- Different mediums within which a business can be conducted
- Doctrine of separate legal personality
- Lifting the corporate veil
- Constitution of a company
- Legal nature of shares and class rights
- Company meetings
- Loan capital
- Share issues
- Capital maintenance
- Directors
- Minority protection
- Winding Up/Administration Orders

1. You are required to write a critical and analytical essay addressing a contemporary issue in Company Law. The essay must demonstrate a thorough understanding of core company law principles, apply legal rules and case law to complex scenarios, and communicate legal arguments clearly and persuasively.

2. You will work with a small group of peers to analyse a complex, real-world company law scenario involving multiple legal, ethical, and sustainability issues (e.g. directors’ duties, minority protection, misuse of separate legal personality, capital maintenance, and insolvency risk). Each group produces a structured legal analysis and set of recommendations, supported by statutory provisions, case law, and policy considerations.

3. An individual reflective commentary supplements the group submission, requiring students to critically evaluate their own contribution to, the collaborative process as well as to assess their development needs to continue growing their and how diverse perspectives influenced legal reasoning and outcomes.

The learning strategy for this module includes direct contact with a tutor and guide and self-guided independent study, including preparation for assessments.

Lectures provide the foundational legal framework for the Company Law module. They cover key topics, including company formation, separate legal personality, lifting the corporate veil, corporate governance, directors’ duties, shareholder rights, capital maintenance, and insolvency. Focusing on statutory provisions, leading case law, and contemporary ethical and commercial considerations, lectures ensure students develop a systematic understanding of core principles and their societal and practical implications. This knowledge underpins critical analysis in the coursework essay and supports informed contributions to the Group Problem-Solving Portfolio.

Workshops are interactive, problem-based sessions that allow students to apply lecture knowledge to realistic scenarios. Students work individually and in small groups to identify legal issues, analyse competing arguments, and develop evidence-based solutions. Collaborative exercises, peer discussion, and formative feedback develop critical reasoning, professional communication, and teamwork skills. These activities directly prepare students for the Group Problem-Solving Portfolio, enabling structured analysis, solution formulation, and reflection on collaborative decision-making.

Independent study consolidates and extends learning beyond scheduled sessions. Researching primary and secondary sources, reflecting on workshops, and integrating feedback helps students develop sustained, well-reasoned arguments. This supports both the coursework essay, by fostering coherent, evidence-based writing, and the individual reflective component of the group portfolio, by promoting critical reflection on legal reasoning and collaborative engagement.

1. Demonstrate a detailed and contemporary understanding of Company Law, critically evaluate its legal, economic, and societal implications for contemporary business practice and apply this knowledge to analyse complex company law problems, formulate coherent legal arguments, and devise appropriate, evidence-based solutions.

Knowledge and understanding
Application and problem solving

2. Apply critical reasoning and ethical judgement to real-world corporate scenarios, both independently and through collaborative engagement with a diverse range of perspectives.

Critical reasoning and collaboration

3. Reflect critically on your engagement in collaborative legal work, demonstrating responsibility for your ongoing professional development by identifying and addressing personal gaps, biases, and transferable skill needs that will enhance your effectiveness as a graduate in legal and related professional fields.

Reflection
Personal development and entrepreneurship

4. Communicate effectively and persuasively with a professional audience on company law matters, demonstrating the practical implications of legal principles, statutory frameworks, as well as case law governing corporate structure, management and winding up.

Communication

Law Trove
Legal databases with access to statutes, case law, and secondary legal resources
Journals via the library

French D, Blackstone’s Statutes on Company Law (Oxford University Press 2023)

French, D, Mayson, French, and Ryan on Company Law (Oxford University Press, 2023)

Worthington S, Sealy and Worthington’s Text, Cases, and Materials in Company Law (Oxford University Press, 12th edn 2022)

Wild.C., Weinstein.S., Smith and Keenan's Company Law, (Pearson, 2019)*

* Despite its age, this text is included to support academic quality by providing a clear, accessible and student-focused exposition of complex legal principles.

This module explores company law by looking beyond legal rules to understand how companies operate within modern economic and social contexts. You will examine key areas such as company formation, corporate governance, and the relationships between shareholders, directors, and other stakeholders, while also engaging with contemporary issues affecting corporate practice. The module encourages you to consider how law shapes corporate behaviour, accountability, and decision-making in real-world settings. Through engagement with legal principles, academic perspectives, and practical examples, you will develop a critical understanding of company law and reflect on its significance within the wider commercial environment.