Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3083H: Company Law Foundation

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

This module is only available to students studying for the JD on the HKUST-Exeter Programmes in Law. The aim of this module is to introduce you to some of the key topics and themes in Company Law / Business Associations.  It is not an ‘introduction’ to the subject in the sense of providing you with relatively shallow knowledge over a wide range of topics; instead it considers in depth some of the main ideas underpinning Company Law and thus provides a foundation in the subject.

Having completed the module you should have gained an appreciation of the role of the company as a form of business enterprise and a thorough understanding of some of the aspects of its legal regulation, focusing on the nature of the company and the positions of directors and shareholders within the company. The module aims to enable you to identify legal issues and problems arising through the use of a company, to consider and analyse areas of legal complexity within the topics covered and advise appropriately on the legal resolution of problems. The module covers various topics concerning the use of the corporate form, in particular looking at issues arising on incorporation, issues arising from the company's structure, administration and management and issues with directors' obligations and minority shareholder protection.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge of company law and a substantial range of major concepts, values and principles relevant to its application
2. demonstrate ability to identify, explain and critically evaluate key issues in company law and to apply relevant rules and theories
Discipline-Specific Skills3. demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge of legal concepts and their contextual, social, and political implications
4. demonstrate ability to apply legal knowledge to a problem or case study and to suggest a conclusion supported by relevant arguments
Personal and Key Skills5. demonstrate ability to manage relevant learning resources, information, and learning strategies, and to develop own arguments and opinions with minimum guidance
6. demonstrate ability to work independently and to manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises and assessment