MBA9002 - The legal environment of business

Leader: Mr Abe Herzberg

Offered

Caulfield First semester 2007 (Evening)
Caulfield Second semester 2007 (Day)
Caulfield Second semester 2007 (Evening)

Synopsis

An introduction to key aspects of the legal environment in which business operates including the structure of the legal system, the role of legal advisers and the resolution of legal disputes through courts and tribunals. Topics are chosen from the law of contract and consumer transactions, competition law, negligence and product liability law, forms of business organisation, directors' duties and corporate governance, corporate crime, securities regulation, insolvency law, international trade law, taxation law, banking and finance law, employment law, information technology law, intellectual property law and environmental law. No prior legal training is assumed.

Objectives

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

• demonstrate a sound knowledge of key legal and regulatory issues that affect the legal environment of business and critically evaluate how managers can use knowledge of such issues to capture value and manage business risk
• apply relevant statute and/or case law to analyse a hypothetical case study and communicate the findings to the class clearly and in an organised manner
• critically evaluate a self-selected contemporary law reform proposal or current development in business law and present a research paper on the topic
• further enhance communication, inter-personal, problem solving and critical thinking capabilities.

Assessment

Seminar presentation (1500 words): 15%
Research paper (3500 words): 35%
Examination (open book): 50% (examination must be passed); students with appropriate previous studies in law may be eligible to take a waiver exam

Contact hours

39 contact hours per semester

Prerequisites

Unit offered to MBA students only

Prohibitions

BTC9110 and BTX9020