This text argues that the rules and practices of corporate law mimic contractual provisions that parties involved in corporate enterprise would reach if they always bargained at zero cost and flawlessly enforced their agreements. It states that corporate l

This is the long-awaited third edition of this highly regarded comparative overview of corporate law. This edition has been comprehensively revised and updated to reflect the profound changes in corporate law and governance practices that have taken place since the previous edition. These include numerous regulatory changes following the financial crisis of 2007-09 and the changing landscape of governance, especially in the US, with the ever more central role of institutional investors as (active) owners of corporations. The geographic scope of the coverage has been broadened to include an important emerging economy, Brazil. In addition, the book now incorporates analysis of the burgeoning use of corporate law to protect the interests of "external constituencies" without any contractual relationship to a company, in an attempt to tackle broader social and economic problems. The authors start from the premise that corporations (or companies) in all jurisdictions share the same key legal attributes: legal personality, limited liability, delegated management, transferable shares, and investor ownership. Businesses using the corporate form give rise to three basic types of agency problems: those between managers and shareholders as a class; controlling shareholders and minority shareholders; and shareholders as a class and other corporate constituencies, such as corporate creditors and employees. After identifying the common set of legal strategies used to address these agency problems and discussing their interaction with enforcement institutions, The Anatomy of Corporate Law illustrates how a number of core jurisdictions around the world deploy such strategies. In so doing, the book highlights the many commonalities across jurisdictions and reflects on the reasons why they may differ on specific issues. The analysis covers the basic governance structure of the corporation, including the powers of the board of directors and the shareholder meeting, both when management and when a dominant shareholder is in control. It then analyses the role of corporate law in shaping labor relationships, protection of external stakeholders, relationships with creditors, related-party transactions, fundamental corporate actions such as mergers and charter amendments, takeovers, and the regulation of capital markets. The Anatomy of Corporate Law has established itself as the leading book in the field of comparative corporate law. Across the world, students and scholars at various stages in their careers, from undergraduate law students to well-established authorities in the field, routinely consult this book as a starting point for their inquiries.

Understanding Corporate Law is designed to assist students by offering a clear and comprehensive treatment of key concepts in corporate law. It is a popular study guide for students and has been used by professors to supplement their casebook or as recommended reading. Significant business, economic, and policy issues are highlighted in connection with a thorough analysis of the important cases and statutory provisions used in the study of corporations. It includes the major theoretical approaches used in current corporate law literature.In each chapter, the authors identify important policies and discuss the relationship of the law as it has developed to those policies. Statutory issues are covered under both the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Revised Model Business Corporation Act. The Third Edition of Understanding Corporate Law discusses developing case law since the Second Edition including the Delaware courts' use of good faith in fiduciary duty cases. The book also reflects the corporate governance issues raised by the corporate scandals and the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. A section of Chapter 5 deals generally with that Act, but its impact is also covered in relevant sections throughout the book. This Understanding treatise is designed to be used in conjunction with all of the major corporate law casebooks.

This casebook provides the most relevant and recent cases on cutting-edge subjects important to corporate in-house legal counsel as they face more challenges and increasing regulatory constraints. Each chapter in this engaging casebook features at least one assignment that helps students develop a more practical understanding of the topics covered. Readers will find the cases and corresponding notes, questions, and assignments to be clear, concise, and illustrative on important legal topics affecting global corporate in-house counsel.

When used in conjunction with corporations, the term public is misleading. Anyone can purchase shares of stock, but public corporations themselves are uninhibited by a sense of societal obligation or strict public oversight. In fact, managers of most large firms are prohibited by law from taking into account the interests of the public in de...