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FBE 458 – Law, Finance and Ethics

Syllabus – Spring 2016

Professor: Kevin C. Fields

Office: Bridge Hall 303E

Office Phone: 213.740.8764

E-mail: kfields@marshall.usc.edu (preferred method of

communication)

Lecture Class

Date:

Time:

Room:

Section:

Mon. & Wed.

2:00 – 3:50 PM

JKP 110

15367R

Office Hours

Mondays 12:30 – 2:00 PM (or by appointment)

Wednesdays 12:30 – 2:00 PM (or by appointment)

Course Description

FBE 458 (4 units) provides a study of the laws affecting the operation of businesses. Business

ethics will be discussed throughout the course. Students will understand the practical aspects and

strategies of financing and managing businesses from incubation to going public. Students will secure

the knowledge necessary to effectively work in private and public business entities by acquiring a sound

grasp of the relevant concepts, legal vocabulary, and rules of law that apply.

In an overview, the course material includes: agency law; legal aspects of starting businesses;

sole proprietorships; general and limited partnerships; limited liability companies; franchises and special

forms of doing business; administrative law; credit, mortgages and debtor’s rights; secured transactions;

bankruptcy and reorganization of businesses; accountants duties and liabilities; insurance; and corporate

formation, governance, liabilities, antitrust, and mergers and acquisitions. While entrepreneurs and any

student who desires to own, operate or manage, a business in the future will find this course beneficial,

many of the topics covered in this course are also tested in the CPA examination and those students have

found it especially relevant.

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to provide a broad framework and understanding of relevant issues

students will face as potential business owners, employees, parents, and citizens of society. This course

will help you develop the following:

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Global Objective

o Equip students to recognize general principles of business law and be able to identify and

distinguish legal and ethical issues and legal terminology of business organizations and

finance.

o Examinations will primarily test student’s ability to integrate knowledge ranging from issue

spotting, identifying legal issues and applying substantive law to factual scenarios. In many

situations, students will have to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant facts to analyze

the legal problem. The students will be challenged to be critical thinkers as they learn and

apply the material.

Detailed Objectives

o Recognize ethical conflicts in the governance of business organizations and be able to

distinguish alternative actions to pursue.

o Increase the ethical sensitivity of students by exposing them to business related legal

problems that have ethical issues.

o Acquaint students with rules and regulations concerning principal and agency relationships

and how they are acquired and terminated.

o Identify and recognize the different types of business entities and the protections and risks

of utilizing each type of entity. Students will be able to recognize general partnerships,

limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, limited liability companies and

corporations.

o Recognize the process of forming and financing a corporation. Understand the governance

required of corporations and the affect Sarbanes-Oxley has to corporations. Identify the

methods that a corporation can be acquired.

o Describe how businesses can create a security interest in personal property and the

importance of a financing statement.

o Identify the different types of bankruptcy and reorganization provided for under federal and

state law.

o Describe the liability an accountant owes to its client and third parties and the criminal and

civil liability an accountant may face for breaches of its duties.

MARSHALL GUIDELINES

Learning Goals: In this class, emphasis will be placed on the USC Marshall School of Business

learning goals as follows:

Goal Description Course Emphasis

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Our graduates will understand types of markets and key business areas

and their interaction to effectively manage different types of

enterprises

High

2

Our graduates will develop a global business perspective. They will

understand how local, regional, and international markets, and

economic, social and cultural issues impact business decisions so as

to anticipate new opportunities in any marketplace

Moderate

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3

Our graduates will demonstrate critical thinking skills so as to become

future-oriented decision makers, problem solvers and innovators

High

4 Our graduates will develop people and leadership skills to promote

their effectiveness as business managers and leaders. Moderate

5

Our graduates will demonstrate ethical reasoning skills, understand

social, civic, and professional responsibilities and aspire to add value

to society

High

6 Our graduates will be effective communicators to facilitate

information flow in organizational, social, and intercultural contexts. Moderate

Required Materials Textbook: Business Law: Legal Environment, Online Commerce, Business Ethics, and

International Issues (9th Edition)

Author: Henry R. Cheeseman

Publisher: Prentice Hall (2016)

ISBN-10: 0-13-400400-0

ISBN-13: 978-0-13-400400-6

Other: Slides, negotiation materials, handouts, supplemental readings/articles, and grades will

be posted on Blackboard

Prerequisites: None

Other Materials: Wall Street Journal Subscription.

