This module is designed to provide awareness of the alternative forms of dispute resolution in relation to business and commercial disputes other than simply instituting court proceedings to settle disputes.  The module includes consideration of strategies for conflict avoidance in commercial transactions and an introduction to the various forms of alternative dispute resolution options.  A closer study of mediation and arbitration, including international arbitration, will be undertaken.

The limited liability company is a core component of the modern business world, acting as a key commercial vehicle. With United Kingdom company law providing the basis of the legislative framework in many jurisdictions across the globe, the advanced study of the subject is an important step in understanding the global business environment. The development of company law from the nineteenth century to present day is important in understanding the current laws and regulations governing the operation of business, both in the United Kingdom and beyond. The module will explore and critically examine the law relating to companies in three broad themes: firstly the nature and implications of limited liability, with consideration as to the concept of the corporate veil and the circumstances in which it can be set aside; secondly the nature and purpose of the core organs of a company and the constitution that governs them; and thirdly the rights and duties of the participants in a company. The module will consider the statutory, common law and contractual arrangements underpinning each of these themes.

This module seeks to develop your understanding of how intellectual property rights protect “ideas” through an examination of how the law seeks to balance the granting of its rights against the need to maintain appropriate incentive for others to engage in similar innovative activities. Key concepts for determining an intellectual property right are investigated to explore the justification for differences in the nature of the protection afforded to registered and unregistered intellectual property rights. The module develops your understanding of this distinction through closer examination of patent protection for inventions, copyright protection of expression of ideas in original works and trademark protection of distinctive identifiers of goods or services.

This module considers methods by which a registered company’s efficiency can be protected and maintained by a system of both statutory and external (government)regulations. The module is concerned with the governance and regulation of large corporations. Systems of governance will be examined in the context of the UK and at an international level.