Professor Vanessa Knapp OBE

Independent Consultant, Formerly Partner, Freshfields

Vanessa is an independent consultant specialising in UK corporate law and corporate governance. She is the chair of the company law committee of the Council of the Bars and Law Societies of the European Union (CCBE) and is a member of the informal expert group on company law set up by the European Commission.

Vanessa was a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP for many years and has advised listed and private companies and charities on company law and corporate governance matters. She was awarded an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for services to corporate law in 2007.

She lectures in company law and corporate governance at University College London and is a visiting professor at Queen Mary University of London.  She is a member and former chairman of the City of London Law Society Company Law Committee.