Level: 300 level. Read more information on levels in our FAQs

Fees:  Please see Fees and payments

Lectures: 36 hours 

Classes: 18 hours

Assessment*: One examination and one essay

Typical credit*: 3-4 credits (US) 7.5 ECTS points (EU)

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*Assessment is optional but may be required for credit by your home institution. Your home institution will be able to advise how you can meet their credit requirements.

For more information on exams and credit, read Teaching and assessment

Introduction to legal methods or equivalent, and familiarity with company law would be an advantage. Students with no previous exposure to company law may find it useful to first take LL135 Introduction to Corporate Law and Governance.

• Introduction: efficient capital markets hypothesis, balance sheet basics

• Capital structure, the relationship between risk and return and modern portfolio theory

• Limited liability, its effects and legal remedies

• Legal capital and dividends

• Liability, disguised distributions and capital reductions

• Share buy-backs and financial assistance

• Issuing equity and debt

• Market abuse regulation

• Takeovers, mergers and corporate restructuring

• Regulatory competition

This course is delivered as a combination of lectures, classes, court case studies and readings. Due to the case-based nature of the course, students are expected to prepare the core readings before each lecture in order to engage in discussion with faculty and peers.

The course is assessed through an essay (40%) and a final examination (60%). An assessment will also be handed out during class, along with online quizzes to help students prepare for the final assessments and receive feedback from faculty.

Further details will be provided at the beginning of the course.

• Understand the principles of corporate finance and its regulation in the UK and EU

• Analyse the interaction between corporate law, finance and the regulation of capital markets

• Discuss the relationship between risk and return, and modern portfolio theory

• Understand how capital markets work and the theories of capital structure and valuation

This course is suitable if you want to become familiar with the principles of corporate finance and its regulation in the UK and the EU. The course will also help you if you want to understand the interactions between corporate law, finance, and the regulation of capital markets. If you are targeting a role in law, corporate finance, private equity, risk management or financial regulation you should consider taking this course. 

LSE’s Law Department is one of the top-ranked departments in the UK, receiving the highest rating of 5* in the most recent Research Excellence Framework. It also ranked in the top 10 law departments worldwide in the 2020 QS World University Rankings. The Department’s research output has a significant impact on national and international policymaking and on decision-making within business, government and other agencies.

Students have unique access to a wide breadth of courses which explore the biggest and most pressing issues affecting our society today. The courses are continually adapted to cover global social phenomena and contemporary developments within law. Many of the full-time graduates of the Law Department go on to play leading roles in law, politics, government, business, media and administration, in the UK and abroad.

Mr Edmund Schuster
Associate Professor of Law, Department of Law

E Ferran and LC Ho, Principles of Corporate Finance Law (2014)
L. Gullifer and J. Payne, Corporate Finance Law, Principles and Policy (2015)
D. Kershaw, Company Law in Context: Text and Materials (2012)
R. Veil, European Capital Markets Law (2013)
S. Grundmann, European Company Law (2012)

*A more detailed reading list will be supplied prior to the start of the programme

**Course content, faculty and dates may be subject to change without prior notice