LL.M. in Business Law Online Curriculum

The online LL.M. in Business Law is a 24-credit-hour degree that is open to students with a J.D., an LL.B., or an equivalent degree. Since all of the classes are online, students have the flexibility to complete their weekly coursework on their own schedule. Students who select a major must complete at least 16 hours of study under that major's curriculum.

Cybersecurity, Privacy & Technology Risk Management Major Courses:

Business Organizations

An introduction to the law of business organizations, including agency, partnership, and business corporations. Topics include formation and structure of the corporation, power and fiduciary responsibility of management, rights and liabilities of shareholders, shareholders' derivatives litigation, acquisitions and tender offers and insider trading.

Civil Litigation Fundamentals

The potential for lawsuits plays a critical role in business decisions, particularly in regulatory compliance, risk management, and contract procurement and vendor risk management. This is often especially true in highly regulated fields such as healthcare, finance, HR, cybersecurity, and supply chain management. Litigation – whether in front of administrative agencies or courts – is generally the endgame for regulatory, contractual, or other liability problems that institutions may face. This class provides students with a basic understanding of the process of civil litigation in the U.S. We will trace the pathway of a lawsuit from the initial pleading stage to the appeal. Students will gain a solid grasp of the concepts and vocabulary that underlie the U.S. litigation system. Topics include types of lawsuits, forums, pleadings, response, discovery, trial procedures, appeals, administrative adjudication, and arbitration.

Compliance Failures: Investigation, Reporting and Remediation

A study of the obligations of regulated companies when there has been a compliance failure. Topics covered include: audits and other internal governance approaches for discovering compliance problems in a timely fashion; investigations; reporting; mitigation; regulatory responses; and remediation. 

Consumer Protection Law

This course examines concerns, protections and regulations particular to consumer transactions in formation, substance, and remedies. Regulatory, statutory, and common law doctrines will be addressed, with an emphasis on federal and Florida consumer protection statutes. Major topics will include fraud, deceptive practices, fair and accurate credit reporting, Truth-in-Lending law, fair debt collection, and enforcement of consumer rights. We will examine the evolution of consumer protection law as well as the economic and social policies behind it, and also focus on the practical application of the law.

Contract Risk Management

This class covers contract risk management best practices, as applied to both individual and portfolio of contracts. Topics include contract negotiations, term sheets, pre-contractual liability, contract performance, breach, waivers, post-breach actions, and the relationship between liability and business risks. Students will also learn about key contract terms including representations and warranties, conditions, default, indemnification, arbitration, liquidated damages, and choice of law and venue. 

Cybercrimes*

This course introduces students to the laws and regulation governing cybercrimes. The classes focuses on various types of cybercrimes, such as identity theft, hacking, extortion and ransomware, cyberbullying, cyberterrorism, credit card fraud, non-payment/non-delivery crimes. The course will also cover the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes, including the tools available to law enforcement, Constitutional and statutory constraints, and cross-jurisdictional and public/private cooperation and coordination.

*Course under development – Coming soon!

Cybersecurity Breach Response: Investigation, Mitigation and Remediation

This course focuses on the legal and risk management issues that arise after a cybersecurity breach.  Students will learn about different aspects on incident response, including initial internal communications and related corporate governance issues, the role played by in-house and outside counsel, forensics experts, IT staff and others in investigating the source and scope of the breach, and in mitigation and remediation of cyber breaches.  The course will cover myriad issues related to cyber-insurance (before and after a breach), the preservation of digital data and physical documents, attorney-client privilege and a number of legal issues that can arise when coordinating with federal, state, and foreign regulators and criminal investigation agencies.  Students will also learn about various mitigation best practices, including disclosure to regulators, customers, cyber-insurance carriers, investors, and vendors and other affected third parties.

Cybersecurity: Implementing Policies and Procedures

This course focuses on the design and implementation of cybersecurity compliance programs, including developing policies and procedures, auditing processes, and strategies for ensuring the resiliency and adaptability of the program in an evolving cyberspace and regulatory environment.

