529.01 Corporate Governance

Syllabus

Corporate governance is a major policy issue in business regulation, and has increasingly become headline news in recent political debates. This course will discuss the major debates in corporate governance, the challenges for designing an optimal system for governing corporations, and the increasingly important role of lawyers in these policy debates. To that end, the course may host guest speakers with various backgrounds that have unique experience in corporate governance matters. The course will focus on a range of issues. For example, is shareholder activism by hedge funds and other institutional shareholders good for shareholder value, or does it promote short-termism? Are CEOs paid too much, and should their compensation be regulated? Do anti-takeover devices entrench managers or promote long-term strategic growth? Does state competition for corporate charters lead to a race to the top or the bottom? In discussing each of these topics, this course will consider whether corporations are best regulated by the government or market discipline. As part of the course, students will acquire the skills to review empirical studies, and evaluate the implications of these studies for legal policy and corporate practice. Business Associations is a prerequisite for this class (except for LLM students who are taking Business Associations in the same semester).

Enrollment Pre-/Co- Requisite Information

Law 210 Business Associations is a pre-requisite. It may be taken concurrently with instructor permission.

Spring 2021

Course Number Course Credits Evaluation Method Instructor
529.01
Course Credits
Reflective Writing
Group project(s)
Class participation
Ofer Eldar
Sakai site: https://sakai.duke.edu/portal/site/LAW.529.01.Sp21
Email list: LAW.529.01.Sp21@sakai.duke.edu
Course
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements - JD
Course Requirements - JD-LLM-LE
Course Areas of Practice
Course Areas of Practice