Practical Company Law - LAW00100M
- Department: The York Law School
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2025-26
Module summary
This module offers both theoretical and practical perspectives on the law applicable to companies and their directors. You will therefore critically evaluate core themes of company law, including the nature and purpose of both companies, and company law. You will also apply core principles of company law, from the process of setting up a company, to simulations of various aspects of company operations.
Related modules
A student cannot study this module if they have previously studied LAW00029H on an undergraduate law programme at York.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2025-26 |
Module aims
This module is designed to introduce you to a contextual study of some of the core principles of company law.
In detail this module aims to:
- Provide you with a depth of knowledge and understanding of the key issues in company law including the:
o legal nature of the company
o legal implications of separate corporate personality including limited liability
o role of the board of directors
o legal duties of directors
o legal protection of shareholders.
- Examine critical themes such as, the origins and nature of corporate personality ; the separation of control from ownership; issues of diversity in the board of directors; the value of shareholder power and limited liability; the ideas and values which underpin legal doctrines
- Help you to analyse and critically evaluate the legal basis of the control exercised by a company s board of directors over a company s management and affairs, the legal limitations and constraints on this control.
- Give you an opportunity to apply the core principles of company law through problem questions and the simulation of various aspects of company operations including the processes of setting up a company
- Help you to develop a critical understanding of the normative aspects of company law by asking questions about the purpose of company law and whether it should or does meet wider objectives in the social and public interest
These are ambitious aims which involve both theoretical and practical approaches which, it is hoped, will enable you to gain a deeper and broader insight into company law than might be gained from a basic knowledge of the legal doctrine.
Module learning outcomes
Following this module, students should be able to:
Demonstrate a systematic, deep knowledge and understanding of the core legal principles which apply to the formation, legal structure and management of companies and the ideas which underpin these principles. (MLO1)
Demonstrate an ability to analyse those principles critically and apply that knowledge and understanding to relevant, practical and realistic scenarios of moderate complexity (MLO2)
Demonstrate a basic ability to engage in and progress common legal tasks that arise in the formation and running of a company. (MLO3)
Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse and critically evaluate key normative issues in Company Law (MLO4)
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Individual feedback form within University turnaround period.
Indicative reading
- LE Talbot Great Debates in Company Law and Governance (Palgrave 2014)
- J.Lowry and A. Reisberg Pettet s Company Law: Company Law & Corporate Finance (4th edition, Pearson, 2012)
- Paul L. Davies and Sarah Worthington Gower and Davies Principles of Modern Company Law, 9th edition, (Sweet & Maxwell 2012) (an excellent text but very detailed).
- Talbot, LE Progressive Corporate Governance for the 21st Century (Routledge 2012)
- Talbot, LE Critical Company Law (Routledge 2015)