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Business and Corporate Law

Business and Corporate Law encompasses the statutes, regulations, and case law that govern the formation, operation, and dissolution of businesses and corporations. This field includes topics such as corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities regulation, commercial transactions, and fiduciary duties.

Business law covers a wide range of legal areas, including contract law, employment law, tax law, and intellectual property. Corporate law specifically focuses on issues related to corporate entities—such as shareholder rights, board responsibilities, and regulatory compliance under laws like the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Key regulatory bodies include the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which oversees public companies and securities markets, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which monitors antitrust practices and consumer protection.

Corporate filings, including annual reports and registration statements, can be found in the SEC's EDGAR database. Case law is published in various federal and state reporters, and statutory and regulatory materials can be found in sources such as Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and government websites.

This guide is intended to help individuals conduct research in business and corporate law. It includes references to a variety of primary legal materials, secondary sources, and practical materials available both in print and electronically through the Pence Law Library. Please note that access to many online resources may require affiliation with American University Washington College of Law.

• Primary Law
  This section contains information on primary law including federal and state statutory law, administrative law, case law, and model uniform laws related to business and corporate law research.
• Secondary Sources
  This section includes resources such as books and treatises, journals and periodicals, articles, current awareness, and study aids that help provide background information and additional resources on business and corporate law.
• Practical Materials
  This section includes online practice centers, forms and sample agreements, and drafting tools related to business and corporate law research.

 Business Organizations Law by James D. Cox & Thomas Lee Hazen
 Available Online
 ISBN: 9781642424010
 Publication Date: 2020

 Business Associations: Cases and Materials on Agency, Partnerships, LLCs, and   Corporations by Stephen M. Bainbridge
 Call Number: KF1355.K56 2021
 ISBN: 9781684673346
 Publication Date: 2021

 Business Research Handbook: Methods and Sources for Lawyers and Business   Professionals by Kathy Shimpock-Vieweg
 Call Number: KF240.S55 1996
 ISBN: 0316808814
 Publication Date: 2004

 Corporation Law by Franklin Gevurtz
 Available on West Academic
 ISBN: 9781684673476
 Publication Date: 2021

Lexis+ Business and Corporate Law Materials

This Business and Corporate Law resource on Lexis+ offers comprehensive coverage of key issues across the lifecycle of a business entity—from formation and governance to dissolution. It addresses a wide range of practice areas, including corporations, partnerships, LLCs, nonprofits, and unincorporated associations, with in-depth guidance on agency relationships, compliance, finance, and shareholder actions. The resource also explores regulatory requirements, transactional structures, and specialized entities like cooperatives and professional corporations.

Westlaw Commercial Law Center

Westlaw’s Business Law Center provides a platform for conducting in-depth research on corporate disclosures, transactions, and regulatory filings. It offers access to SEC filings, including all EDGAR forms, insider filings, comment letters, Regulation A+ documents, and precedent agreements, with advanced dual and section search capabilities. Users can explore mergers and acquisitions, offering summaries, and global disclosures from sources like SEDAR+ and the ASX, alongside key administrative materials from the SEC and FINRA, making it an essential resource for regulatory compliance.

The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction provides a variety of interactive lessons covering business and corporations law. Some of the most helpful are: 

• Business Financing and the Federal Securities Laws (CORP15)
• Corporate Distributions (CORP12)
• Are You My Partner? Is This a Partnership? (BA08)
• Authority of Partners to Bind the Partnership (BA07)
• Interpretation in the UCC (SAL03)