While not a required reading, students are strongly encourage to read (or begin reading) and

become more familiar with the Wall Street Journal. Many a recruiter, especially business and accounting

majors, have asked former students to discuss an article or topic they read in the past couple of days

from the WSJ and discuss it with them while they are being interviewed. As a student you can sign up

for the WSJ at very inexpensive rates ($1.00 per week).

Note that the student rate provides access to the WSJ digital access (web, tablet and smartphone)

as well. The WSJ’s digital access in my opinion is one of the best digital newspapers around and is

updated frequently throughout the day and utilizes the functionality of iPads and other digital devices

very well.

If interested:

1. Complete the order form online

a. www.wsj.com/studentoffer

b. Enter your information (payment details, delivery information, school “U STHRN CAL

LS ANG”, etc.)

c. Select me as your referring professor (“FIELDS, KEVIN”)

d. Upon completion, you will have access to the WSJ Digital edition immediately and the

delivery of the print edition of the WSJ should begin in 3-5 business days.

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Course Notes: Details that are contained on the course BlackBoard site as well as other pertinent

information include:

1. BlackBoard site will include:

a. Course Documents

i. Includes the syllabus, any assigned readings, and related team presentation

information.

b. Lecture slides

i. The PowerPoint lecture slides are grouped by topics covered on Midterm 1,

Midterm 2 and the Final respectively.

ii. The slides are guides for classroom topics and discussion. You are required to

know the material discussed in the book and in the classroom – the slides are not

comprehensive as to what you are expected to know and be tested on.

iii. Slides will be posted frequently throughout the semester.

c. Negotiation Materials

i. Instructions for the negotiation exercise and any reading materials

ii. Link to turn in your negotiation paper through Turnitin

d. Team Presentations

i. All team presentations will be posted under this link

e. Exam and Grade Information

i. Midterm & Final exam answer keys

ii. Midterm & Final grades

iii. I will periodically post a class total point standing by student ID number. The

information will be posted and current as of a certain date clearly indicated by the

file. Note the first posting of point standing will occur after the first midterm.

1. You are responsible for verifying that your grades are properly recorded.

The last day to make any correction to the gradebook is the last day of

class. No gradebook corrections will be made thereafter, including after

the final exam is taken.

2. Office Hours (located in Bridge Hall 303E)

a. If students have any questions about the material covered in the class they should not

hesitate to see or contact me.

b. If a student cannot make the regular office hours, they should first try to send me an

email. While I can also be reached at 213.740.8764, I do not have any university

voicemail. However, I usually check and respond quickly to email.

3. Check the dates of your final examinations. Plan in advance to avoid scheduling conflicts in your

final exams. No makeup for a final examination will be given, with the following exceptions:

a. A final examination falls at a time that conflicts with a student’s observance of a holy

day;

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b. You are scheduled for more than two final exams on the same day (not within 24 hours

of each other), you may request to take one of the exams on an alternate date. You must

contact the professors involved to request accommodations. If accommodations cannot

be arranged, you should contact Testing Services at testing@usc.edu or (213) 740-7166

for assistance;

c. You can establish to my satisfaction there is a verifiable conflict with any other regularly

scheduled examination during the final exam period for this class; or,

d. In the context of extenuating circumstances with my prior written permission given in

advance of an examination. Verifiable proof will be required to evidence the basis for

such a request.

e. Note the foregoing does not apply to midterm examinations or the dates other

assessments are due.

Key Course Dates

Please Note: The date/time of the Final Exam is determined by the University. For the date and time of

the final for this class, consult the USC Schedule of Classes at www.usc.edu/soc. Select the

corresponding semester to view and click on the “Final Examinations Schedule” link on the left side of

the screen.

Grading Summary:

After each midterm exam and the final exam, students will receive a grade for that exam;

however, the more important performance predictor for the student’s final course grade is a student’s

class rank. Rank is more important than the interim letter grades because at the end of the semester, the

Date Time

1st Midterm Exam Wednesday, February 10, 2016 During class

2nd

Midterm Exam Monday, March 28, 2016 During class

Negotiation Paper Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Beginning of class

Final Exam Monday, May 09, 2016 2-4 p.m

Assessment Points % of Grade

Tests

Midterm #1 100 28%

Midterm #2 100 28%

Final Exam 100 28%

Team Presentation 20 6%

Negotiation Exercise & Paper 20 6%

Participation 20 6%

Total points 360 100%

FBE 458 Grading

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total points accumulated throughout the semester are curved to ensure compliance with the standards

and policies of the Marshall School of Business, and the academic policies and procedures of the

University. Final grades for this course depend upon how students perform in this class relative to other

students. While there is no mandated curve or hard target, this class’ GPA has been historically around

3.3.

