module

Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW2112C: Legal Foundations for Business

This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Overview

This module introduces you to law in the business environment. Law is intrinsic to the safe and effective operation of your business, and will have an impact upon operations from conception to dissolution. Which format will your business take? Will you operate as a sole trader, as a partnership or limited company? Who will you employ and upon what terms? And what if you decide an employee isn’t fitting in, or perhaps you overestimated the amount of support you would need. What relationships will you have with other businesses? Where will you source your materials for example, and on what terms? Are you free to call your company what you like, and what if another organisation is suddenly found to be benefitting from selling your design? Perhaps your business is damaged by bad press for which you seek compensation. Maybe you suffer loss following receipt of faulty products or you lose business due to disruptive neighbours or negligent suppliers.

To be savvy in business, you need to be familiar with key areas of the law, such as contract, employment, negligence, nuisance, property rights and defamation. The law is a tool to be utilised and vast costs can be saved from simply understanding the legal system and how lawyers navigate it. There are no pre-requisites for this module. The module is suitable for students entirely new to law and may also be appropriate for those studying on a Flexible Combined Honours pathway.