International legal english

F Legallatin Unit 2 A Introduction to A Company formation Writing 0 Key terms: Roles in company company law B Forming a business A letter of advice management Company law: B A memo

Second edition

TRU~G TA.M THONG TIN THU TRUONG £)AI HOC LU~T PHONG MUON'

Amy Krois-Lindner

and

TransLegal®

Who is ILE for?

International Legal English Second edition (lLE) is an

upper-intermediate to advanced-level course for learners who

need to be able to use English in.the legal profession The

course is intended for law students and practising lawyers alike

The book has been written to prepare candidates for the

International Legal English Certificate (ILEG) examination

developed by Cambridge ESOL and TransLegal, but it can also be

used effectively in legal English courses of all kinds ILE is

suitable for both self-study and classroom use

What kind of legal English does

it deal with?

Since the vast majority of practising lawyers in the world deal

with commercial law, ILE focuses on the use of English for this

purpose Within the field of commercial law, a number of

important topics (such as company law, contract law, intellectual

property, real property law, employment law and sale of goods, to

name a few) have been selected as the legal subject matter of

the units Particular emphasis is placed on the areas of company

law and contracts - with three units dedicated to each - as the

majority of commercial lawyers practise in these areas

The authors of ILE are well aware that most students using the

book need to be able to provide advice regarding their own legal

system in English as opposed to mastering US or UK legal

concepts Thus, while the legal concepts introduced in this book

are those found in the legal systems of the UK and the USA, it

also includes texts about legal matters in other countries and

legal systems It is important to emphasise that nearly all of the

legal concepts covered are found in legal systems and

jurisdictions the world over Since many of the tasks encourage

you to compare aspects of the law in your own jurisdiction with

those presented in the book, an international perspective is

fostered This second edition includes a new unit called

Transnational commercial law, as this term has increasingly been

accepted by the legal community It is an area of law which

focuses on the complex issues that international business

lawyers deal with in English on a daily basis

law vs language

It is important to bear in mind that ILE is intended to help law

students and lawyers learn English in a legal context and to

prepare for the ILEC exam Therefore, ILE should only be used for

the purpose of learning legal English and should not be relied

upon for legal advice or assistance in the practice of law

How is ILE organised?

ILE consists of 16 units

Unit 1 gives you an introduction to basic legal concepts in

English, with a focus on general aspects of the legal system as

well as specific matters connected with a career in the law

Units 2-16 each deal with a different area of commercial law

Each unit begins with a reading text which provides you with an overview of the topic area in question These overview texts introduce crucial legal concepts while presenting a variety of relevant vocabulary in the topic area The main concepts covered

in this text appear in bold, meaning that they appear in the Glossary booklet In the main body of each unit, there are various types of authentic text material of the kind commonly

encountered by practising lawyers in their work These texts, both written and spoken, are accompanied by a wide range of tasks, all designed to build the core skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking

At the end of each unit, there is a link to an online task which is intended to improve your online legal English research skills Each of the 16 tasks presents an authentic language problem that a commercial lawyer may encounter while at work You are then shown a research strategy, using the Internet, that leads you

to a solution to the problem

The final part of each unit is the Language focus section, which contains exercises on the vocabulary and language topics covered in the unit This section offers an opportunity to consolidate the language work done in the unit_

Interspersed at intervals through the book, there are six legal case studies based on actual cases, featuring text material of the kind lawyers need to consult when preparing a case This edition includes three new case studies which have an international focus The purpose of these case studies is to provide an opportunity to apply the language skills developed in the main units to authentic communicative tasks

Following the main units, there is an Exam focus section, which explains what kinds of task appear in the ILEC exam (See How does the course help you to prepare for ILEe? on

the next page.) At the back of the book, you will find the Audio transcripts of all the listening exercises, as well as the Answer key to the exercises There is also an index to help you find your way around the book and a separate Glossary booklet containing all the legal terms which appear in bold in the units

What are the aims of the course?

o To improve your ability to write common legal text types in English, such as letters or memoranda

o To improve your ability to read and understand legal texts, such as legal periodicals, commercial legislation, legal correspondence and other commercial-law documents

o To increase your comprehension of spoken English when it is used to speak about legal topics in meetings, presentations, interviews, discuSsions, etc

o To strengthen your speaking skills and to enable you to engage more effectively in a range of speaking situations typical of legal practice, such as client interviews, discussions with colleagues and contract negotiations

o To familiarise you with the kinds of task you will encounter

in the ILEC examination and improve your performance on these tasks

o To introduce you to some of the language-related aspects of the work of a comm6rciallawyer

~

How does the course achieve aims?

