Company Law

Sharpen your Company Law language skills

A 20-unit, interactive, online course teaching the essential Legal English terminology in the area of the law of corporations and other business organisations, including formation, corporate powers, capitalisation, corporate governance, M&A, and the winding-up of a company.

Course description

The “Legal English of Company Law” presents key Legal English terminology in short online reading and listening passages.The key vocabulary in each passage is linked to a glossary with a definition of each term and a recording of the word used in a sentence, allowing you to hear the correct pronunciation of the term and to see how it is commonly used in another context. The exercises which follow each reading or listening passage include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false and matching exercises that are designed to help you learn the vocabulary through context, testing and reinforcement. All of your results are stored in a database which you can access at any time to monitor your progress.

Course duration

The basic version of the course provides 20-25 hours of online self-study. The professional version includes a further 9.5 hours of private instruction by a TransLegal lawyer-linguist instructor who is assigned as your personal tutor.

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Course contents

Introduction to Company Law Language used in describing the rules and regulations governing companies and business organisations (examples of vocabulary: directive, incorporation) Companies Limited by Shares I Terminology associated with the main characteristics and powers of companies (examples: limited liability, pierce the corporate veil) Companies Limited by Shares II Vocabulary to describe private and public companies and group structures (examples: affiliate, closely held corporation) Partnerships and LLCs How lawyers talk about partnerships and limited liability companies (examples: general partner, personally liable) Joint Ventures and Sole Proprietorships Describing the simplest form of business and cooperative arrangements (examples: proprietor, undertaking) Process of Incorporation I Language of the formation of companies (examples: promoters, authority) Process of Incorporation II Terms relating to the internal rules of the company and corporate officers (examples: articles, CEO, secretary) Officers & Directors I Describing the election, term of office and the duty of care owed by directors (examples: fiduciary relationship, good faith) Officers & Directors II How to discuss the authority officers of the company have and conflicts of interest (examples: apparent authority, duty of loyalty) Insider Trading Vocabulary used in defining insider trading (examples: disgorgement, insider, tip) Shareholders I Terminology associated with becoming a shareholder and shareholder meetings (examples: casting vote, minutes) Shareholders II How lawyers discuss the liability of shareholders as well as the different types of shares and dividends (examples: corporate veil, pari passu) Shareholders Agreements Language of agreements governing shareholders rights and obligations (examples: pre-emption rights, veto right) Mergers & Acquisitions I Vocabulary necessary to explain types of mergers and acquisitions and presale aspects of M&A (examples: auction sale, target company) Mergers & Acquisitions II Terminology for advising a client on a sale and purchase agreement (examples: purchase price, restrictive covenant, warranty) Debt Finance I Loan language associated with loan facilities (examples: amortisation, event of default) Debt Finance II Security & Debt Capital Markets terminology associated with security and raising capital on bond markets (examples: bond holder, perfection) Equity Finance Describing the ways companies raise equity capital (examples: flotation, oversubscribed, underwriter) Corporate Insolvency The procedures associated with the bankruptcy of companies (examples: creditor, moratorium) Final Examination Comprehensive test of the vocabulary taught.