Data Analytics and Regulatory Compliance

A study of legal and risk management issues surrounding the use of big data analytics, machine learning and other AI technologies by regulators, business firms and other organizations. Special focus is given to issues arising in health care regulation, financial and securities regulation, and employment law—for example, health care fraud and abuse, Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering, economic sanctions, Federal securities Laws, and employment discrimination. Topics include privacy, cybersecurity, algorithmic fairness, smart contracts, robot and computer system accountability, social media censorship, regulatory reporting, monitoring of employees and transactional monitoring.

Drug Regulation and Compliance

This course provides an analysis of major legal issues in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The course explores the FDA’s regulation of these industries, including the FDA approval process, advertising and promotional regulations, and enforcement by the FDA and other regulatory entities. Other topics include product liability and FDA preemption, research, patient care, and privacy, pricing and market access. 

E-Health and Telemedicine

A study of legal issues affecting e-health and telemedicine. Topics covered include electronic health records, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) and other privacy issues; live video and store-and-forward techniques; remote patient monitoring, mobile health, and healthcare robots; reimbursement issues under public and private insurance schemes; licensure, credentialing, and privileging; and fraud and abuse. 

Enterprise Risk Management

This course will cover the principles, frameworks, and best practices for analyzing and managing risks within business firms. Students will learn how to construct frameworks for managing strategic, operational, financial, and legal/regulatory risks. They will also learn how to assess and measure these risks.

Financial Privacy and Cybersecurity

A study of privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulation, as they apply to firms in the financial sector and to corporations registered with the SEC. Topics include: prevention, breaches, disclosures, and remediation; Federal and state privacy and cybersecurity regulations; EU GDPR; the NIST Cybersecurity Framework; Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC guidance; and FFIEC and SEC OCIE cybersecurity guidance and initiatives. The course will also cover compliance and risk management best practices.

Governance, Risk Management and Compliance

An introduction to corporate governance, risk management, and compliance within business firms and financial institutions. Topics include: the role of the board of directors and executives in managing firms and overseeing risk management and compliance; Codes of Ethics; internal controls; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; whistleblowers; crisis management; and disclosure requirements under Federal Securities Laws and under banking statutes and regulation.

Government Contracting

This course introduces students to government contracting. The course cover statutes and regulations governing the government procurement process, as well as the core contract law issues relevant to government contracting. The course will also look at the specific contracting issues related to defense contracting, including the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

Health Care Privacy and Cybersecurity

A study of privacy and cybersecurity issues, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and security of health care information under state and federal law, including HIPAA, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and breach notification requirements. The course will also introduce issues related to emerging uses of technology, including telemedicine.

Insurance Contracts

A study of insurance contracts and insurance law. Topics covered include: the nature of insurance, insurable interests, persons and interests protected, contractual obligations of the insured and insurer, the claims process, bad faith, and subrogation. We will explore insurance contracts from the point of negotiation and execution through the claims process, settlement and dispute resolution.

Intellectual Property Risk Management

This course introduces students to key concepts in law of patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyright. Special focus is given to risk management techniques to protect a company’s intellectual property, including monitoring for potential infringements, addressing suspected infringements, IP licensing, non-compete agreements and non-disclosure agreements.

Negotiations & Bargaining: Theory and Practice

In this course, you will learn the main principles, concepts, tools, and skills of negotiations and bargaining. These will not only help you develop a good understanding of the subject but will also equip you with what is needed to be a “successful” negotiator. We will give primary attention to negotiation and bargaining in legal contexts. These include: contract negotiations; bargaining during the performance of long-term contracts and during other long-term relationships; bargaining between a business firm and its employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, and investors; bargaining among business firms regarding joint ventures and supply chain management; and bargaining during legal conflicts, both before and during litigation. You will learn how to identify the parties’ relative bargaining power and how to increase bargaining power–e.g., by using pre-commitment devices and acquiring information. You will also learn about the factors that can lead to quick, efficient agreements and those that can lead to costly delays and bargaining breakdowns, including the role played by bargaining procedures, informational gaps between parties, “credible” and “non-credible” threats, and trust and fairness.