To achieve these aims, the course focuses on several aspects of

legal English at the same time These aspects include

1) the analysis and production of authentic legal texts,

2) language functions common to legal texts, and 3) vocabulary

learning that goes beyond mere terminology acquisition, and

which takes larger chunks of language into account

The written and spoken texts in each unit have been chosen to

represent a wide range of text types in use in legal contexts These

include texts which lawyers have to produce, read or listen to, such

as letters of advice, proposals, client interviews or presentations

In each unit, the typical structure of a text type is analysed and the

text type broken down into its constituent parts You are

encouraged to identify these parts, and to recognise the language

functions typically used in each of these parts of a text (The term

'language function' refers to phrases which express a specific

meaning in a text; for example, the language function of

'suggesting' can be expressed with phrases like I'd

recommend or Why don't you ?) The result is a kind of

template of a common legal text type Equipped with this template

and with useful language functions, you are then given the

opportunity to produce such a text, for example by writing a letter

or email, by taking part in a role-play interview, or by discussing a

legal issue

While a selection of legal terminology in each legal topic area is

presented in every unit, mastering legal English requires more

than simply improving your knowledge of speCialised vocabulary

For this reason, every unit includes exercises that focus on larger

chunks of language, common phrases and word combinations

that are not specialised legal terms, but which are necessary for

successful communication

What is the ILEC exam?

The International Legal English Certificate Examination (ILEC) is

the world's first and only internationally recognised test of legal

English ILEC has been developed to test the ability of lawyers to

use English for professional purposes It is a test of language,

and not a test of legal knowledge The examination is a product

of the collaboration of TransLegal, Europe's leading firm of

lawyer-linguists, and Cambridge ESOL, producer of the world's

leading certificates in English

The ILEC examination is primarily intended for law students and

young lawyers at the beginning of their legal careers It provides

legal employers with an accurate means of assessing the legal

English skills of job applicants, while offering law students and

young lawyers a means of proving their legal English skills to

prospective employers The ILEC certificate is recognised by

leading law firms, university law faculties, language centres,

lawyer associati0l)s and government employers

For more information about the ILEC exam, viSit

www.legalenglishtest.org

For more information about TransLegal, visit www.translegal.com

How does the course help you to

prepare for ILEC?

ILE offers thorough and systematic preparation for the ILEC exam

The topic areas in commercial law featured in the units are all

topic areas to be found in the ILEe exam Thus you are given the

opportunity to become familiar with important subject-specific vocabulary As the texts in the book represent the kinds of text that are found in the exam, you will be well prepared to deal with the texts in the actual exam Furthermore, since some of the exercises in the book are modelled on the tasks found in the ILEC exam, you can become familiar with these tasks Beyond this, all

of the exercises in the book are intended to strengthen the fundamental language skills you need to succeed in the exam The Exam focus section of the book is specifically intended to prepare you for the exam This section covers each of the four parts of the ILEC examination Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking - and introduces the individual exam tasks in detail An example of each task is provided, along with a complete explanation of what the candidate is expected to do, what skills the task in question is designed to test, as well as what the candidate should bear in mind while worldng on each task These tips are intended to help you avoid common pitfalls and improve your performance in the exam

Finally, this second edition includes a new ILEC practice test The practice test which appeared in the first edition can be found online at www.cambridge.orgleltjile2 These sample papers offer you the opportunity to test your legal English skills and to prepare for the exam by simulating the test experience

How can ILE be used for seLf-study?

