Corporations are inextricably linked with our lives. They produce amazing products. They sell us basic food and necessities. They employ us and pay our salaries. But sometimes, they can have a darker side.
Author(s): George S. Geis
Series: The Great Courses
Publisher: The Teaching Company
Year: 2019-11
Language: English
Pages: 120
Professor Biography......Page 3
Table of Contents......Page 5
Course Scope......Page 7
Lecture 1–Questions and Conflicts in Corporate Law......Page 9
Starting a Corporation......Page 10
Academic Questions......Page 11
Key Players......Page 12
Standoffs......Page 13
Dodge v. Ford Motor Company......Page 14
The Court’s Ruling......Page 15
Conclusion......Page 16
Lecture 2–Corporations and Their Agents......Page 17
Overview of Agency......Page 18
Agency-Relationship Lawsuits......Page 19
Torts......Page 20
Binding the Principal to a Third Party......Page 21
Fiduciary Duties......Page 22
The Beginning of Corporations......Page 24
The Process Today......Page 25
Alternatives......Page 26
Limited Liability in the Corporate Context......Page 28
What Can a Corporation Do?......Page 29
Corporate Controversy: Philanthropy......Page 30
Corporate Controversy: Politics......Page 31
Lecture 4–Boards of Directors and the Duty of Care......Page 33
Kamin v. American Express Company......Page 34
Smith v. Van Gorkom......Page 36
Van Gorkom’s Actions......Page 37
After the Decision......Page 38
Lecture 5–Business Opportunities and the Duty of Loyalty......Page 40
Implications of the Duty of Loyalty......Page 41
The Corporate Opportunity Doctrine......Page 42
In re eBay, Inc. Shareholders Litigation......Page 43
Goldman Sachs and eBay......Page 45
Lecture 6–Executive Pay and the Duty of Good Faith......Page 47
Background on the Duty of Good Faith......Page 48
Executive Compensation and the Duty of Good Faith......Page 49
Other Measures......Page 51
Corporate Activity......Page 52
Shareholders and Representatives......Page 54
Types of Shareholder Lawsuits......Page 55
Decisions on Pursuing Claims......Page 56
Excusing the Demand Requirement......Page 57
Board Delegation......Page 58
The Oracle Case......Page 59
Lecture 8–Securities Regulation and Fraud......Page 61
The Early 1930s......Page 62
Rule 10b-5......Page 63
Private Right of Action......Page 65
Lecture 9–Insider Trading Laws and Their Complexities......Page 67
Securities and Exchange Commission v. Texas Gulf Sulphur......Page 68
Chiarella v. United States......Page 69
Tipper-Tippee Insider Trading......Page 70
Dirks v. Securities and Exchange Commission in Court......Page 71
Personal Benefits......Page 72
Misappropriation......Page 73
Lecture 10–Corporate Control Battles and the Law......Page 75
Fights in Small Firms......Page 76
A Circus Disaster......Page 77
The Groups Go to Court......Page 78
Proxy Fights......Page 79
The Shareholder Proposal......Page 80
Lecture 11–Corporate Law of Mergers and Acquisitions......Page 83
Business Synergies......Page 84
Structuring a Merger......Page 85
Appraisal Rights......Page 86
The De Facto Merger Doctrine......Page 87
Freezeout Mergers......Page 88
Dealing with Freezeouts......Page 89
Lecture 12–Hostile Takeovers, Defenses, and the Future......Page 91
Background on Unocal Corp. v. Mesa Petroleum Co.......Page 92
Unocal’s Response......Page 93
The Case in Court......Page 94
Background on Revlon, Inc. v. MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc.......Page 96
Poison Pills......Page 97
Perelman Sues......Page 98
Quiz......Page 99
Bibliography......Page 106
Quiz Answers......Page 112
Image Credits......Page 119