Regulatory Compliance

An introduction to basic statutes, regulation and administrative practices relevant to regulatory compliance by business entities, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations and practitioners. The course will also introduce students to basic concepts of risk management. Students will learn how to: identify applicable laws, regulations and industry standards necessary to develop an effective compliance management program; construct and implement effective compliance policies and procedures; develop appropriate audit procedures in order to analyze the effectiveness of current policies and procedures, and organize and lead the organization’s response to a regulatory audit or investigation.

Technology Fundamentals for Cybersecurity, AI, and Beyond

An introduction to fundamental technology concepts for compliance officers, risk-manager, and others working in technology-intensive, regulated areas, including cybersecurity, privacy, AI, and intellectual property.

Vendors and Other Third-Party Risk Management

A study of the legal issues related to outsourcing contracts, including liability issues arising from these relationships. Students will also learn about best practices for assessing, monitoring, and managing vendor and outsourcing risks.

Workplace Privacy and Cybersecurity

A study of privacy and cybersecurity law within the context of employment relationships and HR compliance. Topics covered include legal and compliance issues arising with: interviews and background investigation; medical screening, testing, and HIPAA issues; psychological screening and testing; drug, alcohol, and tobacco screening and testing; monitoring of employee performance and conduct; monitoring of social media, emails, and telephone conversations; video surveillance; GPS tracking; reasonable expectations of privacy and searches and seizures; misuse of company computers and cybersecurity issues; Fair Credit Reporting Act; and HR compliance best practices and employer liability issues.

Financial Regulation and Compliance Major Courses:

Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering Compliance

This course introduces students to Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering regulations. Topics covered include: establishing and maintaining effective BSA/AML compliance programs; customer identification program requirements; SARs and information sharing; record-keeping requirements; customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, and ongoing monitoring requirements of high-risk customers and transactions. The course will also cover risk assessment programs, audits, the role of BSA compliance officers, training requirements, Foreign Asset Control laws and compliance issues related to higher risk products, services, customers, geographical locations and financial institutions.

Broker-Dealer Regulation

This course will provide an overview of the statutes and regulations governing broker-dealers. The course will begin with a review of the foundational federal laws that regulate the securities industry and the sale of securities in the United States. Topics will include broker-dealer registration, self-regulation, obligations of broker-dealers, technology, and big data, and enforcement.

Business Organizations

An introduction to the law of business organizations, including agency, partnership, and business corporations. Topics include formation and structure of the corporation, power and fiduciary responsibility of management, rights and liabilities of shareholders, shareholders' derivatives litigation, acquisitions and tender offers and insider trading.

Civil Litigation Fundamentals

The potential for lawsuits plays a critical role in business decisions, particularly in regulatory compliance, risk management, and contract procurement and vendor risk management. This is often especially true in highly regulated fields such as healthcare, finance, HR, cybersecurity, and supply chain management. Litigation – whether in front of administrative agencies or courts – is generally the endgame for regulatory, contractual, or other liability problems that institutions may face. This class provides students with a basic understanding of the process of civil litigation in the U.S. We will trace the pathway of a lawsuit from the initial pleading stage to the appeal. Students will gain a solid grasp of the concepts and vocabulary that underlie the U.S. litigation system. Topics include types of lawsuits, forums, pleadings, response, discovery, trial procedures, appeals, administrative adjudication, and arbitration.

Commercial Lending

This course covers the law governing real estate lending, both in the consumer and commercial contexts. Topics include: the role of various parties in loan transactions; loan documents; mortgages; title insurance; securitization; and foreclosures.

Compliance Failures: Investigation, Reporting and Remediation

A study of the obligations of regulated companies when there has been a compliance failure. Topics covered include: audits and other internal governance approaches for discovering compliance problems in a timely fashion; investigations; reporting; mitigation; regulatory responses; and remediation. 