If you are using the book for self-study how you proceed through the book will depend on your goals and the amount of time and effort you wish to devote to the study of legal English

If you wish to improve your command of legal English for general work or study-related purposes and are willing to devote several weeks of concentrated study to the task, it is recommended that you proceed through the book from beginning to end

However, if you are planning to take the ILEC examination and would like to improve your legal English more quickly, you should work through the Exam focus section first in order to get an idea

of the requirements of the exam You can then consult the contents grid on pages v-vii to locate the topics, tasks and skills you need to work on

Whatever your goals might be, bear in mind that the Glossary booklet and the Answer key are provided to help make your self­study easier Note that sample answers for all of the writing tasks are provided and that legal terms found in the Glossary booklet appear in bold throughout the book

Naturally, the speaking tasks will be more difficult to carry out when you are working through the course on your own However, when given the task of preparing a presentation, it is a good idea -to prepare and to hold the presentation You may be able to find

an audience to listen to you and offer constructive criticism If possible, record yourself giving the presentation and listen back

to it, noting areas for improvement Discussion activities and role­plays pose an even greater challenge when you are working on the course on your own However, you should not miss them out altogether Look at the discussion activity and decide what you would say in this discussion Say your ideas aloud Then try to think what an opposing view might be and say this aloud as well Pay close attention when listening to the discussions on the CD

to how people offer opinions, agree and disagree Practise these phrases aloud Of course the ideal solution is to ask a friend or colleague to discuss these questions with you Above all enjoy

using ILE!

TransLegal@)

www.translegal.com

TransLegal is Europe's leading firm of lawyer-linguists,

providing the legal community with:

o online legal English courses;

o online legal English testing;

o online legal English dictionary;

o online legal language resources;

o live legal English courses and seminars;

o translations of legal and commercial documents;

o legal language consultancy services

TransLegal has collaborated with Cambridge ESOL, a

division of the University of cambridge, in the development

of the Cambridge ILEC examination, the world's only

internationally recognised test of legal English

For more information about TransLegal and for online legal

language resources, visit www.translegal.com

Author acknowledgements

Robert N Houser (Contributing Author

and lawyer-Linguist, Translegal)

I would like to extend my gratitude to all my colleagues at

TransLegal who have assisted in many ways in writing this second

edition and the first edition Particular thanks are due to Peter

Dahlen and Randy Sklaver for authoring material for the

Intellectual property unit, and Robin Bernstein and William Yeago,

whose valuable insights and dedication over many years are a

part of this book

I would also like to thank Michael Lindner and the other partners

at TransLegal for giving me the opportunity to work with

cambridge University Press on this most fulfilling project

Finally, my warmest appreciation to Helena, Lukas and Liv Houser

for their patience, understanding and generous love during my

work on both editions of this book

Publisher'S acknowledgements

The authors and publishers would like to thank the teachers

whose comments have helped in the development of this new

edition: Jeremy Day, Matt Firth, Maria Lombardi, Andrew Nathan,

Sarah Porch and Alison Wiebalck

The authors and publishers would also like to thank once again

the teachers whose comments helped shape the first edition:

Dorthe G.A Engelhardt, Monica Hoogstad, Michael Thompson, Jill

Northcutt and caroline Hare; Melissa Good, who provided

guidance on the law content of the book throughout the project;

Craig Duncan, who reviewed the online tasks at their initial

stages; and Matt Firth and John Kokko for their tremendous work

on the online tasks

Amy Krois-Lindner

Amy Krois-Lindner has taught language competence at the English Department of the University of Vienna for many years She teaches English for Special Purposes and academic writing and is also a teacher-trainer In addition, she has played a role in the development of a departmental ESP module with certification and has been involved in the curriculum development of several ESP courses at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences and the Vienna University ofTechnology

Thanks are due to editor catriona Watson-Brown for her excellent work I am also grateful to Annie Broadhead and Joanna Kosta for their valuable assistance with the Exam focus section, and to Joanne Robinson for working hard to obtain permiSSion for the texts used in the book

Many thanks are due to my children, Fabio, Linus and Chiara, and to Martin Bruno for his love and unfailing support

