Stephen Choi is the Bernard Petrie Professor at NYU School of Law. He graduated first in his class from Harvard Law School in 1994 and received his PhD in economics from Harvard in 1997. His research interests focus on the theoretical and empirical analysis of corporations and capital markets as well as on judicial performance. He is the co-author of Securities Regulations: Cases and Analysis (West Academic, 4th ed. 2015). He has published in the Yale Law Journal, Stanford Law Review, University of Chicago Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Southern California Law Review, Duke Law Journal, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and Virginia Law Review, among others, and has presented papers at numerous conferences and symposia.
David Yermack
Albert Fingerhut Professor of Finance and Business Transformation at the NYU Stern School of Business
Director, Pollack Center for Law & Business
David L. Yermack is the Albert Fingerhut Professor of Finance and Business Transformation at New York University Stern School of Business. He serves as Chairman of the Finance Department and Director of the NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business. Professor Yermack has been with NYU Stern since 1994. His primary research areas include boards of directors, executive compensation, and corporate finance. Professor Yermack has published more than 25 articles in leading academic journals in Finance, Accounting, Economics, and Law. He is a Faculty Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and has been a Visiting Scholar at the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank. Professor Yermack received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics (1985), Master of Business Administration (1991), Juris Doctor (1991), Master of Arts in Business Economics (1993), and Doctor of Philosophy in Business Economics (1994) from Harvard University.
Anat Carmy-Wiechman
Associate Director, Pollack Center for Law & Business
Anat Carmy-Wiechman is the Associate Director of the Pollack Center for Law and Business. She graduated magna cum laude from Tel-Aviv University School of Law in 2006. Upon graduation, she worked in the litigation group of Amit, Pollak, Matalon & Co., one of Israel’s leading law firms. She earned her LLM degree from NYU School of Law in 2011, and worked as an associate at Tuckner, Sipser, Weinstock & Sipser Sipser until joining the Pollack Center in September 2013. She has published in the American Law and Economics Review, and in Precedent and the Law: Reports to the XVIIth Congress International Academy of Comparative Law, Utrecht, 16–22 July 2006. Carmy-Wiechman’s research interests include corporate law, empirical legal scholarship, law and finance, and securities regulation.
Giovanni Patti
Head of Research for SEED, Pollack Center for Law & Business
Giovanni Patti is the Head of Research for the Securities Enforcement Empirical Database (SEED). He graduated second in his class from the Università degli Studi di Palermo School of Law (Italy) in 2008 and received a three-year scholarship to pursue his PhD in Corporate Law at the Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata (Italy), which he completed in 2013. Upon graduation, he worked for four years as an associate at Ranieri, Guaccero, Cornetta, a boutique law firm in Rome that specializes in corporate and banking law. He earned his LLM degree in Corporate Law from NYU School of Law in 2018. At NYU he received the Dean’s Graduate Award scholarship, worked as a research assistant for Professor Stephen Choi, and served as a graduate editor for the NYU Journal of Law & Business. Giovanni has published in American and European law reviews, and presented papers in various universities. His research interests include securities regulation and enforcement, financial regulation, and corporate law.
Peter Robau
Senior Professional Fellow, Pollack Center for Law & Business
Before joining the NYU Pollack Center for Law & Business, Peter served as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP where he advised financial institutions clients on issues arising under the Advisers Act and Investment Company Act, CFTC issues, compliance and SEC enforcement, as well as regulatory issues in connection with private equity transactions and fundraising. Peter's research interests include securities regulation and enforcement, financial systems, and law and economics.
Xuan Liu
Wagner Fellow, Pollack Center for Law & Business
Xuan is a Wagner Fellow at the NYU’s Pollack Center for Law & Business. Her research interests include cryptocurrency regulations, securities regulations and enforcement, corporate governance, and law and economics. Her current research focuses on the governance and voting mechanisms of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. Before joining the NYU Pollack Center, Xuan practiced as an associate attorney at Baker McKenzie in New York. Xuan earned her Tax LLM from New York University School of Law and her JD from the University of Minnesota Law School. Xuan is admitted to practice law in China and New York.
