Program Overview

Course Overview

The Special Topic: Mergers & AcquisitionsLAWS 367 course is offered by the School of Law at Victoria University of Wellington. This course introduces students to mergers and acquisitions, focusing on public market transactions. It applies legal principles to achieve commercial objectives, discussing commercial and strategic perspectives alongside legal matters.

Course Details

• Course Code: LAWS 367
• Duration: Approximately 150 hours or 8.8 hours per week for 17 weeks
• Points: 15 points
• Entry Restrictions:
  • Prerequisites: LAWS 211-214, LAWS 301
  • Corequisites: None
  • Restrictions: None

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

• Identify, understand, and interpret the practical consequences of key issues in M & A transactions
• Understand the mechanics of takeover offers under the Takeovers Code and Scheme of Arrangement under the Companies Act
• Formulate arguments as to the application of core concepts, such as association, defensive tactics, and interest class composition
• Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different transaction structures
• Critique different approaches to issues that arise in the course of a transaction

How This Course is Taught

The course is optimized for in-person learning with recordings available.

Assessment

• Take-home test (approximately 1,200 words): 35%
• Take-home test (approximately 1,500 words): 55%
• Participation (class participation): 10%

Mandatory Requirements

To pass this course, students must:

• Seriously attempt all assessment
• Obtain a minimum of 40% in each piece of assessment
• Achieve an overall pass mark of at least 50%

Lecture Times and Rooms

Lectures are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30 am at the Pipitea campus.

What You'll Need to Get

No specific texts or equipment are required for this course.

Taught By

The course is taught by the School of Law, Faculty of Law, with instructors including Mark Cunliffe and Claire Tay.