This new edition is dedicated to June Lindner and to the loving memory of George Lindner, my personal proofreader and coach

on the first edition

I

Speaking Unit 1 A Bodies of law A Documents in court Speaking

B The adversarial and B Lawyers A Explaining what a law The praetice of law inquisitorial systems C Legal education says

page 8 C Types of law D Law-firm structure B Civll-court systems

D Types of court E Practice areas C Legal education : E Persons in court F Law-firm culture o Describing a law firm F Legallatin

Unit 2 A Introduction to A Company formation Writing 0 Key terms: Roles in company

company law B Forming a business A letter of advice management Company law: B A memorandum of in the UK 0 Language use: Shall and may

company formation association Speaking 0 Text analysis: A letter of advice and management C Russian entity An informal presentation:

D Corporate governance :

Unit 2 language focus page 32

company B Plain language Summarising 0 Language use A: Contrasting

capitalisation B Shareholders and Speaking 0 Language use B: Common page 34 supervisory boards Paraphrasing and collocations (verb plus noun)

C New legislation - share expressing opinions 0 Text analysis: Understanding

I Unit 3 language focus page 46

changes in aspects of an Standard phrases for In company law Company law: companies acquisition opening and closing 0 Text analysis: Beginning a fundamental B SpilHlffS B A checklist letters and emaifs presentation

changes In a C The minutes of a

I: Language use A: Explaining a

page 48 D Shareholder rights Presenting a spin-off Language use B: Collocations

Unit 4 language focus page 60

Case study 1: Company law page 62

contract formation B Contract negotiation A An informative memo contract formation Cotrtraets: contraet BAcovenant B Adapting a contract 0 Text analysis: Understanding

0 Language use C: Adverbs

Unit 5 Language focus page 76

contract remedies B Remedies Follow-up 0 Language use A: Talking about Contraets: remedies B Liquidated damages correspondence to a court actions and rulings

D Types of breach Speaking o Text analysis: Initial interview

and developing an 0 Language use A: Nouns ending

Speakingcontract cia uses

assignment and B A closing argument 0 Language use B: Verb + -jng

10 Language use D: Informal style

Unit 7 Language focus page 106

o Key terms: Employment

A Introduction to A An employment WritingUnit 8

employment law A Attachments and o Language use A: Expressing an Employment law

advantages and 0 Language use B: Participle

an email disadvantages in

Speaking Agreeing and disagreeing

I Unit 8 Language focus page 120

Writing and Speaking

A Introduction to sale of A Legal writing 0 Key terms: Sale of goodsUnit 9

goods legislation Presenting a case brief 0 Language use A: Terms and Sale of goods

seminar on drafting

page 122

clauses

o Text analysis: A case brief

0 Language use B: Talking about corresponding laws and institutions

B A case brief

Unit 9 Language focus page 132

Case study 3: Contract law page 134

A Introduction to A Easements Writing o Key terms: Pa rties referred toUnit 10

property law B Buying a house in A Describing a firm's in real property lawReal property law B A law firm's practice Spain practice areas 0 Language use A: Contrasting

areas

C Understanding a requesting 0 Language use B: Classifying

Unit 10 Language focus page 148

A Introduction to A Training of junior Writing o Key terms: Intellectual propertyUnit 11

intellectual property lawyers Notes for a case brief o Text analysis: DiscourseIntellectual property B The State Street case B Discussing issues ­ markers as sentence openers

