printer friendly pageLAW 1002: Advanced Antitrust: Hot Topics
There is more focus today on antitrust enforcement and competition policy than at any point in recent memory. This two-credit advanced antitrust seminar, taught by Obama's Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust (2013-16), examines topics that have the current attention of the courts, enforcers, academicians, elected officials and the public: Is the consumer welfare standard the right measure for determining injury to consumers and competition in a 21st Century economy? Is the Chicago School preference for erring on the side of underenforcement justified? Did the Supreme Court in American Express get it right in analyzing anticompetitive effects in two-sided platforms? Are the current allegations of monopoly maintenance by Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple meritorious or simply an effort by others to punish success? Does current merger law adequately address the competitive consequences of acquisitions of nascent competitors by dominant firms and the risks associated with vertical acquisitions by dominant firms? How should the courts balance the rights of holders of standard essential patents against those of implementors? Which of the antitrust reforms being debated in Congress make sense? Expect guest appearances from one or more practitioners knowledgeable about these issues. This course is open to anyone who has taken Antitrust
Law 1001 and to others with permission of the instructor. Enrollment is limited to 16 students. Elements used in grading: class participation, including helping lead one of the discussion topics, and a 10-15 page paper picking an issue discussed in the seminar and arguing a side. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must complete and submit a Consent Application Form available at
https://law.stanford.edu/education/courses/consent-of-instructor-forms/. See Consent Application Form for instructions and submission deadline.
Last offered: Winter 2022
LAW 1003: Bankruptcy
This course concerns the law and finance of corporate bankruptcy with an emphasis on reorganization. The course reviews the fundamentals of debt contracting, including the role of events of default, debt priority, and security interests. The course examines various aspects of the bankruptcy process: including the automatic stay, the avoidance of prebankruptcy transactions (e.g. fraudulent conveyances and preferences), the treatment of executory contracts, the debtor's governance structure during bankruptcy, the financing of operations and investments in bankruptcy, sales of assets during bankruptcy, and the process of negotiating, voting, and ultimately confirming a plan of reorganization. Any student may write a paper in lieu of the final exam with consent of instructor. After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section 01 (final exam) into section 02 (final paper), with consent of the instructor. Elements use in grading: Class participation; and exam or paper.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Triantis, G. (PI)
LAW 1004: Comparative Corporate Law and Governance
From the United States to China, and from Brazil to the EU, corporate capitalism has triumphed globally as the dominant form of economic organization. Yet despite the common attributes of the corporation familiar to every U.S. law student, corporations around the world have diverse ownership structures, interact in their domestic political economies in different ways, and exhibit a host of traits that vary with the institutional context in which they operate. This seminar explores the many forms corporate capitalism takes around the world, the forces that shape domestic corporate law and governance in major countries, and the important legal and policy issues raised by global corporate activity. We will explore the rise of "agency capitalism" in the U.S. and the proliferation of new forms of corporate ownership around the world, the emergence of Chinese state capitalism and its legal and policy consequences, efforts to reform Japanese stakeholder-oriented capitalism, and the emergence of hybrid forms of business organization designed to pursue both profits and social benefits. Policy issues to be considered include the "social responsibility" or "purpose" of the corporation, the national security implications of foreign investment by state-owned enterprises, and the consequences of global hedge fund activism. Special Instructions: This class is limited to 15 law students by lottery. Depending on demand, additional students may be admitted with consent of the instructor. Interested students not admitted through the lottery process are encouraged to contact the instructor about the possibility of enrollment. Elements used in grading: Attendance, Class Participation, Written Assignments, Final Presentation.
Last offered: Winter 2019
LAW 1005: Comparative Venture Capital - China
(Formerly
Law 736) This course is taught in conjunction with
Law 1006. Students may enroll for this course alone or for both this course and
Law 1006.
Law 1005 is intended to introduce students to the legal and financial principles underlying venture capital investment in start-up enterprises and innovative technologies. A special emphasis of this course will be a comparative analysis of the ways in which the various legal and financial structures employed by venture capitalists are replicated in other legal environments, with a focus on the largest venture capital and IPO market in the world - China. The first eight weeks of the course will coincide with the first eight weeks of Winter Quarter, and will be conducted at Stanford Law School. Class sessions will be comprised of lectures regarding the basic concepts and structures, as well as seminar discussions with venture capital industry participants. Elements used in grading: Final exam, attendance and class participation. Special Instructions: Enrollment in the Beijing option is limited to 12 students (See
Law 1006 for application instructions and deadline).
