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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Comparative Corporate Governance (LAWS11283)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Law CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe course focuses on the theory, law and practice of the governance of corporations across different jurisdictions with a focus on the Anglo-American model.

Corporate governance regulates the relationships between various corporate constituencies (directors, officers, majority and minority shareholders, employees, creditors) with a view to establishing an adequate system of controls that prevents any single corporate constituency from acquiring overriding power or influence. Because legal systems rank social priorities differently, several models of corporate governance have emerged worldwide.
Course description Topics covered in this course include:

- Law, politics and culture as drivers of corporate governance;
- Corporate governance codes: origins, perspectives, enforcement;
- Board-level employee representation;
- Gender diversity in the board of directors;
- Shareholder activism and proxy advisors;
- The role of auditors and corporate lawyers in corporate governance;
- Corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investment.

This course is mandatory for the completion of the LLM in Corporate Law.

The course is available to students from other LLM programmes, subject to place availability.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Prior knowledge of Company Law is deisirable.
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2020/21, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  25
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 176 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Summative Assessment:

5000 Word Essay (100%)
Feedback Feedback on the formative assessment may be provided in various formats, for example, to include written, oral, video, face-to-face, whole class, or individual. The course organiser will decide which format is most appropriate in relation to the nature of the assessment.

Feedback on both formative and summative in-course assessed work will be provided in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course.

Feedback on the summative assessment will be provided in written form via Learn, the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Understand the main causes of conflicts between managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and the role of corporate governance in managing these conflicts
  2. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of principle-based versus rule-based regulation of corporations
  3. Analyse the emerging international standards in the area of corporate governance
  4. Demonstrate developed and written oral skills, including the clear and succinct expression of ideas
  5. Demonstrate ability to work effectively in a group
Reading List
The reading assigned for each seminar will be specified in the handout distributed in advance.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Ability to critically analyse and apply complex theoretical ideas and empirical research evidence

Communicate and work with other students, often from diverse intellectual backgrounds and from different countries

Use library and electronic resources effectively and independently to research problems

Exercise judgement, critical reflection and independence in a substantial writing task.
KeywordsCorporate Law,Corporate governance; company law; comparative law; board of directors; shareholder a
Contacts
Course organiserDr Remus Valsan
Tel: (0131 6)50 2008
Email: Remus.Valsan@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Lauren Ayre
Tel: (0131 6)50 2002
Email: Lauren.Ayre@ed.ac.uk
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