Corporate and Financial Law LLM

The Corporate and Financial Law LLM provides you with the opportunity to acquire a detailed knowledge and understanding of legal rules relating to business.

Students who successfully complete the Corporate and Financial LLM will have acquired significant research and analytical skills in this area of law. They should therefore have substantially enhanced their prospects of gaining employment as professional or in-house legal advisors, company administrators and in other areas of work where the ability to apply and advise upon business law issues is significant.

What will you study?

You take two core modules; two option modules from an extensive list; plus legal research theory and dissertation modules.

Our LLM courses are accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for CPD purposes.

Research is an essential part of the day-to-day life of the Faculty of Business and Law, and is embedded in its intellectual activities and development.

Kingston Law School has a strong research reputation covering a range of topics, including criminal justice, dispute resolution and law and education.

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You take four modules (at least two of which must be selected from the 'core modules' list) plus legal research theory and dissertation modules.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Core modules (choose at least two, plus the dissertation and research theory module)

• Company Law

• Company Law

  This module looks at:

  • the potential problems posed as a result of the extensive power wielded by those in control of large companies; and
  • ways in which society can control this.

  It aims to provide you with the opportunities to analyse the ways in which English law imposes liability on companies and an understanding of how a business might be run, including the identification of any potential problems.

  
   
• Insolvency Law

• Insolvency Law

  This module is concerned with the legal rules, policy and theoretical underpinnings that exist to deal with insolvent juristic and natural persons. It critically examines:

  • the corporate insolvency regimes (administration, company voluntary arrangements, schemes of arrangement) that facilitate rescue of the juristic person;
  • other avenues (liquidation, receivership, informal arrangements); and 
  • the procedures that exist for natural persons (bankruptcy, individual voluntary arrangements, debt relief orders). 

  The relative use of each procedure, relevant case law and statute and academic and practitioner comment is examined so as to position each procedure in its relevant practical context.

  
   
• Legal Aspects of Business Finance

• Legal Aspects of Business Finance

  This module aims to provide an understanding of the methods, available to businesses, of raising finance and looks at the financial consequences of different business forms.  

  
   
• International Sale of Goods and E-Commerce

• International Sale of Goods and E-Commerce

  This module examines the UK law on the international sale of goods, including an introduction to the UK and EU laws applied to online trading. It achieves this through analysis of pre-contractual issues as well as actual formation of contracts and relevant trade terms, as related to international and electronic commerce.

  It also provides insight into the evolution of related legislation and raises issues surrounding terms and conditions of sale, website management, electronic fund transfers and data privacy.

  
   
• Dissertation
• Legal Research Theory and Methodology

• Legal Research Theory and Methodology

  This module aims to develop your skills in advanced legal research and your appreciation of the theoretical underpinning of legal research. It is essential preparation for the dissertation module.

  
   

Option modules (choose two, which can also be selected from the core module list)

• Advocacy

• Advocacy

  This module considers all aspects of presenting an argument in a variety of different contexts. It develops the practical skills involved in:

  • processing and evaluating complex information;
  • preparing materials for presentation; and 
  • delivering an argument to a meeting, tribunal or court.

  The module draws on pure legal issues and practical case studies, including any previous training and work experience.

  
   
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Alternative Dispute Resolution

  This module will provide you with an opportunity to evaluate the various methods available for resolving conflicts, including conciliation, mediation, negotiation and adjudication. You will gain a theoretical and practical knowledge of dispute resolution procedures.

   

  
   
• Arbitration

• Arbitration

  Arbitration has been one of the most important processes for resolving disputes for several centuries and, although other methods of dispute resolution have evolved in recent years (for example, mediation and conciliation), arbitration continues to retain its importance in both domestic and international contexts. 

  This module seeks to provide a critical understanding of important aspects of international and domestic arbitrations. It explores the characteristics of arbitration and discusses its operation in various international fore. The main focus of this module is on arbitration on the international context, but reference is also made to domestic arbitration.

  
   
• Civil Liberties and Human Rights

• Civil Liberties and Human Rights

  Civil liberties and human rights are important and complex aspects of legal knowledge, particularly when representing vulnerable clients or interacting with the legal system.

  This module takes a theoretical and analytical approach from the outset, with analysis of:

  • the mechanics of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights which underpin the domestic law;
  • the absolute rights in articles 2 and 3;
  • due process in articles 5 and 6; and
  • prisoners rights, freedom of expression, freedom of association, the right to private and family life, freedom of thought, conscience and religion and freedom from discrimination.
  
