Corporations Law - Professor Squire

This course provides students with a basic understanding of the law that governs business organizations, particularly publicly held corporations. Aspects of the laws of agency and partnership are first considered to highlight the relationship to corporate law. In turning to corporations, the course considers the rights and duties of boards of directors, officers, and shareholders. Specific topics include the nature of debt and equity securities, the role of fiduciary duties, the regulation of conflicts of interest and insider trading, and the fundamentals of control transactions (like mergers and acquisitions). The course introduces students to state common law and statutory systems, as well as aspects of the federal securities laws, that regulate business organizations. Issues relating to the role of business organizations in society and the role of attorneys in representing these organizations are also considered.