Business Associations

This lesson will familiarize students with the "Unocal Doctrine", a standard of judicial review under Delaware law. The Unocal doctrine applies to a board's defensive conduct when opposing a hostile takeover and attempting to prevent a change of corporate control.

This lesson examines the process of incorporation by allowing students to explore some typical articles of incorporation by clicking on hot spots. The lesson provides a guided tour through the various provisions of the articles of incorporation. The lesson also looks at what happens when the incorporation process is not carried out correctly.

This lesson examines a subset of the fiduciary obligations of directors and officers--their duty of loyalty to the corporation--the Corporate Opportunity Doctrine.

This lesson examines when a shareholder's lawsuit against a corporation is derivative and when it is direct. It also examines why this distinction is important. Then, using the provisions of the Revised Model Business Corporation Act (RMBCA), this lesson examines the procedural requirements for bringing a derivative action.

This lesson discusses cumulative voting and how it differs from straight voting. It describes the mechanics of cumulative voting—how many votes each shareholder gets, how those votes may be cast, and how the result is determined. It also illustrates how cumulative voting can go awry if shareholders are not careful. Finally, it discusses several possible ways that a majority shareholder dissatisfied with cumulative voting may try to circumvent it.

This lesson is the first of two designed to familiarize you with aspects of shareholders' derivative litigation and the role played by the business judgment rule. This lesson focuses on demand upon the board of directors.

This is an introduction to the sharing of profits and losses by partners in a general partnership. The lesson has three parts: (1) a general introduction to the default rules concerning how partners share profits and losses; (2) a discussion of partnership accounts; and (3) a discussion of the distribution rules applicable when a partnership is dissolved and its business is wound up.

This lesson introduces the federal and state securities laws regulating business finance. The lesson is designed for students taking Business Associations or Corporations, so the coverage is fairly basic; this lesson is not intended to be used by Securities Regulation students.

This lesson focuses on the Special Litigation Committee. It is recommended that you complete the first lesson (The Business Judgment Rule in Shareholder Derivative Litigation I: Demand Upon the Board) before beginning this one.

This lesson provides an introduction to voting trusts and voting agreements -- what they are, how they work, and why you might choose one over the other.

This lesson focuses on state corporation law restrictions on distributions to shareholders. It does not cover restrictions on distributions arising from other sources, such as contractual restrictions, the law of fraudulent conveyance, or federal bankruptcy law.

This lesson examines shareholder inspection rights under RMBCA Chapter 16. In particular, it examines which documents a shareholder may inspect and the requirements for a shareholder to inspect. This lesson is a good opportunity to practice your statutory reading and interpretation skills.

This lesson discusses sections 16(a) and 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It begins with a discussion of the section 16(a) reporting requirement: who must file, what they must file, and when. It then proceeds with an element-by-element discussion of liability under section 16(b) for short-swing trading profits, including a brief introduction to the complexities introduced by derivative securities. It concludes with a discussion of enforcement issues: standing, limitations, and the right to attorneys' fees.

This lesson discusses judicial review of director's conflicting interest transactions under subchapter F of chapter 8 of the revised Model Business Corporation Act. The definition of "director's conflicting interest transaction" is not discussed; that is dealt with in a companion lesson, What is a Director's Conflicting Interest Transaction? The two lessons may be done in either order.

This lesson is intended to familiarize students with the Business Judgment Rule, an essential component of corporate governance.

This lesson reviews the definition of "director's conflicting interest transaction" in Subchapter F of chapter 8 of the Revised Model Business Corporation Act. It focuses on the definition and does not discuss judicial review of director's conflicting interest transactions under Subchapter F. That is dealt with in a companion lesson, Judicial Review of Director's Conflicting Interest Transactions under the Model Business Corporation Act.

This lesson discusses the causes of dissolution of partnerships and the Article 7 buyout right under the Revised Uniform Partnership Act (RUPA). It also discusses the liability of a dissociated partner for partnership obligations and the liability of the partnership for the post-dissociation actions of the partner.

This lesson deals with the dissociation of partners under the Revised Uniform Partnership Act (RUPA). It discusses the events that result in dissociation under Section 601 of the RUPA, whether dissociation is wrongful or not, and touches on the consequences of wrongful dissociation.

This lesson examines the definition of a partnership. It highlights the definition of a partnership and how it differs from the sole proprietorship (the only other business organization that exists without first satisfying formal filing requirements).

Ordinarily, when an agent acts on behalf of a principal the legal rights of the principal are affected, but the agent is not personally liable to third persons with whom he or she has dealt. This lesson looks at those somewhat unusual situations where the agent may be personally liable to third persons.

This lesson discusses the power that an agent (or apparent agent) has to affect the legal rights of the principal. In general, an agent or apparent agent may affect the principal's legal rights only to the extent that the agent possesses the authority or the power to do so. This lesson provides an introduction to the three basic types of authority -- actual authority, apparent authority, and inherent agency power.