Mathias Siems

Board member

Biography by Mathias Siems

In 2026 I will move to University College London (UCL) as Professor of Corporate Law. Regardless of any titles and affiliations, I am passionate about empirical legal studies. Having received a fairly conventional legal education in Germany and the UK, my initial empirical path started with a mixed-methods project on Law, Finance and Development at the University of Cambridge.

My empirical journey continued in various directions, employing both qualitative and quantitative empirical methods, often in combinations with forms of comparative legal analysis (and followed by a degree in economics a bit later). I also promote the use of various empirical methods to my many PhD students at the EUI.

It is great to see the dynamic evolution of the European Society of Empirical Studies (ESELS). Building on this success, there may be the potential to grow further in various dimensions: membership, participants of the annual conference, working groups and workshops, as well as geographic and thematic reach of empirical legal studies in Europe. There are also lessons to be learned from the evolution of ELS in the US, how to grow, but also how to avoid a narrowing of the field to certain topics or methods. Overall, empirical curiosity should be open to pursuing different types of projects, of whatever empirical flavour and legal topics one has in mind. Supporting and leading the ESELS, I would also be happy to receive suggestions in support of our joint endeavour!