About Professor Letsou

Peter Letsou joined the Memphis faculty upon his appointment as Dean in June 2013. He served as Dean of the law school until May 2018, when he returned to full-time teaching. Prior to coming to Memphis, Dean Letsou served as Dean and Wendt Chair in Business Law at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon; Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Corporate Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law; and Associate and Assistant Professor of Law at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to his permanent appointments, Dean Letsou has held visiting professorships at University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne (where he served as Chair of the Americas), the University of Connecticut School of Law, and Emory University School of Law. Before entering the academy in 1990, Dean Letsou practiced law in New York City with Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Christy & Viener, served as Associate Counsel to the United States Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, and clerked for the Honorable Walter R. Mansfield of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Dean Letsou received his J.D. with highest honors from the University of Chicago Law School and his B.A. in physics, magna cum laude, from Harvard University. Dean Letsou teaches and writes in the areas of corporate law, securities law, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. He is the author of two casebooks and numerous articles and essays.

Education

Harvard College, B.A. Physics 1983 (magna cum laude); The University of Chicago Law School, J.D. 1986 (with highest honors). Order of the Coif. Member, University of Chicago Law Review (1984-1986) Comment Editor, University of Chicago Law Review (1985-86); Olin Foundation Fellow in Law and Economics, 1984-86

Admitted

New York State Bar

Experience

Dean, Roderick & Carol Wendt Chair in Business Law & Director, Program in Law & Business (Isaac Van Winkle Melton Professor, 2002-2003; Wendt Chair since 2003-2013; Associate Dean 2006-2011; Dean 2011-2013) Willamette University College of Law, Salem, Oregon; Visiting Professor (Chair of the Americas) (Nov. 2009) University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, Paris, France; Professor of Law & Director, Center for Corporate Law (1997-2002) University of Cincinnati College of Law, Cincinnati, Ohio; Visiting Professor of Law (fall 2001) University of Connecticut School of Law
Hartford, Connecticut; Visiting Professor of Law (fall 1999) Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia; Associate Professor of Law (1994-1997; with tenure: 1996-97); George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, Virginia; Assistant Professor of Law (1990-1994) George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, Virginia; Associate (1988-1990) Christy & Viener, New York, New York; Associate (1987-1988) Cravath, Swaine & Moore, New York, New York; Associate Counsel (1987) United States Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition Washington, D.C.; Law Clerk (1986-1987) The Honorable Walter R. Mansfield, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Division of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit for the Purpose of Appointing Independent Counsels. 

Teaching Interests

Business Organizations, Corporate Finance, Corporations, Mergers & Acquisitions, Quantitative Methods for Lawyers, and Securities Regulation.