PART I: LEGAL TOPICS
Chapter 1. Business and the law (Page 4-7)
1. Warming up
- In what ways will the law have an involvement in the different
departments of an international company?
= HR department: contracts of employment
= sales department: contract law / commercial law
= finance: tax law / investment law
- What kinds of legal claims might be made against a company by
employees, suppliers or competitors?
= employees: discrimination / unfair dismissal / …
= suppliers: breach of contract
= competitors: unfair competition
2. Reading comprehension
Text: syllabus page 5
Main points:
- Which four general areas of running a business are typically affected
by the law?
= people, profit, products and premises
- How would you describe Elegance to someone who knew nothing
about it?
= an international cosmetics organisations with offices and factories
worldwide
Details:
- What kinds of products does Elegance sell which have more than
simple cosmetic properties?
= medicated skin products
- Which people are described as being affected by the law?
= employees, management, shareholders, customers
- Which is important from a legal point of view about the way a job is
advertised?
= laws relation to discrimination, diversity and equal opportunities
- What kind of responsibilities does a manufacturing company have
towards consumers?
= to ensure a product is safe and reliable + to describe it accurately in
advertising and on packaging
,- What is important from a legal point of view about how products are
advertised?
= what is said and how it is said
- Why is intellectual property law important for companies like
Elegance?
= because it needs to protect its right to patents to avoid infringements
- Which laws are relevant for Elegance as regards the working
environment in its offices and factories?
= health and safety laws
- What can companies do to reduce the amount of tax they have to
pay?
= use tax avoidance scheme
Vocabulary:
Under licence from = Sold or produced with permission of
the company who owns the patent or
copyright, in return for part of the
sales revenue
Shareholders = Aandeelhouders
Misconducted = Wangedrag
Proper records = Proper rapport
Damages = Schadevergoeding
Litigation = Take a civil case to court
Tax avoidance = Legal
Tax evasion = Illegal
3. Vocabulary
3.1 Word search:
Codes = Rules of conduct or correct business
practice which don’t have the force of
law
(Gedragsregels of correcte handelspraktijken
die geen kracht van wet hebben)
Under licence from = With permission of another
company
(Met toestemming van een ander bedrijf)
Contracts of employment = Agreements between employers
and employees
, (Overeenkomsten tussen werkgevers en
werknemers)
Recruited = Employed, hired
(In dienst genomen, ingehuurd)
Discrimination = Unfairly choosing one person in
favour of another
(Oneerlijk kiezen van een persoon ten gunste
van een ander)
Dismissal = Being fired
(Ontslagen worden)
Shareholders = The people who own a company
(De mensen die eigenaar zijn van een bedrijf)
Legal status = The legal standing of a company
(De juridische status van een bedrijf)
Product liability claim = A legal challenge resulting from a
product that causes harm
(Een juridische uitdaging als gevolg van een
product dat schade veroorzaakt)
Damages = Compensation ordered by a court to
be paid to someone who has suffered
loss or injury
(Compensatie die door een rechtbank wordt
opgelegd aan iemand die verlies of letsel heeft
geleden)
Written laws = Legislation
(Wetgeving)
Breach of contract = When a contract is broken
(Wanneer een contract wordt verbroken)
Litigation = Going to court
(Voor de rechter komen)
Infringement of patents = Copying someone’s registered
invention
(Het kopiëren van iemands geregistreerde
uitvinding)
Premises = A word describing a building and the
land it stands on
(Een woord dat een gebouw en de grond
waarop het staat beschrijft)
Real Estate = Property
(Eigendom)
Tax evasion = Not to pay tax, but in an illegal
manner
(Geen belasting betalen, maar op een illegale
manier)
,3.2 Word Partnership:
Equal opportunities = Gelijke kansen
Disciplinary procedure = Tuchtprocedure
Consumer protection = Consumentenbescherming
Real estate = Onroerend goed
Consumer protection = Bescherming van de consument
-> completion exercise: syllabus!
