Corporate & Commercial Law II: Business Forms, Financing & Governmental Regulation

Overview

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This course is the second course in a two-part series on corporate and commercial law. In this part, we focus on three main topics: business organizations, business financing, and governmental regulation. In the first module, we discuss the characteristics of a number of the most common forms of business entities, such as corporations and LLCs. Module two is devoted to debtor-creditor relationships, including bank financing, debt financing, secured transactions, and bankruptcy. We wrap up the course with two modules that focus on the most important aspects of governmental regulation, including the process by which administrative agencies make rules, and the regulation of anti-competitive behavior and securities transactions.

Syllabus

Introduction to course

In this module, you will become familiar with the course, your instructor and your classmates, and our learning environment. This orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required to navigate and be successful in this course.

Module 1: Business Organizations

In this module, you will learn about the most common forms of business organizations. Beginning with sole proprietorships and moving on through various forms of partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies, we will discuss how each type of business entity is formed and how it operates. By the end of this module, you will be able to differentiate between the most important types of business organizations and understand which form is most appropriate for achieving certain business goals.

Module 2: Debtor-Creditor Relationships

In this module, we will learn about the laws that govern the relationship between a lender and a borrower. We will discuss the basics of bank financing and debt financing, with special attention paid to loans that are secured by collateral consisting of personal property. We wrap up the module with several lessons explaining the bankruptcy process, and how debtors and creditors navigate the three most common forms of bankruptcy.

Module 3: Regulation Part I: Foundations, Consumers, and the Environment

In this module, you will learn about administrative agencies and how they regulate many aspects of business. We will talk about how agencies make rules and then how they enforce those rules. Then we will look at a series of important federal agencies and learn about how they operate within the scope of their authority. By the end of this module, you will understand the basics of the administrative rule-making process and know some of the primary regulatory activities of the FTC, CFPB, FDA, and EPA.

Module 4: Regulation Part II: Antitrust and Securities

In this module, we continue our discussion of administrative regulations from the previous module, focusing specifically on antitrust and securities regulation. Prohibiting anti-competitive behavior and ensuring fair securities transactions are two of the most important ways the government regulates commerce. By the end of this module, you will understand the basics of federal antitrust and securities laws.