Graduate Student Research Fellows
SEED depends on the contribution of students from NYU School of Law and the NYU Stern School of Business. Graduate student fellows from the institution perform all research, including gathering enforcement action documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission website and collecting variables for review. We anticipate student research fellows will use our data for their individual research projects.
Cooper Aspegren ’25
Cooper Aspegren is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2025. Prior to law school, Cooper worked as a strategy consultant at Accenture and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago and a Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley. At NYU Law, Cooper is Co-President of West Coast Connection and Chair of the Health Law and Policy Society, and during his 1L summer, he worked at the biotech start-up Octant. He will be joining the San Francisco office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as a Summer Associate in 2024.
Sudarshana Basu ’24
Sudarshana Basu is an LL.M. candidate specializing in Corporation Law at NYU School of Law, as a Dean's Graduate Scholar (Class of '24). She is a licensed Indian attorney and prior to this, she worked as a Senior Associate with Finsec Law Advisors, a top-ranked Indian law firm focused on financial regulatory practice. She has advised a diverse set of domestic and international clients on securities laws, foreign exchange laws and corporate governance. She has also represented several high-profile clients in complex securities enforcement actions. She completed her primary law degree from DSNLU in 2019, as a gold medalist for securing the top rank in her class. Having extensively worked on policy proposals and market reform projects, her interests include securities regulations, M&A and emerging asset classes.
Jerry Chai ’24
Jerry Chai is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2024. Prior to law school, he attended Tufts University, where he studied History and International Relations as an undergraduate student and Economics as a graduate student. At NYU Law, Jerry is currently a Staff Editor of the NYU Journal of International Law and Politics and a volunteer for the NYC Bankruptcy Assistance Project, a program providing free bankruptcy assistance to low-income residents of New York City. He will be joining Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP as a Summer Associate in 2023.
Ryan Huck ’24
Ryan Huck is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2024. Prior to law school, Ryan attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia where he studied Public Policy and Global Studies. During undergrad, Ryan interned for Senator Mark Warner and the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria. Both experiences reinforced his interest in the law and inspired his law school attendance. Originally, Ryan is from Alexandria, Virginia.
Samantha Hui ’25
Samantha Hui is a J.D. candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2025. At NYU, she is currently a staff editor for the Journal of Law & Business, Mentorship Director for the Law & Business Association, Co-Chair of the Law Women Partnership & Diversity Committee, and Alumni Co-Chair of the Asian-Pacific Allied Law Students Association. Prior to law school, she worked as a structured products analyst at Citigroup. Samantha graduated from Wellesley College with a major in Economics and a minor in Chinese Language and Culture.
Joaquin Jacome ’24
Joaquin Jacome is an LL.M. candidate specializing in Corporation Law at NYU School of Law (Class of ’24). Joaquin is a licensed attorney from Panama, where he graduated magna cum laude from the Universidad Catolica Santa Maria la Antigua. Throughout law school, Joaquin worked at Jacome & Jacome, assisting local and international clients on various corporate and commercial matters. At NYU, he completed the Advanced Certificate in Law and Business as a Vogelstein Scholar and serves as a Legal Interpreter and Translator at the Civil Rights and Racial Justice Clinic of the NYU Clinical Law Center. Upon completing his LL.M., Joaquin plans to pursue a career in international corporate practice.
Alexandra Klein ’24
Alexandra Klein is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2024. Prior to Law School, Alexandra worked as a Senior Analyst at Cornerstone Research and a Political Data Analyst at the Pivot Group. In her 1L Summer, she interned at the New York Office of the Attorney General in the Antitrust Bureau. Alexandra received her B.S., with honors, from Cornell University, where she majored in Industrial and Labor Relations.
