Oliver Williamson, the Edgar F. Kaiser Professor Emeritus of Business, Economics, and Law at UC Berkeley, has won a 2009 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. The longtime Berkeley Law faculty member was recognized for his analysis of economic governance in examining how business firms could serve as structures for conflict resolution.
Williamson, 77, is the university’s fifth Nobel winner in economics and 21st overall. “His path-breaking work on organizations and behavior, with its countless applications to the law, epitomizes the multidisciplinary strength and character of the campus,” says Berkeley Law Dean Christopher Edley, Jr.
One of the world’s most cited economists, Williamson shares this year’s prize with professor Elinor Ostrom, who teaches political science and public and environmental affairs at Indiana University. More information about the Nobel announcement is available here.