Consumer Compliance: Deposits, New Products and Operations

A study of consumer compliance issues faced by banks and other financial intermediaries. The course will cover deposit-related statutes and regulations. The course will also cover common law fraud, unfair and deceptive acts and practices, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and other federal and state agencies charged with consumer protection.

Consumer Compliance: Lending

A study of consumer compliance issues faced by banks and other financial intermediaries. The course will cover credit-related statutes and regulations. The course will also cover common law fraud, unfair and deceptive acts and practices, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and other federal and state agencies charged with consumer protection.

Economic Sanctions

An introduction to the economic and trade sanctions regime administered by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Topics include: compliance obligations of financial institutions; the foreign policy and national security justification of sanctions; targeted parties and activities; OFAC licenses; and enforcement issues.

Financial Privacy and Cybersecurity

A study of privacy and cybersecurity laws and regulation, as they apply to firms in the financial sector and to corporations registered with the SEC. Topics include: prevention, breaches, disclosures, and remediation; Federal and state privacy and cybersecurity regulations; EU GDPR; the NIST Cybersecurity Framework; Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC guidance; and FFIEC and SEC OCIE cybersecurity guidance and initiatives. The course will also cover compliance and risk management best practices.

Financial Regulation Research

An introduction to legal sources relevant to banking law, consumer protection, and various other issues related to financial regulation. Students will also learn advanced research techniques.

Financial Statements Interpretation

This course covers basic accounting principles necessary to understand, interpret and analyze financial statements, formulate effective inquires, and communicate intelligently with business and financial professionals (as well as with their future clients). Students will read and use the information from real companies to analyze and interpret their financial statements. Specifically, this class will use real-world examples to illustrate the interrelationships between financial statements and the documents underlying certain deals/transactions. The students will learn about financial reports, cash flow versus income, tax versus accounting books, the quality of earnings and analytical ratios, all of which may be necessary to conduct due diligence on a particular matter and to draft operative agreements. The class will also spend time analyzing past financial scandals and the financial issues that led to them (and the role various professionals could/may have played in preventing them).

Governance, Risk Management and Compliance

An introduction to corporate governance, risk management, and compliance within business firms and financial institutions. Topics include: the role of the board of directors and executives in managing firms and overseeing risk management and compliance; Codes of Ethics; internal controls; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; whistleblowers; crisis management; and disclosure requirements under Federal Securities Laws and under banking statutes and regulation.

Negotiations & Bargaining: Theory and Practice

In this course, you will learn the main principles, concepts, tools, and skills of negotiations and bargaining. These will not only help you develop a good understanding of the subject but will also equip you with what is needed to be a “successful” negotiator. We will give primary attention to negotiation and bargaining in legal contexts. These include: contract negotiations; bargaining during the performance of long-term contracts and during other long-term relationships; bargaining between a business firm and its employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, and investors; bargaining among business firms regarding joint ventures and supply chain management; and bargaining during legal conflicts, both before and during litigation. You will learn how to identify the parties’ relative bargaining power and how to increase bargaining power–e.g., by using pre-commitment devices and acquiring information. You will also learn about the factors that can lead to quick, efficient agreements and those that can lead to costly delays and bargaining breakdowns, including the role played by bargaining procedures, informational gaps between parties, “credible” and “non-credible” threats, and trust and fairness.

Regulatory Compliance

An introduction to basic statutes, regulation and administrative practices relevant to regulatory compliance by business entities, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations and practitioners. The course will also introduce students to basic concepts of risk management. Students will learn how to: identify applicable laws, regulations and industry standards necessary to develop an effective compliance management program; construct and implement effective compliance policies and procedures; develop appropriate audit procedures in order to analyze the effectiveness of current policies and procedures, and organize and lead the organization’s response to a regulatory audit or investigation.

Risk Management for Financial Compliance

A practical application demonstrating the manner in which compliance officers interact with “business owners” and regulators in order to properly risk-manage compliance requirements for banking institutions. The course will introduce students to case studies that require various skills in order to resolve true banking compliance and legal issues. These skills include negotiating and communication techniques for compliance professionals to work well with co-workers, business owners and regulators. Case studies will include new product launches and sample regulatory examinations. The course will add practical concepts for incorporating risk management into the world of regulatory compliance.

