87513 - Law and Practice of Financial Transactions

Academic Year 2021/2022

Learning outcomes

The course introduces students to the regulatory, legal and contractual issues relating to transactions undertaken by companies and other institutions in order to raise funds in international capital markets with a view to diversifying their capital structure and reducing the risks associated with it. To this end, the course examines various types of financial transactions and structures which are widely used in the financial markets, such as secured and unsecured loans, syndicated lending transactions, debt and equity securities offerings, and derivatives transactions. Students will be provided with draft terms and agreements in order to familiarize with contract language and standard clauses. At the end of the course, students will be able to apply knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of the law and the practice of major structure finance transactions; investigate and analyze complex information, problems, and concepts with regard to regulatory, legal and commercial aspects of various forms of debt finance and securities offerings; use cognitive and technical skills to evaluate contractual documents and financial reporting relevant to international financial transactions as they are shaped in market practice.

Course contents

The course will be divided in three parts, each one related to a particular type of selected financial transactions. The first part is devoted to public and private, equity and debt securities offerings. The second part examines venture capital contracting. The third part studies corporate takeovers by means of mergers and acquisitions. Each part begins with a brief description of the nature of the transactions at stake, proceeds with a theoretical introduction to the regulatory framework (including judicial cases, if applicable), and then concludes by analysing contractual documentation.

Readings/Bibliography

Readings will be listed ahead of the beginning of the course and will be made available on Virtuale.

Teaching methods

Each lecture will be dedicated to a specific topic. After introducing the topic and pointing out all relevant issues pertaining thereto, the lecturer will invite the class to actively participate and debate.

Assessment methods

The final exam will consist of multiple-choice questions covering the whole course program.

Halfway into the course a test will be administered to students for them to self-assess their knowledge and get prepared for the final exam. This halfway test, too, will consist of multiple-choice questions.

Teaching tools

In addition to regular reading materials the lecturer will use slides, which will be made available to students before class and then shown and discussed in class.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Pomelli