Corporate Finance I
There are many contexts in which lawyers need an understanding of finance. For example, many of the disputes that give rise to litigation center on the financial valuation of firms and the securities they issue. In addition, an understanding of firms' capital structures and the design of corporate securities is necessary in analyzing many legal issues, especially those arising in corporate transactions, executive compensation, and bankruptcy proceedings. This course is designed to provide students with a rigorous conceptual understanding of finance and to give students the analytical tools needed to make financial decisions and value financial securities. The course stresses problem solving and includes problem sets, cases, and a midterm and final examination. The course is designed to be accessible to students with a fairly limited mathematical background. In general we will not assume any knowledge of mathematics beyond high-school algebra. Special instructions: This course is not open to JD/MBA students or students with substantial prior background in finance.