Vendors and Other Third-Party Risk Management

A study of the legal issues related to outsourcing contracts, including liability issues arising from these relationships. Students will also learn about best practices for assessing, monitoring, and managing vendor and outsourcing risks.

Health Care Regulation Major Courses:

Business Organizations

An introduction to the law of business organizations, including agency, partnership, and business corporations. Topics include formation and structure of the corporation, power and fiduciary responsibility of management, rights and liabilities of shareholders, shareholders' derivatives litigation, acquisitions and tender offers and insider trading.

Civil Litigation Fundamentals

The potential for lawsuits plays a critical role in business decisions, particularly in regulatory compliance, risk management, and contract procurement and vendor risk management. This is often especially true in highly regulated fields such as healthcare, finance, HR, cybersecurity, and supply chain management. Litigation – whether in front of administrative agencies or courts – is generally the endgame for regulatory, contractual, or other liability problems that institutions may face. This class provides students with a basic understanding of the process of civil litigation in the U.S. We will trace the pathway of a lawsuit from the initial pleading stage to the appeal. Students will gain a solid grasp of the concepts and vocabulary that underlie the U.S. litigation system. Topics include types of lawsuits, forums, pleadings, response, discovery, trial procedures, appeals, administrative adjudication, and arbitration.

Compliance Failures: Investigation, Reporting and Remediation

A study of the obligations of regulated companies when there has been a compliance failure. Topics covered include: audits and other internal governance approaches for discovering compliance problems in a timely fashion; investigations; reporting; mitigation; regulatory responses; and remediation. 

Drug Regulation and Compliance

This course provides an analysis of major legal issues in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. The course explores the FDA’s regulation of these industries, including the FDA approval process, advertising and promotional regulations, and enforcement by the FDA and other regulatory entities. Other topics include product liability and FDA preemption, research, patient care, and privacy, pricing and market access. 

E-Health and Telemedicine

A study of legal issues affecting e-health and telemedicine. Topics covered include electronic health records, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) and other privacy issues; live video and store-and-forward techniques; remote patient monitoring, mobile health, and healthcare robots; reimbursement issues under public and private insurance schemes; licensure, credentialing, and privileging; and fraud and abuse. 

Governance, Risk Management and Compliance

An introduction to corporate governance, risk management, and compliance within business firms and financial institutions. Topics include: the role of the board of directors and executives in managing firms and overseeing risk management and compliance; Codes of Ethics; internal controls; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; whistleblowers; crisis management; and disclosure requirements under Federal Securities Laws and under banking statutes and regulation.

Health Care Disability Law: Mental, Physical and Age-Related

Laws dealing with the provision, financing and regulation of health care in the U.S. are based largely on a model presuming the involvement of autonomous health care consumers. In reality, however, many health care consumers today have mildly to severely compromised autonomy because of mental, physical, and/or age-related deficits or disabilities. These compromised individuals are often particularly vulnerable in terms of their health care needs and may require special legal attention and protections within the health care system. This course will address vulnerable patient populations with mental, physical, and/or age-related disabilities, focusing especially on responses of the legal system to the relationship of those patients to the health care and broader service systems.

Health Care Fraud and Abuse

A study of federal and state laws regulating fraud and abuse within health care, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, the False Claims Act, the Stark I and Stark II (physician self-referral).

Health Care Payer-Provider Relationships

A study of the legal and contractual issues arising in health care payer-provider relationships, in the context of private payers. Topics covered include: key terms in payer contracts; collaboration; conflicts; arbitration; and privacy. Special focus will be given to best practices for compliance and contractual and legal risk management. 

Health Care Privacy and Cybersecurity

A study of privacy and cybersecurity issues, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and security of health care information under state and federal law, including HIPAA, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and breach notification requirements. The course will also introduce issues related to emerging uses of technology, including telemedicine.

