lg421@cam.ac.uk
Faculty Contact Details
Room: G10
Rouse Ball Professor of English Law; Chair of the Faculty Board
MA Jurisprudence (Oxford); BCL (Oxford)
Research centres and interest groups
CV / Biography
Professor Louise Gullifer KC (Hon) FBA is Rouse Ball Professor of English Law at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. She is an associate member of 3VB, where she practiced for a number of years, and a Bencher of Gray’s Inn.
She teaches and writes extensively in all areas of commercial and financial law, especially secured transactions and financial collateral, intermediated securities, set-off and personal property. She is the editor of Goode and Gullifer on Legal Problems of Credit and Security and has co-authored a number of books on commercial law and debt financing, including two co-edited volumes on intermediated securities She is currently co-director of a project on digital assets, and is writing and editing a series of books on secured transactions law and reform around the world, of which the most recent is a volume on Asia. She has acted as an expert witness in cases concerning set-off, intermediated securities and insolvency law.
She was the founding director of the Commercial Law Centre at Harris Manchester College and executive director of the Secured Transaction Law Reform Project, as well as the Oxford academic lead of the Cape Town Convention Academic Project. She was the UK delegate to both UNCITRAL (working group VI) during its work on secured transactions, and is one of the UK delegates to the UNIDROIT conferences on the Cape Town Convention, as well as a member of a number of UNIDROIT working groups. She is a member of of the International Insolvency Institute and the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law.
Selected publications
Books
Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (ed), 2025)
Co-editor(s):
Matthias Haentjens, Ilya Kokorin
Publisher:
ISBN:
9781509970407
Published Oct 2025
Corporate Finance law: Principles and Policy (with Jennifer Payne), 2025) 4th Edition
Publisher:
ISBN:
9781509979745
Published Jun 2025
The Law of Security and Title-Based Financing (ed), 2024) 4th Edition
Co-editor(s):
Michael Bridge, and Eva Lomnicka
Publisher:
Link:
ISBN 13:
9780198888895
Published Nov 2024
Goode and Gullifer on Legal Problems of Credit and Security (with Roy Goode) (eds), 2022) 7th Edition
The Law of Personal Property (with Professor Michael Bridge, Professor Gerard McMeel & Professor Kelvin F.K Low), 2021) 3rd Edition
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9780414098152
Published Dec 2021
Secured Transactions Law in Asia (with D Neo) (eds), 2021)
Co-editor(s):
D Neo
Publisher:
Published Mar 2021
Corporate Finance Law : Principles and Policy (with Jennifer Payne), 2020) 3rd Edition
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781509929177
Published Jan 2020
Secured Transactions Law Reform in Africa (with Marek Dubovec), 2019)
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781509913077
Published Nov 2019
Intermedation and beyond (with Jennifer Payne (co-editor) and contributors) (eds), 2019)
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781509919901
Published Feb 2019
The Law of Security and Title-based Financing (with Hugh Beale, Michael Bridge, Eva Lomnicka) (eds), 2018) 3rd Edition
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9780198795568
Published Feb 2018
Secured Transactions Law Reform: Principles, Policies and Practice (ed), 2016)
Co-editor(s):
Orkun Akseli (co-editor) and contributors
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781849467438
Published Jan 2016
English and European Perspectives on Contract and Commercial law: Essays in honour of Hugh Beale (with Stefan Vogenauer (co-editor) and contributors) (eds), 2014)
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781509912971
Published Jan 2014
Set-off in arbitration and commercial transactions (with Pascal Pichonnaz) (eds), 2014)
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9780199698080
Published Jan 2014
Intermediated Securities: Legal Problems and Practical Issues (with Jennifer Payne (co-editor) and contributors) (eds), 2010)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2010
Current Issues in European Financial and Insolvency Law (with Philippe Thery and Wolf-Georg Ringe (co-editors) and contributors) (eds), 2009)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2009
Articles
"'A comparison of the position of buyers under the Cape Town Convention, the three existing Protocols and the draft MAC Protocol"
Published: Forthcoming
"Proprietary Rights and Digital Assets: a "Modest Proposal" from a Transnational Law Perspective" (2025) 87 Law and Contemporary Problems 211-232