   
• Civil Procedure

• Civil Procedure

  This module is an introduction to the process of civil procedure and litigation. You will need to be aware of the English Legal System and be able to undertake practical case management utilising core knowledge in the areas of contract and tort law.

  You will become familiar with the Civil Procedure Rules and their application to a particular legal dispute, and also appreciate the overlap between litigation and other forms of dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration.

  
   
• Company Law

• Company Law

  This module looks at:

  • the potential problems posed as a result of the extensive power wielded by those in control of large companies; and
  • ways in which society can control this.

  It aims to provide you with the opportunities to analyse the ways in which English law imposes liability on companies and an understanding of how a business might be run, including the identification of any potential problems.

  
   
• EU Competition Law

• EU Competition Law

  Legal enforcement of competition policy has been an important part of European Union law since 1957 and it remains a significant and rapidly developing area of regulation.
  
  The module will cover the four major areas of European Union competition law:

  • the prohibition of Collusion between Undertakings (Article 101 TFEU (ex Article 81 EC));
  • the prohibition of Abuse of a Dominant Position (Article 102 TFEU (ex Article 82 EC));and
  • Mergers;
  • State Aids (Article 107 TFEU (ex Article 87 EC)).

  It also looks at the enforcement of European Union competition law by the Commission and the National Competition Authorities.

  
   
• Environmental Law and Regulation

• Environmental Law and Regulation

  This module is an introduction to environmental law and regulation for lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It covers:

  • the basic law on the protection of the environment;
  • a more in-depth consideration of the legal and institutional framework within which environmental regulation is achieved; and 
  • the ways in which particular issues of environmental importance are addressed.
  
   
• European Union Environmental Law

• European Union Environmental Law

  This module examines the environmental policy and regulation of the European Union. It looks at:

  • issues concerning the competence and powers of EU institutions with regard to the protection of the environment;
  • the application and implementation of EU legislation, both at European and national level;
  • specific fields of EU legislation – such as air and water pollution, waste management, and the sustainable use of natural resources; and
  • the effectiveness of the EU environmental policy, and in particular the use of economic instruments based on market concepts, with respect to the protection of the environment.
  
   
• EU Immigration Law

• EU Immigration Law

  This module examines the EU law on the control of immigration. It achieves this through analysis of the regulatory framework surrounding entry and stay within the EU and the freedom of movement provisions in EU Law.  It also provides insight into the evolution of related legislation and raises issues surrounding the third pillar of EU provisions.

  
   
• Evidence and Arbitral Awards

• Evidence and Arbitral Awards

  This module provides detailed and systematic knowledge and understanding of the nature and forms of civil evidence. It explores the various techniques required in the assessment of evidence, and in the analysis and drafting needed to prepare and write arbitral awards.

  
   
• Family Mediation

• Family Mediation

  This module covers the various theoretical, practical and legal aspects of the mediation process in relation to the resolution of familial disputes.

  
   
• Individual Employment Law

• Individual Employment Law

  This module deals with the formation, content and day-to-day operation of the employment relationship, examining:

  • the way in which rights arise; and
  • how the law intervenes to regulate the relationship between employers and workers. 

  As well as considering contractual principles in depth, the module also involves consideration of equality and discrimination law, which pervades the employment relationship from the point of recruitment to post-employment discrimination and victimisation. The legal implications of different forms of employment relationship are also explored in detail.

  
   
• Insolvency Law

• Insolvency Law

  This module is concerned with the legal rules, policy and theoretical underpinnings that exist to deal with insolvent juristic and natural persons. It critically examines:

  • the corporate insolvency regimes (administration, company voluntary arrangements, schemes of arrangement) that facilitate rescue of the juristic person;
  • other avenues (liquidation, receivership, informal arrangements); and 
  • the procedures that exist for natural persons (bankruptcy, individual voluntary arrangements, debt relief orders). 

  The relative use of each procedure, relevant case law and statute and academic and practitioner comment is examined so as to position each procedure in its relevant practical context.

  
   
• International Economic Law

• International Economic Law

  This module examines the role of the principal institutions and structures of international economic law. The focus is on the IMF, World Bank and WTO in advancing normative solutions to the changing dynamics of international economic relations. More specifically, against the background of globalization and the 'rule of law' framework increasingly favoured by the advocates of liberalisation, it examines the basic tenets advanced by these institutions.

  In particular, the module addresses the overall intellectual and theoretical bases of these institutions, presenting theories of liberalism and discussing:

  • the efficacy of free market systems;
  • the historical reasons for their genesis;
  • the implicit economic justifications for their functions; and
  • their legal/regulatory structures.

