Law and Economics - Corporate Governance and Mergers and Acquisitions, Short Course

Overview

This is a very suitable course for students who are keen to appreciate an international, non-mainstream, multidisciplinary and interactive approach to Corporate Governance and M&A. In this track the effects of the Covid-19 Crisis on Corporate Governance and Mergers and Acquisitions will also be dealt with.

During the first part of this Law and Economics - Corporate Governance and Mergers and Acquisitions  course from Utrecht Summer School we will deal with the underlying causes of the financial crisis which were partly attributed to failures and weaknesses in corporate governance arrangements. Measures have been taken in order to stimulate boards and shareholders to pursue long-term strategies. 

We will deal with the question whether these measures will work out and will prevent short-termism and excessive risk taking, both from an economic and a legal perspective. In the second part of this course we will deal with the economic, legal and financial aspects of Mergers & Acquisitions.

This course aims to increase the understanding of merger dynamics, determinants, effects and merger policy. 

Is M&A a means to consolidate and expand the market position and to increase efficiency? We will explore the “merger paradox” extensively and we will participate in a negotiation training workshop following the Harvard Principled Negotiation method. The special track consists of: Corporate Governance after the financial crisis & Understanding and Managing Mergers and Acquisitions.

Study load

Contact hours daily: 4-5 hours (lectures, group assignments). Self-study daily: 4 hours (preparation and research). A final written will be part of the course for students which need a grade. Grading is based on a 10-point scale on the weighted sum of different elements. The other students will be required to present a short research paper on a notable actual case related to the subject of the course.