As the exams (Midterm 1, Midterm 2 and the Final exam) account for a significant portion of

the final grade in the course, there is a high correlation between the grades students receive on the

midterm exams and final exam and their final course grade. Final course grade variances from this

average are attributable to a student’s performance on the other assignments in the course (e.g.

participation, negotiation paper, etc.).

Once the exam grades and final course grades are in place, they will not be reset to accommodate

individual requests. No relief will be granted on that basis. Grades are not open to negotiation. Petitions

for exceptions or understanding of particular needs to attain a higher grade (e.g. graduate school,

university graduation honors, etc.) for some reason will not be honored.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING DETAIL

Exams

All examinations are closed book/closed notes and non-cumulative. While every examination

will ask students to recognize definitions, the focus of the examinations will be on the application of the

legal principles that have previously been taught in the course to factual scenarios. Therefore, in

preparing for an examination, students will need to know the legal principles and then be able to apply

those principles to factual situations. It can be very helpful to form and use a study group to review the

material. Cooperative learning assists students in identifying their areas of weakness.

Exam Policies

1. I will supply paper for the short answer questions and scantrons as needed.

2. No textbooks, notes, electronic equipment, devices, or similar material are to be open or used

during any examination.

3. No talking or communicating with anyone in any form, except the instructor, is allowed

during any exam. Failure to abide by this rule will result at a minimum of receiving a 0 for

the exam and potential submission to Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards

(SJACS).

4. It is your responsibility to check your exam to ensure that no pages are omitted and that you

have answered all of the questions (including all short answer questions). Requests for

regarding or additional points will not be honored.

5. You are responsible for adequately erasing modified answers on your scantron. Scantrons

that are incorrectly graded due to poor erasure marks will not be honored.

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6. Unfortunately, from time to time, exam answers may be incorrect. In the event the answer

key was incorrectly marked (i.e. the answer is B rather than C) the exam will be graded to

reflect the correct answer. Where there are two or more correct answers, both answers will

receive credit. Where the question is vague all will receive credit for that question.

Makeup Exams

Make-up midterms will be given only in exceptional circumstances. Makeup examinations will

be graded on the same curve as the class exam. Student-athletes and students with a religious holiday

on the day of the exam must make arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to an exam

date. Make-up exams will be administered at times convenient for the professor. These times may be

inconvenient with you; therefore, it is advised you make every opportunity to take the scheduled

examination.

Exam answer challenges, discussed below, do not apply to makeup examinations. In addition,

on occasion I have been known to include an extra credit question on examinations. Makeup

examinations do not include any extra credit questions.

Exam Answer Challenges

Exam answers will be posted shortly after the exam (typically within a few hours). If you want

to challenge the posted answer, you must do the following within 2 calendar days of the posting of

the answer key (for Midterm 1 and 2). Challenges to the final must be provided within 1 calendar

day of the posting of the answer key:

1. E-mail me with the following information:

a. the name of the course in the subject line (i.e. FBE 458);

b. the version number of the test in the subject line (A or B);

c. the question number involved; and,

d. A complete analysis and argument of why your choice is the best of those presented

within 2 calendar days of the examination. Your arguments are to be based upon what

has been taught in the course and in the book. Arguments based upon extraneous

analyses are not read.

2. Once challenges have been received and reviewed, I will post a revised answer key to the exam

on Blackboard

3. No further discussion of the answers will be entertained as the curve will be set following the

challenge period.

Participation and Preparation

Students are expected to read each week’s assigned reading prior to class, and be prepared to

discuss and examine the concepts during class. It is expected that students will have read the material

in advance in order to make the class periods as engaging as possible. Students should always proceed

to the next reading assignment whether the previous reading has been fully discussed in class. Students

should also prepare thoroughly before class, making sure that they are clear on each concept as they

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progress through the course. Please do not hesitate to ask (or answer) questions. I enjoy the discussion

and it makes class more interesting.

To encourage students to prepare for class, participation will be taken 5 times during the

semester. While the various tasks that make up the participation may vary over the semester (e.g. Poll

Everywhere participation, in class questions, etc.) credit for participating will be counted by your

signature on a participation sheet taken on the day participation is checked. Failure to sign the

participation log on the day of the participation will result in not receiving participation for the day.