Zuliang “Patrick” Li ’25
Zuliang “Patrick” Li is a J.D. Candidate at New York University School of Law, Class of 2025. He is interested in technology, social entrepreneurship, and private equity law. Patrick received his B.A., with honors, from NYU Gallatin in 2021, where he studied media, technology, and politics. Prior to law school, he worked in both business development at Dentsu International and public policy research at Deloitte. At NYU Law, he is a staff editor for the Journal of Law and Business and the co-chair for Social Enterprise and Startup Law Group. He is also the Nina Pastor Fellow for Technology and Justice. He will be joining Debevoise & Plimpton as a summer associate in 2024.
Chuqiao Lily Liu ’25
Chuqiao Lily Liu is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2025. She is a Birnbaum Women's Leadership Fellow and Jacobson Scholar in Law and Business. At NYU Law, she is currently a Staff Editor on the Journal of Law and Business and the Professional & Academic Co-Chair for Asia Law Society. Prior to law school, she studied Art History and Philosophy at NYU Gallatin (Magna Cum Laude). She is interested in learning more about securities regulation and the securitization markets in Asia.
Nastassia Merlino ’24
Nastassia Merlino is an LL.M. candidate specialising in Corporation Law at NYU School of Law (Class of ’24), where she is also a Graduate Editor for the Journal of Law & Business. She graduated from the University of Geneva in Switzerland with an LL.B. in General Law, a Certificate in Transnational & International Law (summa cum laude), and a Master’s in Business, Banking, & Financial Law (magna cum laude). Shortly after, she co-authored a paper on Robo-Advisors and Data Protection for the Swiss Review of Business and Financial Market Law. She then pursued a Master’s in Music Business at NYU Steinhardt and the Stern School of Business, where she perfected her quantitative finance skills. Following her graduation, she joined Universal Music Group’s Global Finance team for the Summer of 2023, before starting her LL.M. where she focuses on M&As and transactional law of Entertainment, Media, and Technology industries. Her research interests also include corporate finance, private equity, and asset-backed securities.
Shefali Murthy ’24
Shefali Murthy is an LL.M. candidate at New York University School of Law (Class of '24). At NYU Law, Shefali is specializing in Corporation Law and is currently on the board of First Generation Professionals. Prior to this, she worked as an Associate with the Transaction Practice Group at Bharucha & Partners, Mumbai where she represented and advised clients on a wide range of transactions pertaining to mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance and general corporate and securities law related matters. Shefali received her primary law degree from Symbiosis Law School, Pune in 2019 and a post-graduate diploma in securities law in 2023.
Oluwatumininu (Tumi) Odunuga ’24
Tumi Odunuga is an LLM Candidate (with a specialization in Corporations Law) at the New York University (Class of 2024). Prior to commencing his LL.M at NYU, Tumi attended Osun State University, Nigeria, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree in 2016, and graduated as the third best law student of his set. Following his degree completion, Tumi proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in 2017, where he graduated summa cum laude in the top 0.1% of his class and received the Director General’s Prize for First Class Students. Thereafter, he joined the Oil & Gas team of Olaniwun Ajayi LP – Nigeria’s foremost and largest commercial law firm, where he advised both local and international clients on several landmark transactions across the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the Nigerian oil and gas industry before proceeding for his LL.M at NYU.
Ifeatu Onyekonwu ’24
Ifeatu Onyekonwu is an LLM Candidate (with specialization in Corporations Law) at the New York University (Class of ‘23). She has also completed coursework in Statistics and Data Analysis, Foundations of Corporate Finance, and Financial Accounting and Reporting at the New York University Stern School of Business in pursuance of an Advanced Certificate in Law and Business. Prior to this, she worked as a Graduate Trainee with the Power and Infrastructure Department of Olaniwun Ajayi, an international law firm headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. Her role largely involved advising clients on project finance. She graduated summa cum laude from the Nigerian Law School, earned her law Degree at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (2021) and is admitted to practice law in Nigeria.