Citation:
(2025) 87 Law and Contemporary Problems 211-232
Published: Apr 2025
"The UNCITRAL Model Law and Secured Transactions Law Reform" (2023) 17 Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial and Commercial Law 97
Citation:
(2023) 17 Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial and Commercial Law 97
Published: Jan 2023
"Secured Transactions reform: lessons from Asia" (2021) 4 JIBFL 256
Citation:
(2021) 4 JIBFL 256
Published: Jan 2021
"Interpretation of Market Standard Form Contracts" (2021) JBL 227
Citation:
(2021) JBL 227
Published: Jan 2021
"How final is final? Settlement finality, blockchains and DLT" (2020) 1 Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 8
Citation:
(2020) 1 Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 8
Published: Jan 2020
"Crypto-claimants and Bitcoin Bankruptcy: Challenges for Recognition and Realisation" (2019) 28 International Insolvency Review 233
Citation:
(2019) 28 International Insolvency Review 233
Published: Aug 2019
"'A global tug of war: a topography of micro-business financing" (2017) Law and Contemporary Problems 109
Citation:
(2017) Law and Contemporary Problems 109
Published: Dec 2017
"Sales’ on Retention of Title terms: is the English law analysis broken?" (2017) 133 Law Quarterly Review 244
Citation:
(2017) 133 Law Quarterly Review 244
Published: Dec 2017
"'Financing Micro-businesses and the UNCITRAL Model Law on Secured Transactions" (2017) Uniform Law Review 642
Citation:
(2017) Uniform Law Review 642
Published: Nov 2017
"'A Case for Interfering with Freedom of Contract? An Empirically-Informed Study of Bans on Assignment'" [2016] Journal of Business Law 203
Citation:
[2016] Journal of Business Law 203
Published: Jul 2016
"'Ban on Assignment Clauses: Views from the Coalface" (2015) 30 Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 463
Citation:
(2015) 30 Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 463
Published: Nov 2015
"'Should clauses prohibiting assignment be overridden by statute?" (2015) 4 Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs 47
Citation:
(2015) 4 Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs 47
Published: May 2015
"'The interpretation of retention of title clauses: Wilson v Holt generates some difficulties." (2014) Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 564
Citation:
(2014) Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 564
Published: Sep 2014
"Bills of Sale: Ripe for Reform?" (2013) 11 Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 685
Citation:
(2013) 11 Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 685
Published: Jun 2013
"The reform of the English law of secured transactions" (2012) 213 Droit et patrimoine (Kluwer) 72
Citation:
(2012) 213 Droit et patrimoine (Kluwer) 72
Published: Sep 2012
"What should we do about Financial Collateral?" (2012) 65 Current Legal Problems 377
Citation:
(2012) 65 Current Legal Problems 377
Published: May 2012
"'Personal Property Security Law: Where Next? Parts 1 and 2" (2012) Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 465 and 541
Citation:
(2012) Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law 465 and 541
Published: Apr 2012
"The Australian PPS reforms: what will the new system look like?" (2010) 4 Law and Financial Markets Review 394
Citation:
(2010) 4 Law and Financial Markets Review 394
Published: May 2010
"'The reforms of the Enterprise Act 2002 and the Floating Charge as a security device" (2008) 46 Canadian Business Law Journal 399
Citation:
(2008) 46 Canadian Business Law Journal 399
Published: Apr 2008
"'The Law Commission’s Proposals: a critique" (2004) 15 European Business Law Review 81
Citation:
(2004) 15 European Business Law Review 81
Published: Jan 2004
"Will the Law Commission Sink the Floating Charge?" (2003) Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 125
Citation:
(2003) Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 125
Published: Mar 2003
"'Constructive possession after the Sale of Goods (Amendment) Act 1995 " 1999) Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 93
Citation:
1999) Lloyds Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 93
Published: Jan 1999
Book Chapters
"The nature and function of default rules in commercial law" in B. Hacker and J. Ungerer (ed(s)), Default Rules in Private Law), forthcoming
Published Forthcoming
"The Role of Policy in the Creation of Transnational Commercial Private Law Instruments" in J. Gardner, A. Goymour, J. O'Sullivan, S. Worthington (ed(s)), Politics, Policy and Private Law Volume II: Contract, Commercial and Company Law, 2025)
Publisher:
Published Jun 2025
"Proprietary Rights in Digital Assets" in Matthias Lehmann and Christian Koller (ed(s)), Digital Assets in Enforcement and Insolvency, 2025)
