About
Michael F. Motala, Ph.D., J.D., is an interdisciplinary legal scholar and political scientist with expertise on the law and global governance of international corporate taxation and the tax planning strategies employed by multinational corporations. He focuses on the intersection of law and political economy, and his research and writing focuses on international economic law, law and economics, and business law. Motala has previously conducted research or taught at Osgoode Hall Law School, Columbia Law School, Stanford Law School and the University of Toronto’s Trinity College, and holds five degrees and multiple certifications spanning institutions in the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom and France.
Awards and Honors
- Visiting Scholar in Law, Columbia Law School, 2023-24
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, 2023-present
- Humane Studies Fellow, Institute for Humane Studies, 2023-24
- Frederic Bastiat Fellow, Mercatus Center, 2014-15 and 2018-19
- Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Fellow, University of Toronto Centre for Ethics, 2018-19
- Joseph-Armand Bombardier Doctoral Fellowship, Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 2017-23
- Hearst Scholar, Columbia University, 2016-17
Education
- Ph.D., University of Toronto
- Dissertation: “From Evolution to Potential Revolution: Explaining the Reform of the Global Corporate Tax Regime From 2008 to 2021”
- J.D., Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
- M.A., Columbia University
- Dissertation: “The Prince: Brexit’s Untold Story”
- M.Sc., London School of Economics and Political Science
- H.Ba., University of Toronto, Trinity College
Research interests and areas of expertise
- International economic law
- International taxation
- Commercial law
- Securities regulation
- Corporations
- Law and economics