Only 4 of the 5 participation checks will be counted for each student (i.e. you are allowed to miss 1 of

the 5 times participation is taken and still receive full participation points). Each of the 4 participation

checks counted is worth 5 points for a total of 20 points in the course. Participating at all 5 checks does

not give you any additional points as 1 participation check is not counted.

Students who routinely and consistently participate in meaningful class discussions may receive

participation points to offset a missed class or two when a participation check was administered.

If you will miss class to participate in a university sponsored activity, or religious holiday, you

are responsible for informing me in writing at least one week before the impending absence. Such

absence shall not count as a missed class.

Having a job interview, the cold, flu, or just not wanting to attend class are not excused absences

and you will not receive credit for the day missed.

Poll Everywhere

To improve interaction and stimulate discussion during class I plan to use Poll Everywhere to

test student’s understanding of concepts discussed in class. In order to participate with Poll Everywhere

you need to bring your cell phone, smartphone or laptop to class. You will be able to submit your

answers to in class questions by either text messaging the answer or voting over the web.

Poll Everywhere will be used often with end of chapter questions throughout the semester

designed to assist you in understanding the material. They assist me in focusing and explaining answer

choices that many people have missed without utilizing class time for answer choices/questions that the

class understands.

Team Presentations

During the first week of the course students will select a team and topic to present during the

course. The dates of the team presentation are set forth on the reading and assignments grid below.

Presentation coverage and a grading grid for the assignment are posted on Blackboard. You may not

change team membership without my prior permission once teams are selected. Your group may suggest

a different presentation topic to me as outlined in the Blackboard posting.

These presentations are to reflect your best work and considerable effort should be undertaken

in their preparation. The grading key is found within the presentation grading sheet posted on

Blackboard.

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Negotiation Exercise and Paper

Students will take part in a negotiation exercise this semester on a topic or legal principle

discussed in this course to provide a real world experience to the concepts learned in class. You may be

required to read a brief summary prior to class of the exercise and prepare any pre class required

documents. Detailed information will be provided on Blackboard entitled under Negotiation. Students

will need to prepare a critical thinking paper on their experience. More details related to this assignment

with instructions will be provided on Blackboard.

The assignment must be turned in electronically through Turnitin on Blackboard. The

assignment is due at the start of our regularly scheduled class time. Any assignment turned in late, will

receive a grade deduction noted in the Negotiation Exercise document. If your internet breaks down on

the due date, you must go to the library, a friend’s residence, or other arrangement to electronically

submit the assignment by the start of class.

Class Notes Policy

Notes or recordings made by students based on a university class or lecture may only be made

for purposes of individual or group study, or for other non-commercial purposes that reasonably arise

from the student’s membership in the class or attendance at the university. This restriction also applies

to any information distributed, disseminated or in any way displayed for use in relationship to the class,

whether obtained in class, via Blackboard, email or otherwise on the Internet, or via any other medium.

Actions in violation of this policy constitute a violation of the Student Conduct Code, and may subject

an individual or entity to university discipline and/or legal proceedings.

No recording and copyright notice

No student may record any lecture, class discussion or meeting with me without my prior

express written permission. The word “record” or the act of recording includes, but is not limited to,

any and all means by which sound or visual images can be stored, duplicated or retransmitted whether

by an electro-mechanical, analog, digital, wire, electronic or other device or any other means of signal

encoding. I reserve all rights, including copyright, to my lectures, PowerPoint slides, course syllabi and

related materials, including summaries, exams (current and prior), answer keys, and all supplementary

course materials available to the students enrolled in my class whether posted on Blackboard or

otherwise. They may not be reproduced, distributed, copied, or disseminated in any media or in any

form, including but not limited to all course note-sharing websites. Exceptions are made for students

who have made prior arrangements with DSP and me.

Actions in violation of this policy constitute a violation of the Student Conduct Code, and may

subject an individual or entity to university discipline and/or legal proceedings.

No Legal Advice

The material presented and the classroom discussions are for the students’ edification. They are

not intended to be legal advice to students in connection with any legal issue they or others may have.

If students have a legal matter, they are advised to promptly consult an experienced attorney who can

confidentially and fully review the facts and advise them of their legal rights and remedies. Quite often,

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the facts dictate the result and only in the context of an attorney-client relationship can they be reviewed

and legal opinions rendered.