Health Care Regulation Research

An introduction to legal sources relevant to health care regulation. Students will also learn advanced research techniques.

Health Care Transactions Between and Among Health Care Providers

This course covers transactions between and among health care providers, including hospital-physician relationships and governance issues within healthcare entities.

Insurance Contracts

A study of insurance contracts and insurance law. Topics covered include: the nature of insurance, insurable interests, persons and interests protected, contractual obligations of the insured and insurer, the claims process, bad faith, and subrogation. We will explore insurance contracts from the point of negotiation and execution through the claims process, settlement and dispute resolution.

Medical Malpractice

This course examines the broad array of legal and policy-related issues arising out of litigation seeking redress for harms in the context of the provision of medical services. The course also covers liability insurance for individuals and healthcare entities.

Medicare, Medicaid and Managed Care

An introduction to the legal issues associated with public and private health insurance and benefits plans.  Students will learn about federal and state financing programs, including Medicare and Medicaid/SCHIP, employer provided insurance, and federal and state regulations of private health insurance markets and managed care, including population care management, provider payment, quality and accountability, and cost-containment. 

Negotiations & Bargaining: Theory and Practice

In this course, you will learn the main principles, concepts, tools, and skills of negotiations and bargaining. These will not only help you develop a good understanding of the subject but will also equip you with what is needed to be a “successful” negotiator. We will give primary attention to negotiation and bargaining in legal contexts. These include: contract negotiations; bargaining during the performance of long-term contracts and during other long-term relationships; bargaining between a business firm and its employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, and investors; bargaining among business firms regarding joint ventures and supply chain management; and bargaining during legal conflicts, both before and during litigation. You will learn how to identify the parties’ relative bargaining power and how to increase bargaining power–e.g., by using pre-commitment devices and acquiring information. You will also learn about the factors that can lead to quick, efficient agreements and those that can lead to costly delays and bargaining breakdowns, including the role played by bargaining procedures, informational gaps between parties, “credible” and “non-credible” threats, and trust and fairness.

Patient Safety and Quality

An introduction to the regulatory compliance and risk management issues affecting patient safety and quality improvement. Specific topics will include laws and regulations governing: the documentation of patient safety and quality, including incident reporting and charting of medical care; principles of zero harm and high reliability; culture of safety and process improvement; reporting and publicizing results and unintended consequences; HIPAA and other patient privacy issues; technology and human error, wearable technology, AI, and cybersecurity; safety of the health care team; and communication among healthcare providers on risk management, patient safety and quality improvement.

Professional Licensing, Discipline, Accreditation and Regulation

A study of professional licensing, including the accreditation of healthcare entities.

Public Health Law

This course will offer an overview of basic concepts and principles in public health law, examined in the context of issues such as government planning for natural and manmade disasters, mandatory immunization programs, mandatory medical screening of particular population groups, mandatory disease reporting laws, infectious disease control methods like quarantine, public health research, and regulation and litigation concerning tobacco, alcohol, firearms, and drugs with abuse potential. The focus will be on identification and analysis of the duties, powers, and limits of government in its pursuit of protecting and promoting the public’s health.

Regulatory Compliance

An introduction to basic statutes, regulation and administrative practices relevant to regulatory compliance by business entities, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations and practitioners. The course will also introduce students to basic concepts of risk management. Students will learn how to: identify applicable laws, regulations and industry standards necessary to develop an effective compliance management program; construct and implement effective compliance policies and procedures; develop appropriate audit procedures in order to analyze the effectiveness of current policies and procedures, and organize and lead the organization’s response to a regulatory audit or investigation.

Risk Management and Patient Safety

An introduction to risk management practices in healthcare contexts, as they relate to medical errors and patient safety.

Vendors and Other Third-Party Risk Management

A study of the legal issues related to outsourcing contracts, including liability issues arising from these relationships. Students will also learn about best practices for assessing, monitoring, and managing vendor and outsourcing risks.

