Robert Stevens
Herbert Smith Freehills Professor of English Private Law
Biography
Professor Robert Stevens joins the faculty as the Herbert Smith Freehills Professor of English Private Law. Previously he was a Professor in commercial law at UCL , a lecturer in law at the University of Oxford and a Fellow and Tutor in Law at Lady Margaret Hall where he taught from 1994 to 2007.
He read law as an undergraduate at the University of Oxford, where he also studied for the Bachelor of Civil Law. He was called to the Bar in 1992. He has taught and lectured widely both within the Commonwealth (Australia and Canada) and Continental Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Spain).
Some presentations on video:
- Causation and Contribution
- Contract terms in insolvency and the pari passu principle - a Commercial Law Centre webinar
- Questions for John Gardner launching his book “From Personal Life to Private Law”
- Responding to Baroness Hale on the Role of the Judiciary at the SLS Annual Conference 2016
Publications
STEVENS R, ‘The Unjust Enrichment Disasters’ (2018) 134 The Law Quarterly Review 574
Stevens R, ‘When and Why Does Unjustified Enrichment Justify the Recognition of Proprietary Rights?’ (2011) 92 Boston University Law Review 919
Mcfarlane B and Stevens R, ‘The Nature of Equitable Property’ (2009) 4(1) The Journal of Equity
Stevens R, ‘Choosing the Right Approach for European Law Making’ [2008] European Company and Financial Law Review 83
Stevens R, ‘Why Do Agents ’Drop Out’?’ [2005] Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 101
Stevens R, ‘The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999’ (2004) 120 Law Quarterly Review 292
Stevens R and McFarlane B, ‘In Defence of Sumpter V Hedges’ (2002) 118 Law Quarterly Review 569
Stevens R, ‘The Independence of the Judiciary: The Case of England’ (1999) 72(2-3) SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAW REVIEW 597
Jebsen P and Stevens R, ‘Assumptions, Goals, and Dominant Undertakings: The Regulation of Competition under Article 86 of the European Union’ (1996) 64(3) ANTITRUST LAW JOURNAL 443
Mcfarlane B and Stevens R, ‘Interests in Securities: Practical Problems and Conceptual Solutions’
Stevens R, Torts and Rights (OUP 2007)
STEVENS R, ‘Binding Our Future Selves’ in P Davies and R Magda (eds.), Contents of Commercial Contracts: Terms Affecting Freedoms (Hart Publishing 2020)
McFarlane B and Stevens R, ‘What’s Special about Equity? Rights about Rights’ in D Klimchuk, I Samet and H E Smith (eds.), Philosophical Foundations of the Law of Equity (OUP 2020)
Stevens R, ‘Defenses’, The Oxford Handbook of the New Private Law (2020)
STEVENS R, ‘Private Law and the Form of Reason’ in A Robertson and J GOUDKAMP (eds.), Form and Substance in the Law of Obligations (Hart Publishing 2019)
Stevens R, ‘Professor Sir Frederick Pollock (1845-1937): Jurist As Mayfly’, SCHOLARS OF TORT LAW (2019)
STEVENS R, ‘Damages for Wrongdoing in the Absence of Loss’ in J Varuhas and N Moreham (eds.), Remedies for Breach of Privacy (Hart Publishing 2018)
Stevens R, ‘Floating Trusts’ in P Davies and J Penner (eds.), Equity and Commerce (Hart 2017)
Stevens R, ‘Set Off and the Nature of Equity’ in P Davies, S Douglas and J Goudkamp (eds.), Defences in Equity (Hart 2017)
Stevens R, ‘Not Waiving But Drowning’, DEFENCES IN CONTRACT (2017)
Stevens R, ‘Rights Restricting Remedies’ in A Robertson and M Tilbury (eds.), Divergences in Private Law (Hart 2016)
Stevens R, ‘The Meaning of Words and the Intentions of Persons’ in J Edelma, S Degeling and J Goudkamp (eds.), Contract in Commercial Law (Thomson 2016)
Stevens R, ‘Should Contributory Fault Be Analogue or Digital’ in A Dyson, J Goudkamp and F Wilmot-Smith Defences (eds.), Tort (Hart 2015)
Stevens R, ‘Salvaging the Law of Torts’ in P Davies and J Pila (eds.), The Jurisprudence of Lord Hoffmann (Hart 2015)
Stevens R, ‘Private Rights and Public Wrongs’, UNRAVELLING TORT AND CRIME (2014)
Stevens R, ‘Rights and Other Things’ in A Robertson and D Nolan (eds.), Rights and Private Law (Hart 2011)
Stevens R, ‘Contractual Aspects of Debt Financing’ in A Reisberg and D Prentice (eds.), Corporate Finance law in the UK and EU (OUP 2010)
Stevens R, ‘Torts’ in L Blom-Cooper, B Dickson and G Drewry (eds.), The Judicial House of Lords (OUP 2009)
Stevens R, ‘The Conflict of Rights’ in A Robertson and H Tang (eds.), The Goals of Private Law (Hart 2009)
Stevens R, ‘Damages and the Right to Performance: A Golden Victory or Not?’ in J Neyers, R Bronaugh and S Pitel (eds.), Exploring Contract Law (Hart 2009)
Stevens R, ‘Comment and Discussion Report’ in L Gullifer (ed.), Current Issues in European Financial and Insolvency Law: Perspectives from France and the UK (OUP 2009)
Stevens R, ‘Is There a Law of Unjust Enrichment?’ in S Degeling and J Edelman (eds.), Unjust Enrichment and Commercial Law (Thomson 2008)
Stevens R, ‘Objectivity, Mistake and the Parol Evidence Rule’ in A Burrows and E Peel (eds.), Contract Terms (OUP 2007)
Stevens R, ‘Non-Delegable Duties and Vicarious Liability’ in J Neyers and S Pitel (eds.), Emerging Issues in Tort Law (Hart 2007)
Stevens R, ‘Security After the Enterprise Act’ in J Getzler and J Payne (eds.), Company Charges: Spectrum and Beyond (OUP 2006)
Stevens R, ‘Three Enrichment Issues’ in A Burrows and A Rodger (eds.), Mapping the Law: Essays in Memory of Peter Birks (2006)
Stevens R, ‘Choice of Law for Equity: Is It Possible?’ in Edelman and Degling (eds.), Equity in Commercial Law (Thomson 2005)
Stevens R, ‘Rolls Razor’ in Swadling (ed.), The Quistclose Trust: Critical Essays (2004)
Stevens R, ‘Insolvency’ in Swadling (ed.), The Quistclose Trust: Critical Essays (2004)
Stevens R, ‘E-Commerce in Private International Law’ in P Henk Snijders and P Stephen Weatherill (eds.), E-Commerce Law: National and Transnational Topics and Perspectives (Kluwer 2003)
Stevens R, ‘Contract, Rights and the Morality of Promising: The Choice Theory of Contracts, of Hanoch Dagan and Michael Heller’ [2019] Law and Philosophy (review)
Stevens R, ‘The Proper Scope of Knowing Receipt’ [2005] Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly ’1 (case-note)
Stevens R, ‘An Opportunity to Reflect’ (2005) 121 Law Quarterly Review (case-note)
Stevens R and Struycken T, ‘Assignment and the Rome Convention’ [2002] Law Quarterly Review 15 (case-note)