Gayatri Ramesh ’24
Gayatri Ramesh is an LL.M. candidate specializing in Corporation Law at New York University School of Law (Class of '24). She is qualified to practice law in India. Prior to this, she worked in the Transactions Practice Group at the Mumbai offices of the law firm Bharucha & Partners where her work focused on assisting private equity funds, pension funds and other financial institutions in structuring and completing their investments and exits in India, mergers and acquisitions and setting up regulated investment funds in India.
Anushka Shah ’24
Anushka Shah is an LL.M. candidate (specializing in Corporations) as a Dean’s Scholar, at New York University School of Law (Class of ‘24). Prior to this, she was working as an Associate with the General Corporate (M&A and private equity) team at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, one of India's leading and largest law firms, where she represented and advised clients on a wide range of public and private cross-border transactions, dealing with industry-specific, foreign exchange and securities laws. Her role at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co included representing clients on M&A and private equity deals including conducting due-diligence, drafting transaction documents and advising on regulatory laws, particularly in the pharmaceutical and electric vehicles sector. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance) degree (top 2% of the cohort) in 2018 after which, she completed her primary law degree in India (top 1% of the cohort) in 2021 and a post-graduate diploma in securities law (top 5% of the cohort) in 2022.
Ritu Shah ’24
Ritu Shah, an LL.M. candidate specializing in Corporation Law at NYU School of Law (Class of ’24), currently serves on the board of Women of Color Collective and volunteers for the Bankruptcy Assistance Project. With a Bachelor of Commerce and LL.B. (Hons.) degree from Gujarat National Law University, complemented by a Company Secretary certification and an MBA in Finance, she possesses a comprehensive understanding of corporate law and financial management. As a licensed Indian attorney, she brings extensive corporate experience to her LL.M. pursuit. At Adani Power Limited, India’s largest private multinational power and energy company, she managed complex litigation, regulatory matters, and commercial agreements. Her tenure at Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited refined her skills in intellectual property management, litigation leadership, and compliance oversight. At a private boutique law firm, she represented esteemed clients in various judicial forums, including the Supreme Court of India and the High Court of Gujarat, across diverse legal matters from corporate restructuring to mergers and acquisitions.
Kevin Tsao ’25
Kevin Tsao is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2025. Prior to law school, he worked as a data engineer at Capital One for two years. Kevin graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a major in Computer Science and minor in Finance. At NYU Law, he is currently a staff editor with the Journal of Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law.
Vitória Vidal Serrano ’24
Vitória Vidal Serrano is an LL.M. candidate specializing in Corporation Law at New York University School of Law (Class of '24). Prior to this, she worked as an associate with the capital markets and investment funds team at Lobo de Rizzo Advogados, one of Brazil's leading and largest law firms. Her role at Lobo de Rizzo Advogados included representing banks and companies on capital markets and securitization transactions and in the structuring and capitalization of investment funds. Her responsibilities included negotiating and drafting transaction documents, coordinating due diligence, and providing advice on securities and corporate law matters through the drafting of memoranda and opinions. Vitória also worked as an in-house counsel in the legal department of Jive Investments, an asset management firm that focuses on originating, acquiring, and servicing corporate nonperforming loans, distressed real estate properties, legal claims, and other distressed assets.
Wenyue Zhu ’24
Wenyue Zhu is a J.D. Candidate at NYU School of Law, Class of 2024. Before Law School, she worked as an Investment Banking Analyst on cross-border M&A deals. During 1L summer, she interned in the Legal & Regulatory Group of Bridgewater Associates. She will be joining Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as a Summer Associate in 2023. At NYU Law, Wenyue is interested in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and energy law. She is currently on the board of First Generation Professionals and a Staff Editor of the NYU Environmental Law Journal. Wenyue received her B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 2019.