The 2009 Georgetown Journal of International Law Symposium explored emerging legal issues raised by the increasing activity of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). Controlling vast pools of capital and investing globally, SWFs often operate without full regulatory supervision and with objectives other than maximizing return on investment. These powerful funds raise legal, economic, and strategic security issues that private investors do not. As the number and size of sovereign funds continue to grow, the global legal community is confronted by novel issues of both public and private international law. Complicating matters, global financial crisis has led sovereign investors to new roles and tested the limits of the passivity that most funds proclaim. Held on March 30th, the symposium brought together diverse panelists from academia, government, and private practice to discuss and present the latest scholarship addressing SWFs.
