FACULTY FOCUS
A
Trade for Time
Quality of life lures securities expert to Oxford from Washington, D.C.
by Apryl Childs
He's often quoted in prestigious financial services publications,
but if you ask Mercer Bullard what he's read most recently, he'll tell
you it's a Harry Potter book.
"My kids love it, so that's what I read to them," says the assistant
professor of law.
Reading is a nightly ritual at the Bullard house: "I've read the
entire series of Nancy Drew mysteries and the Chronicles of Narnia books.
I've read over 200 books to my oldest daughter." Bullard teaches
classes in securities, banking regulation, corporate finance, and contracts.
Before coming to Oxford, he was assistant chief counsel for the Securities
and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. His academic journey is impressive:
bachelor's from Yale, master's from Georgetown, and juris doctorate from
the University of Virginia School of Law. One result of moving his family
from Washington to Oxford last June, he says, has been more "quality
time" for him and his wife, Kalyna, with their children, Victoria,
9, and twins Charlotte and Sadler, 6.
"In Washington, going anywhere takes an hour," Bullard says.
Reading isn't the only way the Boston native spends time with his kids.
Here, they have lots to choose from: Ole Miss baseball, ice cream at Sonic
or even watching a school play. Shakespeare's "Macbeth" was
an interesting theatrical performance at the children's school and quite
a different experience from Bullard's own, which he says his children
found very amusing. "I went to an all-boys school, and I played the
part of Lady Macbeth."
At 6 a.m. on Saturdays, Bullard can be found in his office in the UM Law
School. He's there early to make room for his family during the rest of
the day. He spends most of the morning preparing for his classes and working
on articles for publications such as Investment Advisor, which bills itself
as "advisor to advisors," and Investment News, a weekly newspaper
for financial advisers and investment marketers. Later in the day, media
calls begin about mutual funds, just one of Bullard's passions.
Recognized as one of America's leading advocates for mutual fund shareholders,
Bullard in 2001 was named by Investment News as one of the 25 most powerful
voices in the financial services industry. As CEO of the nonprofit membership
organization Fund Democracy, Bullard serves as an advocate for mutual
fund shareholders and their advisers. Since he founded the organization
in January 2000, Fund Democracy has been featured in Business Week, Ticker
magazine, and on TheStreet.com, among others. In June, he testified before
the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets,
Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, on H.R. 2420, the Mutual
Funds Integrity and Fee Transparency Act of 2003.
But he'll tell you his first love is teaching. "I feel like I have
a gift," Bullard says. "I know how to make complex issues understandable.
I'm constantly learning."
Apryl Childs is a student intern in the UM Office
of Media and Public Relations.