Employment Law and HR Compliance Major Courses:

Employee Benefits and Compensation

This course provides an overview of the law governing employee benefits plans, including retirement plans (401(k) and pension plans) and welfare benefits plans (life, health, disability, long-term care and post-retirement medical). The course will review the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the main federal law regulating employee benefit program, as well as rules governing coverage, vesting, funding, fiduciary standards, claims administration, remedies and preemption of state law.

Business Organizations

An introduction to the law of business organizations, including agency, partnership, and business corporations. Topics include formation and structure of the corporation, power and fiduciary responsibility of management, rights and liabilities of shareholders, shareholders' derivatives litigation, acquisitions and tender offers and insider trading.

Civil Litigation Fundamentals

The potential for lawsuits plays a critical role in business decisions, particularly in regulatory compliance, risk management, and contract procurement and vendor risk management. This is often especially true in highly regulated fields such as healthcare, finance, HR, cybersecurity, and supply chain management. Litigation – whether in front of administrative agencies or courts – is generally the endgame for regulatory, contractual, or other liability problems that institutions may face. This class provides students with a basic understanding of the process of civil litigation in the U.S. We will trace the pathway of a lawsuit from the initial pleading stage to the appeal. Students will gain a solid grasp of the concepts and vocabulary that underlie the U.S. litigation system. Topics include types of lawsuits, forums, pleadings, response, discovery, trial procedures, appeals, administrative adjudication, and arbitration.

Compliance Failures: Investigation, Reporting and Remediation

A study of the obligations of regulated companies when there has been a compliance failure. Topics covered include: audits and other internal governance approaches for discovering compliance problems in a timely fashion; investigations; reporting; mitigation; regulatory responses; and remediation. 

Conducting Workplace Investigations

This course explains the major regulations governing the workplace and the legal and practical approaches to planning, conducting, and documenting internal workplace investigations of employee complaints and suspected employee misconduct.

Consumer Protection Law

A study of consumer protection regulations, including consumer lending, mandatory and voluntary disclosures, common law fraud, and unfair and deceptive acts and practices. 

Contract Risk Management

This class covers contract risk management best practices, as applied to both individual and portfolio of contracts. Topics include contract negotiations, term sheets, pre-contractual liability, contract performance, breach, waivers, post-breach actions, and the relationship between liability and business risks. Students will also learn about key contract terms including representations and warranties, conditions, default, indemnification, arbitration, liquidated damages, and choice of law and venue. 

Customer Risk Management

This course examines the legal risks that arise in the context of a firm’s relationships with its customers. Students will learn about the types of legal rules that can trigger liability and about various techniques used to manage customer legal risks through disclosure and contracts, as well as other preventive measures.

Employment Discrimination Law

This course provides a practical study of employment discrimination law, which is primarily federal and statutory in nature. The course will examine multiple issues surrounding employment discrimination but will focus on identifying discrimination and advising employers on avoiding claims of discrimination. The course will also examine what happens when a claim of discrimination is filed at both the administrative level and in federal court. These issues will be considered in the context of discrimination on the basis of race/color, national origin, gender/sexual orientation, age, religion and disability. 

Employment Law and HR Compliance

This course will provide you with a basic overview of employment law as it relates to day-to-day employment practices. You will be guided through the entire employer-employee relationship—from the initial decision to fill a position to the ultimate decision to terminate the employment relationship. Topics include the laws and regulations covering the employment relationship, employee recruitment, background checks, employment tests, wage and hour standards, benefits, performance appraisals, privacy, training and development, termination and post-termination issues.  

Employment Law and HR Regulation Research

This course introduces students to effective legal research techniques used in human resources and employment law. The course provides students with practical, hands-on experience with legal resources and research tools.  

Enterprise Risk Management

This course will cover the principles, frameworks, and best practices for analyzing and managing risks within business firms. Students will learn how to construct frameworks for managing strategic, operational, financial, and legal/regulatory risks. They will also learn how to assess and measure these risks.