  It also assesses the de facto functioning of the institutions of international economic law, as opposed to their de jure justification.

  
   
• International Environmental Law and Sustainability

• International Environmental Law and Sustainability

  This module provides you with an overview of the issues concerning environmental protection and regulation at the international level. It examines the fundamental legal principles and rules incorporated in international agreements, and assess their application and implementation. The role of international organisations and the law-making mechanisms at the international level are also assessed. This module also examines matters of contemporary importance related to the environment, such as climate change, pollution, biodiversity and sustainable development. The concept of sustainability as a policy consideration, and its actual application towards the protection of the environment, is also evaluated.

  
   
• International Law and Economic Development

• International Law and Economic Development

  This module critically evaluates the role of the principal institutions and structures of international economic law. The focus is on the IMF, World Bank and WTO in advancing normative solutions to the changing dynamics of international economic relations. More specifically, it examines their significance for the formulation of policies and choice of development measures and instruments of interest to developing countries.

  Emphasis will be given to the concept of sustainable development as a development paradigm, and to the legal, political, economic and environmental consequences of globalisation on the process of development. Although the module will focus on legal issues, consideration of the economic and political dimensions of these will be addressed, such as the right to 'development' and the role of international institutions in framing and promoting development.

  
   
• International Sale of Goods and E-Commerce

• International Sale of Goods and E-Commerce

  This module examines the UK law on the international sale of goods, including an introduction to the UK and EU laws applied to online trading. It achieves this through analysis of pre-contractual issues as well as actual formation of contracts and relevant trade terms, as related to international and electronic commerce.

  It also provides insight into the evolution of related legislation and raises issues surrounding terms and conditions of sale, website management, electronic fund transfers and data privacy.

  
   
• Labour Law in the Global Economy

• Labour Law in the Global Economy

  This module examines the regulation of collective labour relations between management and trade unions in the context of English law and international labour standards. This involves analysis of the development of collective institutions and procedures for the governance of labour relations at national and international levels.

  The study of labour law in a global context will be informed by policy debate on the effectiveness of enforcement of essential labour rights in a competitive economy.

  
   
• Law of International Trade

• Law of International Trade

  This module examines:

  • different types of international sales contracts;
  • the requisite transportation documents; and
  • ways of financing the sales contracts.

  The module also covers:

  • the arrangements for the carriage of goods by sea;
  • the carrier's liabilities for any loss or damage to the goods; and
  • the importance of the insurance contracts when goods are lost or damaged.
  
   
• Legal Aspects of Business Finance

• Legal Aspects of Business Finance

  This module aims to provide an understanding of the methods, available to businesses, of raising finance and looks at the financial consequences of different business forms.  

  
   
• Migration Theory, Policy and Legal Practice

• Migration Theory, Policy and Legal Practice

  This module examines the theory policy and practice of UK Immigration Law. It achieves this through analysis of theoretical presuppositions and analysis of 'migration' and 'law' at a socio-theoretical level and then traces these concerns through the process of policy development and the practice of the administration of immigration claims.

  
   
• Refugee Law and Forced Migration

• Refugee Law and Forced Migration

  This module examines the law relating to refugee status, including an introduction to the UK, EU and other major international jurisdiction's decisions relating to the awarding of refugee status. It achieves this through analysis of the Refugee Convention 1951 as the leading international document defining refugee status and through the interpretation of this document in signatory states.

  It also provides insight into the evolution of related legislation and raises issues surrounding the provision of humanitarian protection in general.  It locates 'refugeehood' within a wider context of 'forced migration'.

  
   
• Termination of Employment

• Termination of Employment

  This module explores the common law and statutory provisions relating to the termination of the contract of employment. The provisions will be considered within the context of a job security and flexibility framework. The module will also cover the ways of resolving disputes leading to termination, including the work of ACAS.

  
   
• The Single European Market

• The Single European Market

  This module explores the harmonisation, standardisation and liberalisation of trade in the Internal Market in the European Union. It covers the common external tariff, the foundational freedoms and harmonisation initiatives across the market in conjunction with the development of European integration. The module also considers the constitutional and social implications of economic law in the single European market.

  
   
• UK Immigration Law

• UK Immigration Law

  This module examines the UK law on the control of immigration. It achieves this through analysis of the regulatory framework surrounding entry and stay within the UK. It also provides insight into the evolution of related legislation and raises issues surrounding deportation and removal from within these relevant national borders.

  
   

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