LBS 939 (01) - Mergers and Acquisitions

This course introduces students to U.S. law associated with buying and selling businesses; commonly referred to as mergers & acquisitions (M&A law). The course is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the legal aspects of M&A transactions. The course covers: transaction mechanics; the appraisal remedy; successorship to assets (including asset transferability and buying assets from financially-troubled or bankrupt companies); successorship to liabilities (including liability avoidance strategies and successor liability); acquisition documents; due diligence; the role U.S. securities laws play in M&A transactions; board and shareholder duties; and national security issues surrounding foreign acquisitions of U.S. corporations. A solid understanding of M&A law is core to students wishing to practice as business lawyers or intellectual property lawyers. Buying and selling companies is fundamental to almost every business in the world.