Alastair Hudson, Understanding Company Law

Author
DOI10.3366/elr.2018.0470
Published date01 January 2018
Date01 January 2018
Pages166-167

Many law students arrive at university with the perception that company law is dry, technical and somewhat dull. Fortunately, however, Professor Hudson's Understanding Company Law helps to dispel any such notions. The second edition has now been published and the work remains a provocative and stimulating introduction to the subject. Since the first edition was published in 2012 company law has witnessed various developments and many of these are considered in the new edition, including the Supreme Court case of Prest v Petrodel Resources Ltd [2013] UKSC 34, in which the law of piercing the corporate veil was re-evaluated, and the UK Corporate Governance Code of 2016.

Much of the book covers traditional company law territory, such as the nature and legal structures of modern companies, the rights of shareholders and the duties of directors. Yet Hudson provides thoughtful analysis and criticism of the current law. This reaches a climax in the final chapters, which consider corporate social responsibility and the place of company law in wider capitalist society. In his critique of the law, the author adheres to a position on the left of the political spectrum. In fact, the author acknowledges (in the second edition) the leading Labour party figures John McDonnell and Rebecca Long Bailey for rekindling his interest in the subject. It is unusual for an account of company law to be so overtly political but, in...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT