Professor Palia is an internationally renowned scholar in law and economics, banking, and corporate governance. He earned a PhD in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University, and he has been on the faculty of Princeton University, Columbia Business School, the University of Chicago, and UCLA.

Dr. Palia has published extensively in the top finance and economics journals (e.g., American Economic Review, J. of Finance, J. of Financial Economics, RAND J., and Review of Financial Studies), as well as in the top law and economics journals. His work is extensively cited by other scholars and he is the Associate Editor of the J. of Financial and Quantitative Analysis. He is often quoted in newspaper articles and magazines. He continues to be invited to present his research to the faculty of top Universities, at the major academic meetings, and at the prestigious National Bureau of Economic Research conferences. He has worked as an expert in both federal and state courts. As Founding Director of the Financial Institutions Center, he organizes and participates in panels that include CEOs and other senior executives of financial institutions as well as senior regulators.