The Legal Infrastructure of Business

 

GSB 42201, Fall, 2007

The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business

 

Randal C. Picker

Leffmann Professor of Commercial Law

The Law School, The University of Chicago

 

Website: picker.uchicago.edu

Email: r-picker@uchicago.edu

Voice: 773.702.0864

 

Grading

·       50% participation in blogs

·       50% take-home final

 

Class Reading Materials: Set 1; Set 2;U.S. Constitution; Sample Exam; Sample Answer; ConsolidatedSlides

 

Class Blog: picker.typepad.com/legal_infrastructure_of_b/

 

Date

#

Topics/Issues

Cases/Materials

Context Links

Pre Slides

Post Slides

M, 9/24

1

Introduction: Property and Contracts

International News Service, UCC Selections, ProCD (1-24)

NBA Game Statistics

Dow Jones Diamonds

Online Contracts

Slides

Slides

M, 10/1

2

Entity Choice/Duties of Directors and Officers

Van Gorkum (25-52)

 

Slides

Slides

M, 10/8

3

(1) Compensation

(2) Information Disclosure and Securities Markets

Disney, Basic (53-94)

Pay Without Performance

Exec Comp in Japan

Women vs. Men

Slides

Slides

M, 10/15

4

(1) Governance and Corporations in Crisis

(2) Monitoring the Monitors: Andersen

Breeden Report on MCI/WorldCom, Andersen Materials (95-145)

 

Slides

Slides

M, 10/22

5

Monitoring the Monitors: KPMG

KPMG Materials (147-217)

 

Slides

Slides

M, 10/29

6

Structuring Transactions and Bankruptcy

W.R. Grace, Sec. 1129, 203 N. LaSalle (218-238)

 

Slides

Slides

M, 11/5

7

Trade Secrets and Patents

UTSA, Patent Statute, Amazon Patent, Amazon (239-278)

 

Slides

Slides

M, 11/12

8

Copyright and Trademarks

Copyright Statute, Grokster, Qualitex, Abercrombie (279-307)

 

Slides

Slides

M, 11/19

9

Antitrust

Microsoft (308-335)

EU Decision Press Release

Slides

Slides

M, 11/26

10

Network Industries: Standards Businesses

DVD Business Review Letters, Iowa Utilities (336-363)

Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD

Slides

Slides