Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship

Prof. Henry Peter, Prof. Giulia Neri-Castracane, Vincent Pfammatter, Dr Livia Ventura et Semia Bey

After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, the essential role of business organisations in creating sustainable and inclusive economic growth and achieving the SDGs is undisputed. As a consequence, the past few decades have seen a proliferation, from the Americas to Europe, of new organisations (such as the benefit corporation) capable of bringing together social and environmental aims with business approaches. The research project is focused on the analysis of the different corporate forms and structures and the possible development of a uniform entity model (at regional or international level), as well as on the necessity to introduce or not in Switzerland dedicated corporate forms such as the benefit corporation or introduce special statuses.

Outcomes

       Media

Entreprises durables - Un statut à l'étude, 15.08.2024, RTS Un/ Le Journal 19h30

• Le Parlement a commencé l'examen d'une motion pour un statut d'entreprise durable. Décryptage avec Henry Peter, professeur de droit à l'UNIGE. 

Publications

• Empresas B y Sociedades BIC. Perspectiva comparada de las empresas con propósito, Carlos Vargas Vasserot Jaime Alcalde Silva William H. Clark Jr., Tirant lo Blanch, 03/07/2024. Foreword by Henry Peter.
• Statut Juridique d'Entreprise Durable en Suisse, Livre blanc du groupe d’experts juridique, Prof. Giulia Neri-Castracane, December 2023
• Social Enterprise Law A Multijurisdictional Comparative Review, Dana Brakman Reiser, Steven A. Dean & Giedre Lideikyte Huber (eds), December 22, 2023
• Sustainable purpose-driven enterprises - Swiss legal framework in a comparative law perspective, Prof. Giulia Neri-Castracane, May 22, 2023
• Future of Boards Phase 1: Part 1 Foundation and Methodology, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership (CISL), DLA Piper, 2023,  Dr Pamela Buchan, Steven Day, Dr Louise Drake, Emma Eteen, Seeraj Gajadhar, Dr Victoria Hurth, Dan Mocanu, Gillian Secrett, Dr Livia Ventura, Andrea Westall
• Future of Boards Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Sustainability (Phase 1, Part 2), University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), DLA Piper, 2023, Dan Mocanu, Livia Ventura
• The International Handbook of Social Enterprises Law, Springer
• Sociétés hybrides, entreprises sociales, B-Corp : Le droit suisse est-il approprié ?, V.Pfammatter, H. Peter, SZW/ RSDA 3/2021, pp. 289-301
• Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and the New Boundaries of the Firms in the European Union, European Business Law Review, L. Ventura, n. 34, vol. 2, 239-268, 2023

•      Sustainable Procurement: The Active Role of the State in Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth, State and Enterprise. Legal Issues in the Global Market, B. De Donno, L. Ventura, eds. by M.R. Mauro and F. Pernazza, Springer, 2023, 259-281.

•  Philanthropy and the For-profit Corporation: The Benefit Corporation as The New Form of Firm Altruism, European Business Organization Law Review, L. Ventura, n. 3, 2022, 603-632

• The social enterprise movement and the birth of hybrid organizational forms as policy response to the growing demand for firm altruism, The International Handbook of Social Enterprise Law. Benefit Corporations and Other Purpose Driven Companies, L. Ventura, eds. by H. Peter, C. Vargas Vasserot, J. Alcalde Silva, Springer, 2022, 9-25

• Social Enterprises and Benefit Corporations in Italy, The International Handbook of Social Enterprise Law. Benefit corporations and other purpose driven companies, L. Ventura, eds. by H. Peter, C. Vargas Vasserot, J. Alcalde Silva, Springer, 2022, 651–674 (). Open access

• Verso un nuovo Statuto delle imprese ‘for benefit’ del ‘Quarto settore’ e il new normal post-covid, Comparative Law in Times of Emergencies, B. De Donno, L. Ventura, eds. by G. Giannone Codiglione, L. Pierdominici, Roma TrE-Press, Roma, 2022, 401-431

• Supply Chain Management and Sustainability: The New Boundaries of the Firm, Uniform Law Review, L. Ventura, n. 3, 2021, 599–634.

• The social responsibility of businesses, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, François Dermange, 01/2010

Events

• 08-09.06.2022 - International Conference "Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy"
• 12.05.2022 - Journée du droit de l'entreprise "Entreprises à mission: une nouvelle ère dans la gouvernance?", University of Lausanne

Teaching

• DAS in strategic and operational philanthropy, Module on “Legal structuring of philanthropic projects and relevant financial, governance, and tax parameters” - G. Neri-Castracane (Module Head)