MARSHALL GUIDELINES

Add/Drop Process

In compliance with USC and Marshall’s policies classes are open enrollment (R-clearance)

through the first week of class. All classes are closed (switched to D-clearance) at the end of the first

week. This policy minimizes the complexity of the registration process for students by standardizing

across classes.

I can drop you from my class, without prior consent, if you don’t attend the first two class

sessions. The instructor is not required to notify the student that s/he is being dropped. Please note: If

you decide to drop, or if you choose not to attend the first two sessions and are dropped, you risk

being not being able to add to another section this semester, since they might reach capacity. You can

only add a class after the first week of classes if you receive approval from the instructor.

Retention of Graded Coursework:

Final exams and all other graded work which affected the course grade will be retained for one

year after the end of the course if the graded work has not been returned to the student; i.e., if I returned

a graded paper to you, it is your responsibility to file it, not mine.

Technology Policy

Laptop usage during class is permissible for the purposes of taking notes. Internet usage is not

permitted during academic or professional sessions unless otherwise stated by the respective professor.

Use of other personal communication devices, such as cell phones, is considered unprofessional and is

not permitted during academic or professional sessions. All such devices (cell phones, I-pods) must be

completely turned off during class time. Videotaping and audiotaping lectures is not allowed and

violates copyright regulations. Use of any recorded or distributed material is reserved exclusively for

the USC students registered in this class.

Statement for Students with Disabilities

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register

with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved

accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to your TA)

as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in GFS 120 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday

through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. For more information visit

www.usc.edu/disability. Please provide me (or my TA) the appropriate form two weeks in advance

of an examination.

If you are taking an examination at the DSP office and believe that a question is unclear,

incomplete, ambiguous or otherwise defective, you are advised that additional pages will be attached to

the examination placed at DSP. If you are making such a contention, then, you are required to clearly

state the problem you encountered with the question and why you answered the question in the manner

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you did. Only with such information in hand at the time I grade your examination will I be able to gauge

the appropriateness of giving you credit for your answer to the subject question.

If for some reason, you must take the examination after the class has taken the examination, you

will take a comparable examination to that given the students in class.

Statement on Academic Integrity

USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty

include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual

work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect

one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own.

All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook,

(www.usc.edu/scampus or http://scampus.usc.edu) contains the University Student Conduct Code (see

University Governance, Section 11.00), while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A.

Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for

further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found

at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/. Failure to adhere to the academic conduct standards set

forth by these guidelines and our programs will not be tolerated by the USC Marshall community and

can lead to dismissal.

The following are considered unacceptable examination behaviors: communication with fellow

students during an examination, copying materials from another student’s exam, allowing another

student to copy from an exam, the use of electronic devices to communicate to others during the exam,

possession or use of unauthorized notes, electronic or other dictionaries during exams. The University’s

Student Conduct Code will be strictly applied. Students cannot achieve grades that they have not

legitimately earned. Part of Marshall’s mission is to remind students of the value systems that will

regulate their business lives, and breaching ethical standards cannot be condoned.

Academic Conduct

Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own

words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the

discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Section 11, Behavior Violating University Standards

https://scampus.usc.edu/1100-behavior-violating-university-standards-and-appropriate-sanctions/.

Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus

and university policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct/.

Discrimination, sexual assault, and harassment are not tolerated by the university. You are

encouraged to report any incidents to the Office of Equity and Diversity http://equity.usc.edu/ or to the

Department of Public Safety http://capsnet.usc.edu/department/department-public-safety/online-

forms/contact-us. This is important for the safety whole USC community. Another member of the

university community – such as a friend, classmate, advisor, or faculty member – can help initiate the

report, or can initiate the report on behalf of another person. The Center for Women and Men

http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/cwm/ provides 24/7 confidential support, and the sexual assault

resource center webpage sarc@usc.edu describes reporting options and other resources.

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Support Systems

A number of USC’s schools provide support for students who need help with scholarly writing.

Check with your advisor or program staff to find out more. Students whose primary language is not

English should check with the American Language Institute http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali, which sponsors

courses and workshops specifically for international graduate students. The Office of Disability Services

and Programs http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html provides

certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. If an officially

declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, USC Emergency Information

http://emergency.usc.edu/ will provide safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction

will be continued by means of blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technology.

Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity

In case of a declared emergency if travel to campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership

will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their residence halls or homes using

a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.

