Business Associations
Andrew J. Haile
Fall Semester 2008
Syllabus
Detailed class assignments will be posted prior to each class on the “Assignments”
section of Blackboard. Please check there regularly to see what you need to read in preparation
for each upcoming class. Listed below is a broad outline of what we will cover in this course
and the order in which we will proceed.
I.
WHAT BUSINESSES AND THEIR LAWYERS DO
A.
B.
C.
D.
II.
THE SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP
A.
B.
C.
III.
Definition: pp. 81-84
Legal Problems in Starting a Partnership: pp. 84-87
Legal Problems in Operating a Partnership: pp. 87-101
Making the Partnership Grow: pp. 101-06
Making Money for the Partners: pp. 107-123
Termination of the Partnership: pp. 123-44
THE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (LP)
A.
B.
C.
D.
V.
Definition: pp. 41-42
Problems in Operating a Sole Proprietorship
(Introducing Problems of Agency Law): pp. 42-68
Making the Sole Proprietorship Grow: pp. 68-79
THE GENERAL PARTNERSHIP
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
IV.
Owning an Interest in a Business: pp. 1-15
Making Money and Keeping Track of It: pp. 15-27
Sarbanes-Oxley and Fraud: pp. 27-31
Choices Available for Business Structures: pp. 31-39
Definition: pp. 773-75
Legal Problems in Starting an LP: pp. 775-77
Legal Problems in Operating an LP: pp. 777-809
How the Owners Make Money (and How They
Get Out): pp. 809-10
THE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC)
A.
B.
Definition: pp. 811-12
Legal Problems in Starting an LLC: pp. 812-14
C.
D.
VI.
THE CORPORATION – INTRODUCTION
A.
B.
VII.
Legal Problems in Operating an LLC: pp. 814-22
How the Owners Make Money (and How They
Get Out): pp. 822-36
Definition: pp. 145-52
Legal Problems in Starting a Corporation: pp. 152-68
THE CORPORATION – OPERATION
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Liability to Creditors: pp. 169-91
Making Decisions: pp. 191-220 and pp. 242-63
Responsibilities of the Decision-makers: pp. 264-350
Shareholder Derivative Suits: pp. 350-404
Indemnification and Insurance: pp. 404-11
VIII. THE CORPORATION – GROWTH
A.
B.
C.
D.
IX.
THE CORPORATION – HOW THE OWNERS (SHAREHOLDERS) MAKE
MONEY
A.
B.
C.
X.
Borrowing Money: pp. 413-14
Issuing Stock (Including an Intro to Rule 10b-5): pp. 414-40
Debt v. Equity: p. 441
Using Earnings: p. 442
Salaries: pp. 443-78
Dividends: pp. 478-95
Buying and Selling Stock at a Profit
(Details of Rule 10b-5): pp. 495-643
THE CORPORATION – END OF THE LINE
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Background: Fundamental Corporate Changes: pp. 645-47
Dissolution: pp. 647-49
Merger: pp. 649-84
Sale of Assets: pp. 684-92
Hostile Takeovers (Just an Intro): pp. 693-96