3.3. Legal terminology:
Employment law = The law related to hiring and firing
Consumer protection law = The law that protects the buying
public
Medicines law = The law regulating the manufacture
and sale of pharmaceuticals
Tax law = the law relating to a share of profits
paid to the state
Health and safety law = The law concerning the well-being of
employees
,Chapter 2. Setting up a business (Page 8-11)
1. Exercise 1
Working for yourself: vocabulary -> underlined words
You’ are a solo trader = Zelfstandige
You start trading and manage the = Alleen, op jezelf
business on your own
You have unlimited liability for your = Onbeperkte aansprakelijkheid
debt = Schuld
Partnerships: vocabulary -> underlined words
2 types of partnerships:
- General partnership
- Limited liability partnership
General partnership = oldest one
The partners are personally liable = Persoonlijk aansprakelijk
A written agreement is recommended = Overeenkomst
but is not required by law
Partners do not have to provide a = Eigen vermogen
minimum amount of equity by law but
they usually agree to pay capital into
the firm when they join the
partnership
Limited liability partnership = LLP
Partners are called members = Leden
They are still the owners of the = Eigenaars
business, but their liability for the
debts of the firm is limited
Limited companies: vocabulary -> underlined words
, 2 main types limited companies:
- Private company
- Public company
These business structures must be = Afzonderlijke juridische identiteit
registered on the Register of
Companies and have a separate legal
identity
This means the members are only = Aandelen in het bedrijf
liable to pay for their shareholding in
the company
It is the company that is liable to its = Schuldeisers
creditors
2. Exercise 2
Explain the words:
Sole trader = An individual person who owns all
the assets of the business and is liable
for all its debts
Unlimited liability = The business is not a separate legal
entity, so liability rests with the
owners of the company
Equity / company capital = Consists of cash and assets
Tangible assets = Physical objects (e.g. a car)
Intangible assets = Non-physical objects (e.g. a patent)
Articles of association = Document in which the relationship
between the company and its
shareholders is set out
3. Exercise 3
Verb+noun pairs when getting started in business
Register / run a company = Een bedrijf registreren / runnen
Raise / contribute capital = Kapitaal ophalen / bijdragen
Submit / reject an application = Een aanvraag indienen / afwijzen
Draw up a contract = Een contract opstellen
Impose restrictions = Beperkingen opleggen
Chapter 1. Business and the law (Page 4-7)
1. Warming up
- In what ways will the law have an involvement in the different
departments of an international company?
= HR department: contracts of employment
= sales department: contract law / commercial law
= finance: tax law / investment law
- What kinds of legal claims might be made against a company by
employees, suppliers or competitors?
= employees: discrimination / unfair dismissal / …
= suppliers: breach of contract
= competitors: unfair competition
2. Reading comprehension
Text: syllabus page 5
Main points:
- Which four general areas of running a business are typically affected
by the law?
= people, profit, products and premises
- How would you describe Elegance to someone who knew nothing
about it?
= an international cosmetics organisations with offices and factories
worldwide
Details:
- What kinds of products does Elegance sell which have more than
simple cosmetic properties?
= medicated skin products
- Which people are described as being affected by the law?
= employees, management, shareholders, customers
- Which is important from a legal point of view about the way a job is
advertised?
= laws relation to discrimination, diversity and equal opportunities
- What kind of responsibilities does a manufacturing company have
towards consumers?
= to ensure a product is safe and reliable + to describe it accurately in
advertising and on packaging
,- What is important from a legal point of view about how products are
advertised?
= what is said and how it is said
- Why is intellectual property law important for companies like
Elegance?
= because it needs to protect its right to patents to avoid infringements
- Which laws are relevant for Elegance as regards the working
environment in its offices and factories?
= health and safety laws
- What can companies do to reduce the amount of tax they have to
pay?
