Module LAW3347: CORPORATE FINANCE

Department: Law

LAW3347: CORPORATE FINANCE

Prerequisites

• Introduction to English Law and Legal Method (LAW 1121) [OR Legal Skills (LAW 1107) AND Legal System of England and Wales (LAW 1117); OR Legal Skills (LAW 1041)], Contract Law (LAW 1071) and Commercial Law (LAW 2241).

Corequisites

• Company Law (LAW 3031).

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To build on foundations laid in Contract Law and Commercial law with specific reference to retention of title and sale and supply of goods;
• To complement the knowledge being acquired in Company Law with specific reference how businesses are financed;
• It is intended that students shall acquire sounds and accurate knowledge of these areas, providing them with a useful source both for future practice and their everyday lives in the form of commercial awareness;
• It seeks to develop students’ facility in handling of ‘black letter law’ areas, and, in particular, ability to comprehend and apply relevant statutes, analyse and reason from decided cases. It also seeks to identify areas of law appropriate for reform.

Content

• Financing options of a business (Equity, Debt, Hybrid Financing, retained profits etc);
• Debt and Equity relationship (Shares, creditors and protection);
• Capital (raising capital and decreasing capital);
• Contractual creditor protection (negative pledge, set-off, subordination etc);
• Proprietary creditor protection (security for credit [types of security interests] and retention of title), creation, perfection, priority and enforcement of security interests; assignment of debt;
• Types of lenders;
• Offer of shares;
• Regulation of capital markets and debt;
• Takeovers;
• Private equity.

Learning Outcomes

• Students should be able to demonstrate:
• Knowledge of the main principles, rules and doctrines of corporate finance law;
• Knowledge of the important contemporary debates about the key academic, political and judicial debates about corporate finance law and how they are affected by economic and political pressures;
• An understanding of how corporate finance law operates in practice in the commercial world and how the law is influenced by international legislative activities in this field.

• Students should be able to:
• Apply the existing law to given factual scenarios and advise accordingly;
• Analyse and evaluate the existing law in terms of its legal and commercial context.

• Students should be able to:
• Demonstrate the skill and communicating complex ideas and arguments in clear written form.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The core principles of the subject will be conveyed by Seminars. Additional reading will be set to ensure that more complex aspects of the principles are investigated. Seminars will be used to ensure that the reading has been understood, and to develop subject-knowledge and subject-skills as outlined above. Formative essays will be used to develop both subject-skills and communication skills.
• Summative assessment comprises one summative essay of 3000 words. Students are given a choice of questions to write their summative essays, but the questions are structured in such a way as to assess students on all the specific outcomes. The summative essay tests the ability to focus on relevant legal issues and organise knowledge and argument appropriate to questions raised. The summative essay questions will provide the means for students to demonstrate the acquisition of subject knowledge and the development of their problem-solving skills.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1 written essay of about 1500 words.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University