Introduction 1 -
Ten things you need to know about company law 9 -
1 The birth of modern company law 13 -
2 The Salomon principle 21 -
3 The nature of modern companies 47 -
4 The legal structure of a company 61 -
5 The ownership of a company 80 -
6 The management and operation of a company 89 -
7 Directors’ duties 116 -
8 Shareholders’ rights 148 -
9 Corporate governance 167 -
10 The company’s capital 189 -
11 Securities regulation and raising capital 205 -
12 Mergers and takeovers 228 -
13 Corporate insolvency 237 -
14 Corporate social responsibility 250 -
15 Thinking about company law 267 -
Bibliography 282 -
Index 285.

Understanding Company Law is a lively introduction to the key principles of the Companies Act 2006 and modern company law. It takes a unique approach to the subject, which also encompasses the important and growing fields of securities regulation, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.
This book covers all of the key topics that a student reader will encounter in any company law course. The discussion presents the key principles simply, before guiding the reader through the more complex issues that are often the focus of examinations in this subject. It also offers pathways into further reading, while injecting enjoyment back into the topic.
In Understanding Company Law, Professor Hudson provides a straightforward guide to the law, while providing context, detailed analyses of the leading cases, and no little humour.
The second edition covers key recent changes and developments in company law, both case law and statutory, including: two recent Supreme Court decisions on piercing the corporate veil, VTB Capital plc v Nutritek International Corp and others and Prest v Petrodel Resources Limited & Others, and an analysis of the Conservative government’s Green Paper on Corporate Governance.