This is the basic course in business law. Students will gain a general understanding of business law, together with a perception of its several implications in their future professional careers. They will also work to acquire a basic legal vocabulary.

No previous knowledge of law or legal methods is required for this class.

The course will briefly consider theories of the firm and their role in the economy. It will cover basic principles of contracts, business organizations (notably partnerships and corporations), the incorporation of an enterprise and how the corporate structure works. We will then consider management and control of the corporation, actions of directors, and, generally, the distribution of powers between directors and shareholders within the corporate framework.

General concepts on agency, financial markets, antitrust, and intellectual property regulation (such as patent and trademarks) will be addressed and explained in class, as they are primarily intended to provide the students with the basic tools needed to understand the relationships between law and enterprises.

In light of the growing internationalization of modern financial markets and business relationships, the course will not be exclusively focused on the Italian regulation: it will rather provide general legal principles applicable to various countries and systems. Reference to parallel legal developments in various jurisdictions will be made throughout the course.

Cases, articles and readings on specific issues will be assigned throughout the semester.

EMERSON, Business Law, New York, 2011
KRAAKMAN-DAVIES-HANSMANN-HERTIG-HOPT-KANDA-ROCK, The Anatomy of Corporate Law. A Comparative and Functional Approach, Oxford, 2004

The grades will be based on a preliminary test during the semester and on a written examination at the end of the course. Class participation is encouraged and will be taken into account in the overall students’ evaluation.