Publisher:
Published Mar 2025
"The Cape Town Convention 20 years on" in Ben Kohler (ed(s)), Elgar Companion to UNIDROIT, 2024)
Published Apr 2024
"Who can sue the obligor when receivables are financed?" in E. Peel and R. Probert (ed(s)), Shaping the Law of Obligations, 2023)
"Intermediated Securities: the European Perspective" (with J.Payne) in J-H Binder and P. Saguato (ed(s)), Financial Infrastructures: Law and Regulation , 2022)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2022
"The Vanishing Scope of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 in the Twenty-first Century" in C. Mitchell and S. Watterson (ed(s)), The World of Maritime and Commercial Law: Essays in Honour of Francis Rose , 2020)
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781509932429
Published Mar 2020
"The boundaries of a borrower’s freedom to act: negative covenants in loan agreements" in P. Davies and M. Raczynska (ed(s)), The Contents of Commercial Contracts: Terms Affecting Freedoms , 2020)
Publisher:
Published Feb 2020
"'National Report for England " (with H Anderson and C Cook), Treatment of Contracts in Insolvency , 2020)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2020
"The Financing of Micro-businesses in the United Kingdom: The Current Position and the Way Forward" in O. Akseli and J. Linarelli (ed(s)), The Future of Commercial Law: Ways Forward for Change and Reform, 2020)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2020
"Two consequences of the intermediated holding of debt securities: examining discharge of debt and set-off ", Intermediation and beyond , 2019)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2019
"Secured Transactions" (with M Raczynska), McKnight, Paterson and Zakrzewski on the Law of International Finance , 2017)
Publisher:
Published Apr 2017
"Flawed Assets", Commercial Remedies: Resolving Controversies , 2017)
Publisher:
ISBN 13:
9781107171329
Published Feb 2017
"The Reform of the English Law of Secured Transactions", McKnight, Paterson and Zakrzewski on the Law of International Finance , 2017)
Published Feb 2017
"'Should Clauses Prohibiting Assignment be Overridden by Statute?", Secured Transactions Law Reform: Principles, Policies and Practice , 2016)
Publisher:
Published Jun 2016
"'The English Law of Personal Property Security: Under-reformed?" (with M Raczynska), Secured Transactions Law Reform: Principles, Policies and Practice , 2016)
Publisher:
Published Jun 2016
"'National Report for England" (with H Anderson and C Cook), Ranking and Priority of Creditors , 2016)
Publisher:
Published May 2016
"'Piecemeal reform: is it the answer?", Secured Lending in Commercial Transactions, 2015)
Publisher:
Published May 2015
"Compulsory Central Clearing of OTC Derivatives: The Changing Face of the Provision of Collateral ", English and European Perspectives in Contract and Commercial Law, 2014)
Publisher:
Published Mar 2014
"'Exceptions to the Nemo Dat Rule in Relation to Goods and The Law Commission's Proposals", Personal Property Security Law Reform in the UK , 2009)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2009
"'Protection of Investors in Intermediated Securities", Rationality in Company Law , 2009)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2009
"'Retention of title clauses: a question of balance", Contract Terms , 2007)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2007
"'The Characterisation of Fixed and Floating Charges" (with J Payne), Company Charges Spectrum and Beyond , 2007)
Published Jan 2007
"'Quasi-security interests: functionalism and the incidents of security", Issues in International Commercial Law , 2005)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2005
"'Agreed Remedies", Commercial Remedies: Current Issues and Problems, 2003)
Publisher:
Published Jan 2003
Book Reviews
'Review of Australian Personal Property Securities Law, Antony Duggan and David Brown (2014) 29 Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law
Published May 2014
'Review of Intermediated Securities: the Impact of the Geneva Securities Convention and the Future European Legislation (2014) 51 Common Market Law Review
Published Jan 2014
Atiyah’s Sale of Goods (9th ed.) [1996] LMCLQ 298
Published May 1996
Case Notes
'The Cosslett Saga: Implications for the law of security over personal property (2002) 20 Companies and Securities Law Journal 177
Published: Jan 2002
One Cause After Another (2001) 117 Law Quarterly Review 403
Published: Jul 2001
Idiosyncratic buyers: who takes the risk? (1997) 16 Tr. Law 29
Published: Jan 1997
Recovery of misappropriated assets: orthodoxy re-established? [1995] LMCLQ 446
Published: Jan 1996
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