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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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

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.

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.