Last offered: Winter 2018
LAW 1006: Comparative Venture Capital - China: Field Study
(Formerly
Law 736A) This is the Stanford Center at Peking University in Beijing component of Comparative Venture Capital - China (
Law 1005). For details, see course description for
Law 1006. During spring break 2017, the course will be held at the Stanford Center at Peking University in Beijing, and will consist of meetings and seminars with lawyers, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists active in the Chinese venture capital market. Students will also tour start-up enterprises made possible with venture investments. Enrollment is limited to 12 students. PLEASE NOTE: Students will need a passport and a visa to travel to Beijing. Elements used in grading: class participation and short writing assignments. CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, students must complete and submit a Consent Application Form available on the SLS website (Click Courses at the bottom of the homepage and then click Consent of Instructor Forms). See Consent Application Form for instructions and submission deadline.
Last offered: Winter 2018
LAW 1007: Contracts: American Law
This course will provide advanced-degree students with coverage of Contracts law comparable to the fall course offered for first-year JD students. The course will identify the scope and purpose of the legal protection accorded to interests created by voluntary undertakings. We will focus on problems of contract formation, enforceability, interpretation, performance and excuses for non-performance, and remedies for breach. The course will cover both the U.S. common law of contracts and the basics of UCC Article 2 (sales of goods). Not open to JD students. Open only to students in the SLS Advanced Degree Programs. Elements used in grading: Class Participation, Attendance, Final Exam.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
Instructors:
Gordon, R. (PI)
LAW 1008: Contract Design: Principles and Practice
Contract Design: Principles and Practice (1008): (Formerly
Law 434) Transaction lawyers spend much time drafting contracts and related documents, and they can contribute very significant value by designing transactions. While transactions should be tailored to the goals and circumstances of each set of parties, there are general principles that guide the design process, even as the technology of contracting is evolving (through automated and smart contracting). This seminar combines discussion of academic scholarship with examples of real-world examples of design challenges (such as in franchising, construction, corporate acquisition, loan or data use agreements). Students will be required to write and present a paper, and encouraged to focus on a specific contracting challenge. Elements used in grading: Class participation (20%) and an independent research paper for "R" (Research credit).
Last offered: Spring 2019
LAW 1009: Corporate Finance I
The course discusses the major financial decisions made by corporate managers and investors. Topics include criteria for making investment decisions, valuation of financial assets and liabilities, relationship between risk and return, capital structure choice, payout policy, introduction to derivative securities, and the concept of efficient financial markets. The goal of the course is to explore the general principles and then apply them in scenarios relevant to the practice of corporate law and in litigation. Evaluation will be based on a final exam (60%) and problem sets (40%). Class will be taught as a combination of lecture (by the instructor and invited guest speakers) and in-class applied practical activities.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Zurek, P. (PI)
LAW 1010: Corporate Income Taxation
This course will cover the basic principles and rules regarding the taxation of domestic corporations. Prerequisite:
LAW 1029 Taxation 1. Students must contact the instructor if they wish to have the prerequisite substituted or waived. Elements used in grading: attendance, class participation and final exam.
Last offered: Spring 2022
LAW 1011: Advanced Corporate Finance
Lawyers often need an advanced understanding of corporate financial decisions, instruments, and transactions, including equity financing and initial public offerings, the determination of a firm's cost of capital, valuation, payout policy, recapitalizations and bankruptcy, mergers and acquisitions, and the market for corporate control. Advanced Corporate Finance introduces these topics by lecture and then explores them through detailed analysis of actual cases. This structure maximizes the synergy between theory and practice, providing students with portable, durable, and marketable tools for their careers. Legal considerations that arise in the execution of these corporate financial decisions include mandatory disclosure requirements, the issuance of dual class shares, charges of anticompetitive practices, taxation, appraisal cases and fairness opinions, takeover defenses and fiduciary duty challenges, contractual provisions in merger agreements, insider trading, and Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. This class rigorously advances both conceptual and practical/analytical understanding. The knowledge gained will facilitate professional dealings with chief executive officers and chief financial officers, boards of directors, investment bankers, consultants, portfolio and investment managers, venture capitalists, and private equity investors. Prerequisite: Corporate Finance I (
Law 1009) or Introduction to Finance (
Law 1036) or equivalent background with professor permission. Elements used in grading: class participation and final exam.
Last offered: Spring 2021
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