Course 2008-2009 a.y.

Course Objectives

This course is designed to provide students with an advanced exploration of selected business topics from a comparative perspective. It examines contemporary legal contexts in which corporations interact with external constituencies or regulatory entities, with special attention to issues of corporate social responsibility.The topics are selected both to represent issues that typically arise in multi-national or international business climates and to stimulate discussion of the underlying policies and theories.

Course Content Summary

• The Problem of Governing Multi-National Corporations
• Piercing the Corporate Veil
• Comparative Products Liability
• Antitrust and Competition Law
• Transborder Corporate Dispute Resolution
• Advanced Problems in Corporate Governance
• Securities Fraud in the US and Europe
• Comparative Corporate Bankruptcy
• Cross-Border Bankruptcy for Multi-National Corporations
• Corruption and Corporate Criminal Liability
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Corporate Liability for Human Rights Violations

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The final grade will be based on a written examination consisting of four open questions. The questions on the final examination will be drawn primarily from topics discussed in class, as elaborated in the reading materials.

Textbooks

The following materials will be compiled by the instructor and made available at the beginning of the course:

• Selected U.S. and European cases, statutes, regulations and legislative sources.
• Selected excerpts from law journals, articles and treatises.