Writing and Speaking , page 150 C Business method copyright and fair

Paraphrasing in plainuse

D Trade-mark statutes

iSpeaking

i

i Phrases for discussions

Unit 11' " n n " " ' " focus page 162

Case study 4: Intellectual property law page 164

i

- -­

I

•Writing and language

Listening Reading

Speaking

A Introeuction toUnit 12

negotiable Negotiable instruments

instruments B A promissory note

page 166 C Legislation governing

electronic negotiable instruments

Unit 12 language focus page 176

A Introduction toUnit 13

secured transactions Secured transactions B A security agreement

page 178 C A seminar on revised

legislation

o An internal email

E An unsettled area of the law

A Drafting a promissory note

B Advice from a senior partner

Writing

A Summarising requirements

B Providing advice and

Writing

A Creating a security

A pOlite refusalinterest

B Intellectual property

Speaking

in secured

Requesting andtransactions

0 Key terms: Comparing and contrasting concepts

0 Language use A: Anticipating events and planning contingencies

0 Text analysis: Formality / Adverb-verb collocations

0 Language use B: Requesting information

Unit 13 language focus page 190

A Introduction toUnit 14

B Statutes governing page 192 attachment

C A career as an insolvency practitioner

o Job opportunities in insolvency

E Making a case

I

! Unit 14 language focus page 204

A Protecting assets from judicial liens

Case stu y 5: Transnationa inso veney aw page 206

Unit 15 A Introduction to A Advising on

competition law competition law Competition law B Anti-competitive risks

page 208 activities and B Merger control

antitrust measures

C A cartel case in China

o Report on changes in merger regulation

Unit 15 language focus page 220

Unit 16 A Introduction to A Drafting arbitration

transnational clauses Transnational commercial law B A cross-border

commercial law B Conflict of laws in dispute

page 222 private international

B A proposal

C An informative email

Speaking Giving opinions: a competition-law case

Writing

A Planning the contents and structure of a letter

Key terms: Terms from transnational commercial law : Text analysis: Cohesion

Unit 16 language focus page 232

Case study 6: Transnational commercial law page 234

Exam focus page 236 Role cards page 301

ILEC practice test page 258 Answer key page 303

Audio transcripts page 278 Index page 331

1

PART I: THE LEGAL SYSTEM

1.1 Read the excerpts below from the course catalogue of a British university's

summer-school programme in law and answer these questions

1.2 Match these bodies of law (1-3) with their definitions (a-c)

1 civil law a area of the law which deals with crimes and their punishments,

2 common law including fines and/or imprisonment (also penal law)

3 criminal law b 1) legal system developed from Roman codified law,

established by a state for its regulation; 2) area of the law concerned with non-criminal matters, rights and remedies

c legal system which is the foundation of the legal systems of most of the English-speaking countries of the world, based

on customs, usage and court decisions (also case law,

judge-made law) 1.3 Complete the text on the next page contrasting civil law, common law and criminal

law using the words in the box

LAW 121: Introduction to English law

This course provides a general overview of

English law and the common-law system The

course will look at the sources of law and the

law-making process, as well as at the justice

system in England Students will be introduced to

selected areas of English law, such as criminal

law, contract law and the law of torts The

relationship between the English common law

and EC law will also be covered

The course is designed for those international

students who will be studying at English universi­

ties later in the academic year Other students

with an interest in the subject are also welcome

to attend, as the contact points between English

law and civil law are numerous The seminars and

all course materials are in English

LAW 221: Introduction to civil law More individuals in the world solve their legal problems in the framework of what is called the civil-law system than in the Anglo-Saxon case-law system This course will introduce students to the legal systems of Westem Europe that have most influenced the civil-law legal systems in the world It aims to give students an insight into a system based on the superiority of written law The course will cover the application and development of Roman law in Europe to the making of national codes all over the world The course is intended to prepare students wh are going to study in a European university for th different approaches to law that they are likely to face in their year abroad

based on bound by codified custom disputes legislation

non-criminal precedents provisions rulings

derived from fundamental normative principles Legal 2)

reference to this code, which has been arrived at through 3)

4) the written law and its In contrast, common law was originally developed through 6) ,

before laws were written down Common law is based on 7}

judicial decisions, which means that past 8}

9} ,

to the body of law dealing with 10}

1.4 Which body of law is the basis of the legal system of your jurisdiction?

Reading B: The adversarial and inquisitorial systems

Afurther difference between the civil-law system and the common-law system lies in the

way proceedings are conducted

2.1 Read the text below comparing the two systems and answer these questions

1

2

3

with the adversarial system used in

In the inquisitorial system, the presiding judge is not a passive recipient of information Rather, he or

she is primarily responsible for supervising the gathering of the evidence necessary to resolve the case

