Unit information: Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom and United States in 2021/22

Unit name	Corporate Governance in the United Kingdom and United States
Unit code	LAWDM0069
Credit points	30
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Professor. Villiers
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	University of Bristol Law School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

This unit aims to give students a fundamental understanding of the legal rules that determine the balance of decision-making power within Anglo-American public companies. It assesses the main theoretical models of the business corporation as developed within English and American jurisprudence and scholarship, in order to provide a basic conceptual structure to the course material. It then proceeds to examine and compare the key features of UK and US (Delaware & federal) company and securities law in relation to issues such as: the distribution of authority between directors and shareholders; the structure & composition of the corporate board; directors’ duties and financial risk management; and takeovers & the market for corporate control; and the relationship between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. The emphasis is on studying how the legal rules and institutions interact with wider market pressures in establishing effective managerial incentives and disciplinary mechanisms.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course students will:

• be able to explain the different theoretical approaches to corporate governance in the UK and the US,
• have gained a knowledge and understanding of the regulatory institutions and the different corporate governance structures available to companies in the UK the US and across the world,
• be familiar with contemporary debates and issues within corporate governance,
• be able to research traditional literature sources and library and internet databases,
• be able to demonstrate an ability to research independently and to present a coherent written argument on a variety of corporate governance topics.

Teaching Information

Teaching will be delivered through a variety of asynchronous and synchronous activities

Assessment Information

2 x summative assessments: 2x coursework with a specified word count (50% each)

The assessment will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0069).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.