Please activate your course in Blackboard with access to the course syllabus. Whether or not you

use Blackboard regularly, these preparations will be crucial in an emergency. USC's Blackboard learning

management system and support information is available at blackboard.usc.edu.

Incomplete Grades Explanation

A mark of IN (incomplete) may be assigned when work is not completed because of a

documented illness or other “emergency” that occurs after the 12th week of the semester (or the twelfth

week equivalent for any course that is scheduled for less than 15 weeks).

An “emergency” is defined as a serious documented illness, or an unforeseen situation that is

beyond the student’s control, that prevents a student from completing the semester. Prior to the 12th

week, the student still has the option of dropping the class. Arrangements for completing an IN must be

initiated by the student and agreed to by the instructor prior to the final examination. If an Incomplete

is assigned as the student’s grade, the instructor is required to fill out an “Assignment of an Incomplete

(IN) and Requirements for Completion” form (http://www.usc.edu/dept/ARR/grades/index.html)

which specifies to the student and to the department the work remaining to be done, the procedures for

its completion, the grade in the course to date, and the weight to be assigned to work remaining to be

done when the final grade is computed. Both the instructor and student must sign the form with a copy

of the form filed in the department. Class work to complete the course must be completed within one

calendar year from the date the IN was assigned. The IN mark will be converted to an F grade should

the course not be completed.

Date Day Reading Material & Class Discussion Team Presentations

1/11 M Syllabus

1/13 W Chapter 42: Ethics and Social Responsibility of Business

1/18 M

1/20 W Chapter 29: Agency Formation and Termination

1/25 MChapter 30: Liability of Principals, Agents and

Independent ContractorsTeam 1: Ethics case study

1/27 WChapter 34: Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs and General

Partnerships Team 2: Resume fraud

2/1/ M

Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs and General

Partnerships (cont.)

Critical thinking - hypothetical & discussion

Team 3: Case study on social media use by

companies.

2/3 WChapter 35: Limited Partnerships and Special

PartnershipsTeam 4: Ethics case study

2/8 MChapter 39: Limited Liability Companies and Limited

Liability PartnershipsTeam 5: Personal and business lines of credit

2/10 W

2/15 M

2/17 W Chapter 40: Franchises and Special Forms of Business Team 6: Patent Trolls

2/22 M Chapter 43: Administrative Law and Regulatory Agencies Team 7: Case study on successful franchise(s)

2/24 WChapter 26: Credit, Real Property Financing, and Debtor's

RightsTeam 8: Hedge Funds

2/29 MChapter 27: Secured Transactions

Ethical hypothetical & discussion

3/2 W Secured Transactions (cont.)

Video: Perfecting a security interestTeam 9: Ethics case study

3/7/ M Chapter 28: Bankruptcy and Reorganization Team 10: CEO Pay

3/9 W Bankruptcy and Reorganization (cont.)Team 11: Case study on high profile bankruptcy

proceedings.

3/14 M

3/16 W

3/21 MIn class negotiation exercise

Details will be posted on Blackboard

3/23 W Chapter 51: Accountants' Duties and Liability Team 12: Case study on accounting fraud or scandal

3/28 M

3/30 W Chapter 50: Insurance Team 13: Insurance fraud

4/4 M Chapter 36: Corporate Formation and Financing Team 14: Where to incorporate

4/6 W Corporate Formation and Financing (cont.)

Critical thinking - hypothetical & discussionTeam 15: Ethics case study

4/11 MChapter 37: Corporate Governance and the Sarbanes-

Oxley Act

Team 16: Case study example of litigation against

directors or majority shareholders

4/13 WChapter 38: Corporate Acquisitions and Multinational

Corporations

Negotiation Paper Due

Team 17: Mergers and acquisition

4/18 M Chapter 41: Investor Protection, E-Securities Transactions Team 18: IPOs

4/20 W Investor Protection, E-Securities

Transactions (cont.)Team 19: Insider trading

4/25 M Chapter 46: Antitrust Law and Unfair Trade PracticesTeam 20: Case study example of a company

violating (or alleged to violate) antitrust regulations

4/27 W Antitrust Law and Unfair Trade Practices

(cont.)

5/9 M

~SPRING BREAK~

Midterm #2

FINAL EXAM

COURSE READINGS/CLASS SESSIONS

Spring 2016

~ Martin Luther King's Birthday ~

Midterm #1

~ Presidents' Day ~

~SPRING BREAK~