He or she actively steers the search for evidence and questions the witnesses, including the respondent or

defendant Attorneys playa more passive role, suggesting routes of inquiry for the presiding judge and

following the judge's questioning with questioning of their own Attorney questioning is often brief because

the judge tries to ask all relevant questions The goal of both the adversarial system and the inquisitorial

system is to find the truth But the adversarial system seeks the truth by pitting the parties against each other

in the hope that competition will reveal it, whereas the inquisitorial system seeks the truth by questioning

those most familiar with the events in dispute The adversarial system places a premium on the individual

rights of the accused, whereas the inquisitorial system places the rights of the accused secondary to the

search for truth

2.2 Underline the verbs in the text above that appear with the nouns below (1-3) Then

combine the verbs in the box with the three nouns to make word partnerships Some

of the verbs go with more than one noun

1 evidence 2 testimony 3 arguments

2.3 Make sentences about the role of the judge in the inquiSitorial system and the role of

the attorney in the adversarial system using some of the verb-noun collocations from

Exercise 2.2

0

Reading C: Types of Law <

11 , The new EU Working Hours Directive is

When a statute is plain and unambiguous, the reported to be causing controversy amongst court must give effect to the intention of the the medical profession legislature as expressed, rather than detenl1ine

what the law should or should not be

3

4 The purpose of this Ordinance' is to

These workplace safety and health regulate traffic upon the Streets and Public

regulations are designed to prevent

Places in the Town of HanviUe New

personal injuries and illnesses from Hampshire, for the promotion of the safety

occurring in the workplace.

and welfare of the public

5

Mr Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to present the Dog Control Amendment Bill to the House It is a further milestone in meeting the changing expectations we have about what is responsible dog ownership

l(UK) by-Iaw/bye·law

b local government document d parliamentary speech

3.2 Find words in the extracts in Exercise 3.1 which match these definitions

1 rules issued by a government agency to carry out the intent of the law; authorised

by a statute, and generally providing more detail on a subject than the statute

2 law enacted by a town, city or county government

3 draft document before it is made into law

4 legal device used by the European Union to establish policies at the European level

3.3 Complete the sentences below using the words in the box

bill directive ordinance regulations statutes

1 The Town Council will conduct a public hearing regarding a proposed - concerning property tax

2 According to the _concerning working time, overtime work is work which is officially ordered in excess of 40 hours in a working week or in excess of eight hours a day

3 Early this year, the government introduced a new on electronic commerce

to Parliament

4 A number of changes have been made to the federal governing the seizing

of computers and the gathering of electronic evidence

5 The European Union on Data Protection established legal principles aimed

at protecting personal data privacy and the free flow of data

Speaking A: Explaining what a law says

There are several ways to refer to what a law says Look at these sentences:

These verbs can also be

The Jaw states / sets forth /

Choose a law in your jurisdiction that you are familiar with and explain what it says using

the verbs listed in the box above

Reading D: Types of court

Courts can be distinguished with regard to the type of cases they hear

Match each of these types of court (1-9) with the explanation of what happens

there (a-i)

1 appellate court (or court of a This is where a person under the age of 18 would be tried

appeals, appeals court) b This is the court of primary jurisdiction, where a case is

5 lower court (or court of first e This is where a case is reviewed which has already been

8 small-clalms court g This is where serious criminal cases are heard by a judge

h This is where a group of specially chosen people examine legal problems of a particular type, such as employment disputes

This is usually the highest court in a jurisdiction, the court of last resort

Speaking B: Civil-court systems

Work in small groups and discuss these questions

1 Describe the different types of court in your jurisdiction and the areas of law they

deal with

2 Select one type of court in your jurisdiction and explain what kinds of case it

deals with

Reading E: Persons in court

Complete this diagram with the words and definitions below (a-f)

public official who has

person who has specialised knowledge

of a particular subject who is called to testify in court

employee who takes records, files papers 6) ,

person who appeals a decision

a expert witness

b appellant2

c person who is sued in a civil lawsuit

d officer of the court whose duties include keeping order and assisting the judge

and jurors

e person who pleads cases in court

f hypothetical person who uses good judgment or common sense in handling

practical matters; such a person's actions are the guide in determining whether an

individual'S actions were reasonable

1 (US) usually plaintiff

2 (US) also petitioner

Listening A: Documents in court

8.1 ~~ Listen to a lawyer telling a client about some of the documents involved in his

case and answer these questions

8.2 Match these documents (1-9) with their definitionS (a-i)

the principal pleading by the defendant in response to a complaint

1 Since the 1999 refonn rules, the term claim fonn is used in the UK

8.3 ~ Listen again and tick the documents that the lawyer mentions

8.4 Match each verb used by the lawyer (1-5) with its definition (a-e)

3 to file a document with an authority order

4 to serve a document on someone b to produce a piece of writing or a plan that you

