Corporate Flashcards
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
The process where companies are combined or bought out by other companies
Due diligence
investigative analysis of a business prior to signing a contract or investment
Corporate governance
The system of rules, practices and processes by which a firm is directed and controlled
Shareholder agreements
Contracts among a company’s shareholders detailing the rights and obligations
Intellectual property (IP)
Legal rights to inventions, designs and artistic works
Compliance
Adherence to laws, regulations, guidelines and specifications
litigation
The process of taking legal action to court
Arbitration
- A form of dispute resolution decided outside of court
- You both take your case to an arbitrator who is an independent body
Mediation
A facilitated negotiation process to resolve disputes
Joint ventures
Example
A commercial enterprise undertaken jointly by 2 or more parties
Disney, Warner Bros and Fox teaming up for live sport
Private equity
Investment capital in companies that are not publicly traded
Venture capital
- Financing provided to startups and small businesses with long term growth potential
- Equity based (get a stake in the company)
- Innovate is the biggest UK VC firm
eg Chat GPT
Initial public offerings (IPO’s)
The process of offering shares of a private company to the public
Securities
Financial instruments that represent an ownership position or creditor relationship with a corporation
Stock exchange
A marketplace where securities such as stocks and bonds are bought and sold
Market capitalisation
The total value of a company’s outstanding shares and stock
-How much the company is worth according to the stock market
Stocks held by shareholders
Fiduciary duty
A legal obligation of one party to act in the best interest of another
Due process
Fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially citizens entitlement
Bankruptcy
The legal status of a person or entity that cannot repay debts or creditors
Insolvency
The state of being unable to pay the money owed, on time or at all
Asset management
The systematic process of operating, maintaining and upgrading assets cost effectively
Leveraged Buyout (LBO)
The acquisition of another company using a significant amount of borrowed money
Eg 2/3 of Twitter which was bought for $44bn
Corporate bonds
Debt securities issued by corporations to finance their operations
Credit rating
An assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower in general terms of with respect to a particular debt or financial obligation
Debt financing
Raising capital through borrowing money that must be repaid over time with interest
Eg loans from banks, bonds etc
Equity financing
Raising capital through the sale of shares in an enterprise
Securitisation
The process of pooling various types of contractual debt and selling consolidated assets to investors
Financial instruments
Assets that can be traded with legal documents representing any kind of monetary value
Equity based = asset
Debt based = loan
Derivatives
Financial securities based on the value of an asset
Eg future contracts
Hedge funds
Investment funds that employ various strategies to earn active return or alpha (excesss returns) for their investors
- Tend to pool money in an attempt to earn above average returns
Mutual funds
Investment programs funded by shareholders that trade in diversified holdings (big company that operate in lots of fields) and are professionally managed
Pension funds
Investment pools that pay for workers’ retirements. Funds are contributed by workers, employers or both
Compliance risk
The threat posed to a company’s earnings or capital due to violation of laws, regulations, codes of conduct, or organisational standards of practice
Operational risk
The prospect of loss resulting from inadequate or failed procedures, systems or policies
Market risk
The possibility of an investor experiencing losses due to factors that effect the overall performance of the financial markets
Credit risk
The risk of loss due to a debtors non-payment of a loan or other line of credit
Systematic risk
The risk of collapse of an entire financial system or entire market
Liquidation
The process by which a company’s assets are terminated and distributed to claimants
Restructuring
The act of reorganising the legal, ownerships, operation or other structures of a company
Cross-border transactions
Business dealings involving entities in different countries
Taxation
The imposition of taxes; the system of raising money by taxes
Transfer pricing
Setting the price for goods and services sold between controlled or related legal entities within an enterprise
Used to move prices around at a lower market value
Anti-money laundering (AML)
A set of laws, regulations and procedures intended to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income
Know your customer (KYC)
A standard in the investment industry that ensures investment advisors know detailed information about their clients risk tolerance, investment knowledge and financial position
Data protection
The process of safeguarding important information from corruption, compromise or loss
GDPR
A regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the EU and the European Economic area
General data protection regulation
Corporate social responsibility
A self-regulating business model that ensures companies operate in ways that enhance society and the environment
Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
Criteria for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments
Sustainability
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
Legal contracts that keep confidential work secret
Employment law
Legal standards and regulations that govern the relationship between employers and employees, including hiring, working conditions, wages and termination
Discrimination law
The body of law that prohibits the unequal treatment of individuals based on certain characteristics, such as race, gender, age or disability
Eg 2010 Equality Act
Health and safety
Regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury in workplaces or public environments
Real Estate Transactions
The legal process involved in buying, selling, leasing or transferring ownership of real property
Zoning laws
Statutes governing how certain areas of land can be used which may include residential, commercial, industrial or other designations
Land use
The management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements or semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures and managed woods
Intellectual property rights (IPR)
The legal right granted to creators and owners of works that are results of human intellectual creativity, which are protected from unauthorised use by others
Trademarks
Symbols, names, phrases, logos or other devices used to identify and distinguish products or services of one party from those of others
Patents
Exclusive rights granted to an investor to make, use, or sell an invention for a certain number of years, in exchange for publishing an enabling public disclosure of the invention
Eg coca-cola bottles
Copyrights
Legal protection given to the creators of original works of authorship such as literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished
Trade secrets
Information including a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern or compilation of information, that is generally not know and provides a business with an economic advantage over competitors or customers
Licensing agreements
Contracts whereby the licensor allows the licences to use, market, and sell certain intellectual property in exchange for compensation
Mergers and monopolies regulations
Legal frameworks designed to control or affect the market power and business practices of corporations to promote competition and prevent monopolies
Competition law
A body of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies
Antitrust
Laws and regulations designed to protect trade commerce from abusive practices such as restraint of trade, price fixing and monopolies
Same as competition law
Consumer Protection
Example
A form of government regulator which protects the interests of consumers, ensuring that they have access to accurate information and are protected from harmful products or unfair business practices
-Consumer rights 2015: consumers can persue small claims courts for faultly eletrical goods
Product liability
The legal liability a manufacturer or trader incurs for producing or selling a fault product
Commercial contracts
Legally binding agreements between parties where they are obliged to do or refrain from doing certain things. Contracts may be written or oral and involve the exchange of goods, services, money or the promise of any of those
Breach of contract
The violation of a contractual obligation by failing to perform one’s own promise, by repudiating it, or by interfering with another party’s performance
Warranty
A guarantee provided by the seller or manufacturer to the purchaser that the product is as represented and will be repaired or replaced if it fails within a certain period
Indemnity
A contractual obligation of one party to compensate the loss occurred to the other party due to the act of the indemnity or any other party (more of a promise)
Force Majeure
A clause included in contracts to remove liability for natural and unavoidable catastrophes that interrupt the expected course of events and restrict participants from fulfilling obligations
Liquidated damages
A provision in a contract that specifies a predetermined amount of money that must be paid as damages for failure to perform under a contract
Statute of limitations
The time within which a lawsuit must be filed or a criminal prosecution begun. The period starts when the claim or charge is discovered
Jurisdiction
The legal authority granted to a court or other institution to interpret and apply laws, adjudicate disputes and carry out justice
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
A range of dispute resolution processes and techniques that act as a means for disagreeing parties to come to an agreement short of litigation
Class action
A lawsuit filed or defended by an individual or small group acting on behalf of a large group
Injunction
A judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal right of another, or that compels a person to carry out a certain act eg to make restitution to an injured party
e.g restraining order
Legal precedent
A legal case that establishes a principle or rule that a court or other judicial body may utilise when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts
Common law
The body of law derived from judicial decisions of courts and similar tribunals, rather than from statutes or constitutions