Financial Statements Interpretation

This course covers basic accounting principles necessary to understand, interpret and analyze financial statements, formulate effective inquires, and communicate intelligently with business and financial professionals (as well as with their future clients). Students will read and use the information from real companies to analyze and interpret their financial statements. Specifically, this class will use real-world examples to illustrate the interrelationships between financial statements and the documents underlying certain deals/transactions. The students will learn about financial reports, cash flow versus income, tax versus accounting books, the quality of earnings and analytical ratios, all of which may be necessary to conduct due diligence on a particular matter and to draft operative agreements. The class will also spend time analyzing past financial scandals and the financial issues that led to them (and the role various professionals could/may have played in preventing them).

Governance, Risk Management and Compliance

An introduction to corporate governance, risk management, and compliance within business firms and financial institutions. Topics include: the role of the board of directors and executives in managing firms and overseeing risk management and compliance; Codes of Ethics; internal controls; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; whistleblowers; crisis management; and disclosure requirements under Federal Securities Laws and under banking statutes and regulation.

HR Documentation and Employee Policies and Procedures

This course covers the legal issues related to human resource documentation and employee policies and procedures.  Topics covered include: what actions to document and how and when to document them; document retention guidelines under various employment laws; privacy issues; and best practices and legal issues related to employee handbooks.

Insurance Contracts

A study of insurance contracts and insurance law. Topics covered include: the nature of insurance, insurable interests, persons and interests protected, contractual obligations of the insured and insurer, the claims process, bad faith, and subrogation. We will explore insurance contracts from the point of negotiation and execution through the claims process, settlement and dispute resolution.

Negotiations & Bargaining: Theory and Practice

In this course, you will learn the main principles, concepts, tools, and skills of negotiations and bargaining. These will not only help you develop a good understanding of the subject but will also equip you with what is needed to be a “successful” negotiator. We will give primary attention to negotiation and bargaining in legal contexts. These include: contract negotiations; bargaining during the performance of long-term contracts and during other long-term relationships; bargaining between a business firm and its employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, and investors; bargaining among business firms regarding joint ventures and supply chain management; and bargaining during legal conflicts, both before and during litigation. You will learn how to identify the parties’ relative bargaining power and how to increase bargaining power–e.g., by using pre-commitment devices and acquiring information. You will also learn about the factors that can lead to quick, efficient agreements and those that can lead to costly delays and bargaining breakdowns, including the role played by bargaining procedures, informational gaps between parties, “credible” and “non-credible” threats, and trust and fairness.

Regulatory Compliance

An introduction to basic statutes, regulation and administrative practices relevant to regulatory compliance by business entities, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations and practitioners. The course will also introduce students to basic concepts of risk management. Students will learn how to: identify applicable laws, regulations and industry standards necessary to develop an effective compliance management program; construct and implement effective compliance policies and procedures; develop appropriate audit procedures in order to analyze the effectiveness of current policies and procedures, and organize and lead the organization’s response to a regulatory audit or investigation.

Vendors and Other Third-Party Risk Management

A study of the legal issues related to outsourcing contracts, including liability issues arising from these relationships. Students will also learn about best practices for assessing, monitoring, and managing vendor and outsourcing risks.

Workplace Privacy and Cybersecurity

A study of privacy and cybersecurity law within the context of employment relationships and HR compliance. Topics covered include legal and compliance issues arising with: interviews and background investigation; medical screening, testing, and HIPAA issues; psychological screening and testing; drug, alcohol, and tobacco screening and testing; monitoring of employee performance and conduct; monitoring of social media, emails, and telephone conversations; video surveillance; GPS tracking; reasonable expectations of privacy and searches and seizures; misuse of company computers and cybersecurity issues; Fair Credit Reporting Act; and HR compliance best practices and employer liability issues.

Workplace Safety and Wellness

A study of workplace safety. Topics covered include: the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; OSHA standards, inspections, and enforcement actions; recordkeeping requirements; whistleblower protection and anti-retaliation protections; health and wellness initiatives; mental health issues; workplace violence issues, including OSHA requirements, third-party victim negligence claims, and employee references; workers compensation system.