The legal tortoise and the high frequency trading hare: The challenge for regulators

Abstract

A little over a year after the US stock market 'flash crash' of 6 May, this article explores some of the legal and management issues and post-mortem regulatory initiatives to promote financial product innovation while at the same time limiting the potential disruption and harms caused by share high frequency trading (HFT) and algorithms gone mad. More generally, the article addresses the continuing challenge of law, including company law, to cope with challenges created by new technology.