= use tax avoidance scheme
Vocabulary:
Under licence from = Sold or produced with permission of
the company who owns the patent or
copyright, in return for part of the
sales revenue
Shareholders = Aandeelhouders
Misconducted = Wangedrag
Proper records = Proper rapport
Damages = Schadevergoeding
Litigation = Take a civil case to court
Tax avoidance = Legal
Tax evasion = Illegal
3. Vocabulary
3.1 Word search:
Codes = Rules of conduct or correct business
practice which don’t have the force of
law
(Gedragsregels of correcte handelspraktijken
die geen kracht van wet hebben)
Under licence from = With permission of another
company
(Met toestemming van een ander bedrijf)
Contracts of employment = Agreements between employers
and employees
, (Overeenkomsten tussen werkgevers en
werknemers)
Recruited = Employed, hired
(In dienst genomen, ingehuurd)
Discrimination = Unfairly choosing one person in
favour of another
(Oneerlijk kiezen van een persoon ten gunste
van een ander)
Dismissal = Being fired
(Ontslagen worden)
Shareholders = The people who own a company
(De mensen die eigenaar zijn van een bedrijf)
Legal status = The legal standing of a company
(De juridische status van een bedrijf)
Product liability claim = A legal challenge resulting from a
product that causes harm
(Een juridische uitdaging als gevolg van een
product dat schade veroorzaakt)
Damages = Compensation ordered by a court to
be paid to someone who has suffered
loss or injury
(Compensatie die door een rechtbank wordt
opgelegd aan iemand die verlies of letsel heeft
geleden)
Written laws = Legislation
(Wetgeving)
Breach of contract = When a contract is broken
(Wanneer een contract wordt verbroken)
Litigation = Going to court
(Voor de rechter komen)
Infringement of patents = Copying someone’s registered
invention
(Het kopiëren van iemands geregistreerde
uitvinding)
Premises = A word describing a building and the
land it stands on
(Een woord dat een gebouw en de grond
waarop het staat beschrijft)
Real Estate = Property
(Eigendom)
Tax evasion = Not to pay tax, but in an illegal
manner
(Geen belasting betalen, maar op een illegale
manier)
,3.2 Word Partnership:
Equal opportunities = Gelijke kansen
Disciplinary procedure = Tuchtprocedure
Consumer protection = Consumentenbescherming
Real estate = Onroerend goed
Consumer protection = Bescherming van de consument
-> completion exercise: syllabus!
3.3. Legal terminology:
Employment law = The law related to hiring and firing
Consumer protection law = The law that protects the buying
public
Medicines law = The law regulating the manufacture
and sale of pharmaceuticals
Tax law = the law relating to a share of profits
paid to the state
Health and safety law = The law concerning the well-being of
employees
,Chapter 2. Setting up a business (Page 8-11)
1. Exercise 1
Working for yourself: vocabulary -> underlined words
You’ are a solo trader = Zelfstandige
You start trading and manage the = Alleen, op jezelf
business on your own
You have unlimited liability for your = Onbeperkte aansprakelijkheid
debt = Schuld
Partnerships: vocabulary -> underlined words
2 types of partnerships:
- General partnership
- Limited liability partnership
General partnership = oldest one
The partners are personally liable = Persoonlijk aansprakelijk
A written agreement is recommended = Overeenkomst
but is not required by law
Partners do not have to provide a = Eigen vermogen
minimum amount of equity by law but
they usually agree to pay capital into
the firm when they join the
partnership
Limited liability partnership = LLP
Partners are called members = Leden
They are still the owners of the = Eigenaars
business, but their liability for the
debts of the firm is limited
Limited companies: vocabulary -> underlined words
, 2 main types limited companies:
- Private company
- Public company
These business structures must be = Afzonderlijke juridische identiteit
registered on the Register of
Companies and have a separate legal
identity
This means the members are only = Aandelen in het bedrijf
liable to pay for their shareholding in
the company
It is the company that is liable to its = Schuldeisers
creditors
2. Exercise 2
Explain the words:
Sole trader = An individual person who owns all
the assets of the business and is liable
for all its debts
Unlimited liability = The business is not a separate legal
entity, so liability rests with the
owners of the company
Equity / company capital = Consists of cash and assets
Tangible assets = Physical objects (e.g. a car)
Intangible assets = Non-physical objects (e.g. a patent)
Articles of association = Document in which the relationship
between the company and its
shareholders is set out
3. Exercise 3
Verb+noun pairs when getting started in business
Register / run a company = Een bedrijf registreren / runnen
Raise / contribute capital = Kapitaal ophalen / bijdragen
Submit / reject an application = Een aanvraag indienen / afwijzen
Draw up a contract = Een contract opstellen
Impose restrictions = Beperkingen opleggen
