Future Finance : Legal Geographies of Financial Centres and the Asset Economy

Abstract

Finance is no longer just about markets – it shapes societies, politics and the planet’s future. At its centre now stands the asset management industry, where power has shifted from public institutions to private authority. This shift has redefined the purpose of finance and exposed deep tensions: principles of justice and sustainability stand in stark contrast to the logic of today’s financial order. Driving this system are international financial centres such as London, New York, Dubai and Dublin. Frequently invoked yet poorly understood, their inner workings remain opaque. In Future Finance, Sabine Dörry uncovers how these centres operate and shows how the decisions made there ripple far beyond finance itself, reshaping economies and societies. Drawing on geography, political economy, sociology, management, history and law, she offers a fresh lens on how finance must adapt – or be compelled to adapt – to the demands of the future.