Kudun & Partners was pleased to welcome Professor Katharina Pistor, Edwin B. Parker Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School and author of The Code of Capital, for a special discussion on “Law as the Code of Capitalism: Transforming the World Order in the Time of Disruption.”
Organised by the Columbia Law School Alumni Club of Bangkok and sponsored by Kudun & Partners, the discussion brought together academics, legal professionals, business leaders and thought leaders to explore how traditional legal frameworks must evolve in response to technological disruption and the growing influence of global corporations.
Professor Pistor highlighted how capitalism is fundamentally shaped by law, with legal structures determining how assets become capital, how wealth is protected and how economic power is distributed. She examined how traditional principles of corporate law, property rights and contractual freedom have empowered private corporations, sometimes creating significant imbalances between businesses and individuals.
A key focus of the discussion was the legal challenges arising from the growing influence of technology companies and artificial intelligence, including corporate accountability for potential harm, the imbalance of bargaining power in standard digital contracts, and the limitations of relying solely on competition law to address corporate power. Professor Pistor also reflected on how financial regulation has struggled to keep pace with evolving market structures. She emphasized that meaningful change does not always require new legislation, as existing legal principles, strategic litigation and alternative contractual and institutional arrangements can all play a role in reshaping the economic system.
We were also delighted to have Peangpanor Boonklum, a fellow Columbia Law School alumna, deliver the opening remarks and the Q&A session moderated by Narun
Popattanachai, Director of Regulatory Impact Assessment at the Office of the Council of State, who is also a Columbia Law School alumnus.
The event highlighted the strong connection between Kudun & Partners and Columbia Law School, with Kudun Sukhumananda, Founding Partner, and Panupong Wongmueang, Associate, also being Columbia Law School alumni. Earlier this year, the firm hosted the Columbia European Law Association (CELA) Spring Break Pro Bono Caravan in Bangkok, bringing together Columbia Law School students and KAP lawyers for a week of collaborative pro bono initiatives. The program focused on advancing access to justice, supporting organizations in need of legal assistance and fostering the next generation of lawyers through international collaboration.
Through its sponsorship of this event, Kudun & Partners continues to support thought leadership and meaningful dialogue on the legal, economic and societal developments shaping the future of business.
About Kudun and Partners
Kudun and Partners is a leading independent Thai law firm providing comprehensive legal services across corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, capital markets, restructuring and insolvency, employment, tax, regulatory, technology, data privacy, competition law, and other strategic practice areas. The firm advises multinational corporations, financial institutions, investors, entrepreneurs, and leading Thai businesses on their most significant legal and commercial matters.
