Company Law

'Company Law in Context' is an ideal main text for company law courses. David Kershaw places company law in its economic, business, and social context, making more accessible and relevant the cases, statutes, and other forms of regulation. A running case study provides a practical perspective.

No one doubts any longer that sustainable development is a normative imperative. Yet there is unmistakably a great reluctance to acknowledge any legal basis upon which companies are obliged to forgo 'shareholder value' when such a policy clearly dilutes responsibility for company action in the face of continuing environmental degradation. Here is a book that boldly says: 'Shareholder primacy' is wrong. Such a narrow, short-term focus, the author shows, works against the achievement of the overarching societal goals of European law itself. The core role of EU company and securities law is to promote economic development, notably through the facilitation of market integration, while its contributory role is to further sustainable development through facilitation of the integration of economic and social development and environmental protection. There is a clear legal basis in European law to overturn the poorly substantiated theory of a 'market for corporate control' as a theoretical and ideological basis when enacting company law. With rigorous and persuasive research and analysis, this book demonstrates that: European companies should have legal obligations beyond the maximization of profit for shareholders; human and environmental interests may and should be engaged with in the realm of company law; and company law has a crucial role in furthering sustainable development. As a test case, the author offers an in-depth analysis of the Takeover Directive, showing that it neither promotes economic development nor furthers the integration of the economic, social and environmental interests that the principle of sustainable development requires. This book goes to the very core of the ongoing debate on the function and future of European company law. Surprisingly, it does not make an argument in favour of changing EU law, but shows that we can take a great leap forward from where we are. For this powerful insight - and the innumerable recognitions that support it - this book is a timely and exciting new resource for lawyers and academics in 'both camps' those on the activist side of the issue, and those with company or official policymaking responsibilities.

The new edition of Company Law has been specially written with the busy accountant, company secretary and legal practitioner in mind. It contains a complete analysis of all aspects of Company Law, other than insolvency issues. Most importantly this edition incorporates the entirely new Companies Act 2014 including the new rules and reforms under the Act. Company Law gives a comprehensive account of the law governing Irish-registered companies, explaining the 2014 Act and referencing all related leading cases on the subject. Table of Contents 1.Introduction 2.Regulating Companies 3.Company Formation 4.Corporate Responsibility 5.Governance - the Members 6.Management - the Officers 7.Officers Duties and Liabilities 8.Company Contracts and Liabilities 9.Share Capital 10.Shareholders Rights 11.Minority Protection 12.Fundamental Changes 13.Takeovers and Mergers 14.Close Companies and Groups 15.Distinctive Companies 16.Public and Traded Companies 17.Employees 18.Creditors, Debentures and Security 19.Accounts, Audits and Disclosures 20.Striking Off and Winding Up 21.European and International Aspects 22.Litigation Practice and Procedure About the authors Michael Forde Senior Counsel, based in Dublin, practising in Constitutional/Administrative law, EU Law, and aspects of international law, e.g. extradition and mutual assistance. Hugh Kennedy is a barrister, now based in Tokyo, specialising in international trade arrangements

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 book is one of the first to link company law to the law of succession by concentrating on family businesses. It shows that, to understand the legal framework underlying the daily operations of family businesses, one needs legal analysis, empirical data, psychological and sociological knowledge. The book works on the premise that, since many businesses have been founded by families, practitioners need to develop an understanding of the legal background of such businesses and build up experience to be able to create contracts, trusts, foundations and other legal mechanisms to give shape to systems and procedures for the transfer of shares and control within the family. Comparing the national legal order, techniques, and mechanisms in a range of countries, the book examines parallel developments in these fields of law across the world. Finally, it demonstrates the room for companies, shareholders and the members of a family to develop individual solutions within the legal framework for transferring businesses and shares to the next generation.

Lowry's name appears first on earlier edition.

This is the long-awaited second edition of this highly regarded comparative overview of corporate law. This edition has been comprehensively updated to reflect profound changes in corporate law. It now includes consideration of additional matters such as the highly topical issue of enforcement in corporate law, and explores the continued convergence of corporate law across jurisdictions. The authors start from the premise that corporate (or company) law across jurisdictions addresses the same three basic agency problems: (1) the opportunism of managers vis-à-vis shareholders; (2) the opportunism of controlling shareholders vis-à-vis minority shareholders; and (3) the opportunism of shareholders as a class vis-à-vis other corporate constituencies, such as corporate creditors and employees. Every jurisdiction must address these problems in a variety of contexts, framed by the corporation's internal dynamics and its interactions with the product, labor, capital, and takeover markets. The authors' central claim, however, is that corporate (or company) forms are fundamentally similar and that, to a surprising degree, jurisdictions pick from among the same handful of legal strategies to address the three basic agency issues. This book explains in detail how (and why) the principal European jurisdictions, Japan, and the United States sometimes select identical legal strategies to address a given corporate law problem, and sometimes make divergent choices. After an introductory discussion of agency issues and legal strategies, the book addresses the basic governance structure of the corporation, including the powers of the board of directors and the shareholders meeting. It proceeds to creditor protection measures, related-party transactions, and fundamental corporate actions such as mergers and charter amendments. Finally, it concludes with an examination of friendly acquisitions, hostile takeovers, and the regulation of the capital markets.

The limited company is the dominant type of organisational structure for businesses operating in the UK it is the best available mechanism for raising finance and diversifying financial risk. This book identifies the company as a financing vehicle and explains how the law facilitates the raising of finance by providing the corporate form and methods of financing that match the changing needs of a business through its life. The approach sets this book apart from other legal texts and provides it with its distinctive orientation. The rules relating to share capital, debt finance and public offers of securities are clearly explained with emphasis throughout on their practical operation and on the interests that these requirements are intended to protect. Topical corporate finance issues, such as the ways in which companies can return value to their shareholders, are examined. The corporate governance implications of raising finance from external investors are considered. Keycorporate governance issues such as the role of non-executive directors and institutional investors are analysed. For companies that have outside investors, market driven codes of best practice and Stock Exchange requirements can be just as important as the companies legislation and case law. Through the programme of harmonisation, European law now exerts a major influence. These different strands of law and regulation are woven together in the book and there is a timely discussion of areas where reform is necessary or desirable. This is the first book in the UK to deal with the technicalities of company law within a wider framework that recognises the importance of market forces and corporate governance and which seeks to explain to wider audience issues about corporate finance theory and practice that are familiar to financial economists. This is will enable students to develop a wider and more realistic understanding of the operation of company law than is provided by existing texts.

Employing a practical and contextual approach, this student textbook covers developments in the self-regulation of corporate governance, which is becoming global due to the activities of the OECD and World Bank.