European Company Law Series, Volume 19 Compelling new perspectives on corporate governance – including attention to increased shareholder engagement, long-term value creation, and sustainability – have given rise to major changes in the management of companies. Yet, until this book, there has been no systematic account of the legislative and soft law instruments designed to promote good corporate governance practices across the range of sizes and types of companies. The book analyses the various instruments that legislators and others have used to promote good corporate governance in European companies and assesses their value in practice. Nineteen well-known scholars of business and corporate law delve into how such issues and topics as the following are approached across the spectrum of corporate governance instruments available in Europe: corporate codes of conduct; procedural rules regulating how directors make decisions; rules on board composition and remuneration; regulating boards in small- and medium-sized enterprises; public enforcement of directors’ duties; how digitalisation may affect implementation of corporate governance instruments; reporting rules; rules on the empowerment of minority shareholders; the role of the general meeting; regulation of the market for corporate control; certifications; rules on liability of directors; and role of auditors and accountants. In its in-depth analysis of the benefits and potential disadvantages of each instrument and what may be achieved both at company level and generally, this book will prove of value to all concerned with promoting responsible corporate governance, whether in business, government, or academia.

The emerging field of corporate law, corporate governance and sustainability is one of the most dynamic and significant areas of law and policy in light of the convergence of environmental, social and economic crises that we face as a global society. Understanding the impact of the corporation on society and realizing its potential for contributing to sustainability is vital for the future of humanity. This Handbook comprehensively assesses the state-of-the-art in this field through in-depth discussion of sustainability-related problems, numerous case studies on regulatory responses implemented by jurisdictions around the world, and analyses of predominant strategies and potential drivers of change. This Handbook will be an essential reference for scholars, students, practitioners, policymakers, and general readers interested in how corporate law and governance have exacerbated global society's most pressing challenges, and how reforms to these fields can help us resolve those challenges and achieve sustainability.

This new book offers a substantial framework for examining the competence or powers of the EC in the field of company law, and the requirements for the lawful exercise of these powers (the principle of subsidiarity and the observance of Article 43 EC in particular). In order to provide a clear understanding of the practical relevance of this framework, the author tests the provisions of specific EC company law instruments for compatibility with the EC Treaty. Although the substantial body of EC company law that has been built up over the years is covered, the focus is on EC company law instruments which have been adopted in implementation of the 2003 Action Plan. The book includes a survey of the various company law instruments (both pre-and post-Action Plan) which together make up EC company law, and discusses the objectives of EC company law policy. --

Corporate governance encompasses the free enterprise system, which is treated comprehensively in this book from a German perspective. This distinguishes the book from other books written in English in this subject area, not only because of the comprehensive way it covers German corporate law and corporate governance, but also because of the fact that it provides international and European perspectives on these important topics. This second edition is an extensively revised and updated version of the first edition, in particular with a view to the worldwide debt crisis. The authors provide readers with an overview of the unique features of German business and enterprise law and an in-depth analysis of the organs of governance of German public limited companies (general meeting, management board, supervisory board). In addition, approaches for reforms required at the international level are also suggested and discussed, including, among others, the unique interplay and dynamics of the German two-tier board model with the system of codetermination, referring to the arrangement of employees sitting on the supervisory boards of German public limited companies and private companies employing more than 500 employees; also covered are significant recent legal developments in Europe. The book highlights the core function of valuation and financial reporting at the international, European and German levels, with accounting as the documentary proof of good corporate governance. It also expands the scope of the first edition by a treatment of the German financial sector, global corporate finance and governance, and by including a new chapter on compliance of corporate governance laws, rules and standards in Germany. As far as comparative law is concerned, new developments in the area of corporate governance in the EU, the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and corporate governance in the US, the UK and Australia are covered. The book is addressed to researchers, practitioners and basically anyone with an interest in the complex, but intriguing areas of corporate law and corporate governance.

Soon after the journal European Company Law was launched in 2004, it jumped to prominence as a leading resource not only for European companies and their lawyers but also for enterprises worldwide with business interests in Europe, a role it has held to the present day. This book, appearing 20 years after the first issue of the journal, celebrates this anniversary with contributions from eminent legal experts in the areas of company law, securities law, and corporate governance. Topics range over both the traditional areas of policy and practice and emerging contemporary issues in the field. The contributions – all of them characterized by the concise and practice-oriented approach for which the journal itself is widely appreciated – cover such European company law issues as the following: sustainability; environment, social, and governance matters; loyalty shares; the proposed Listing Act; cross-border mergers; shareholders’ rights and activism; company groups; and digitization. The book also contains an interview with journal founders Steef Bartman and Cees de Groot on the inception and development of the journal and its ongoing relation to European company law in a broader sense. More than a testament to the front-and-centre presence of European Company Law in the development of European company law and corporate governance over the past 20 years, this book carries on the journal’s aim to inform practitioners and be of interest to academics and students in the field. It is a must-have for those who work in the field of European company law either in corporate practice as legal professionals and advisors or as academics.

Although non-financial or Corporate Social Responsibiliy (CSR) reporting has attracted increasing attention in the last decades, it only recently entered the legal discourse. This book narrows the gap between CSR reporting and legal disclosure requirements. It analyzes financial, management, and corporate governance reporting, as well as other dedicated reporting types. The author investigates what legal framework underpins these disclosure types; to what extent these instruments mandate the disclosure of non-financial information; and if they have potential to expand their non-financial disclosure requirements. The findings suggest that mandatory non-financial reporting is less developed than expected. This book will be of interest to policy-makers who need to transpose the Non-Financial Reporting Directive or provide guidance on it. In addition, non-financial reporting professionals will find this monograph useful in exploring the underlying issues of preparing non-financial reports and understanding to what extent legal requirements are enforceable. (Series: ?Dovenschmidt Monographs, Vol. 4) [Subject: EU?Law, Corporate Law

This book focuses on the legitimacy of corporate power wielded by corporate groups, integrating legal doctrine, economic analysis, and theoretical approaches. It reassesses how corporate groups can maintain legitimacy whilst exercising corporate power. Corporate groups are a prominent commercial feature of many jurisdictions and present unique challenges. The book argues that when analysed through the lens of corporate social responsibility, a legitimacy deficiency emerges. This arises from a lack of historical debate, diluted control mechanisms, and inflated growth, utilising unique features of the corporate group. It explores how the magnified power of the corporate group presents acute challenges for corporate legitimacy. Data is utilised alongside current examples of corporate groups which identify structural architectural patterns. It explores new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and blockchain as ways of attaining legitimacy. It presents methods of attaining legitimacy for the continued wielding of power to be held within corporate groups. This book spans several research interests under the corporate law umbrella. It will be of interest to traditional black letter company lawyers. Additionally, it will be of interest to those who have an interest in business and those who are interested in the role of technology.