(or to serve someone with a document) intend to change later

5 to submit a document to an authority c to deliver a document formally for a decision to be

made by others

d to officially record something, especially in a court

of law

e to produce something official

8.5 Decide which of the documents in Exercise 8.2 can go with these verbs The first one

has been done for you

1 draft at1, ~tJI, t?riet tJI, c.o~luUl'Lt, tJI, VlWfiOI'L, tJI, fWi~

Readi ng F: Legal Latin

Lawyers use Latin words and expressions when writing legal texts of every kind, from

statutes to emails The excerpt below is from the legal document known as an 'answer'

It was submitted to the court by the defendant from listening A

9.1 Underline the common Latin words and phrases in the excerpt Do you know what

they mean?

cannot be determined whether the contract sued on is written, oral or implied

But LongCo is not a party to the Construction Contract Therefore LongCo cannot be

for its breach See e.g GSI Enterprises, Inc

9.2 Match each Latin word or expression (1-8) with its English equivalent and the

explanation of its use (a-h)

3 et cetera (etc.) b for example (used

4 exempli gratia (e.g.) c for this purpose

g by itself (often used after a noun to indicate the thing itself)

h that is (used to signal an explanation or paraphrase of a word preceding it)

9.3 Match each Latin term (1-10) with its English equivalent (a-j)

Listening B: Lawyers

10.1 ~~ Listen to this discussion between Javier, a Spanish student taking part in a

university's summer school programme in the UK, and Robert, an English student Match

the words to describe lawyers (1-5) with the definitions (a-c) and usage notes (d-f)

a general term for someone whose job is to give advice to people about the law

and speak for them in court

b more specific term for someone who is trained to prepare cases and give advice

on legal subjects and can represent people in lower courts

c more specific term for someone who is qualified to give specialist legal advice

and can argue a case in both higher and lower law courts

Usage notes

d mostly US term

e used in Scottish law

f mostly UK/Australian/Canadian term

10.2 Look up the terms counsel, counsellor and paralegal and their definitions and

usage Complete this table that Javier drew up after talking to Robert

counsel (Ye1'17) to '8ive Mviu,

10.3 Another type of lawyer found in many civil-law jurisdictions is called a notary Below is

a brief comparison of the civil-law notary with its US counterpart, the notary public,

which appeared on the website of a law firm Complete it using the verbs in the box

A notary in civil-law systems -notario in Spanish-speaking countries, notaire in French-speaking

countries, symvoulographos in Greece 1) a very different function than does a notary

public in the United States The civil-law notary is an attorney who has undergone special training

and performs the following three basic functions: 2) legal documents such as wills,

contracts and deeds; 3) legal instruments; and 4) as a public repository of legal

instr~ments By contrast, a notary public in the US need not be an attorney The functions of a US

notary public are basically to 5) oaths, 6) sworn statements and to 7) the

identity of a person who 8) a legal document

administer authenticating drafting executes performs

serving take verify

i

10.4 Discuss these questions

1 Does your native language have more than one word for lawyer? Do they

correspond to the different English words for lawyer mentioned on the

previous page? If not, how do the concepts differ?

2 What is each type of legal practitioner in your jurisdiction entitled to do?

3 What English term do you use to describe your job or the job you would like to do?

4 What legal services can a notary render in your jurisdiction?

10.5 Combine the nouns in the box with the verbs below (1-6) to make combinations to describe the work lawyers do Some of the verbs go with more than one noun

clients contracts corporations decisions law legislation

10.6 Choose three 'verb + noun' pairs from Exercise 10.5 and write sentences using them 10.7 Choose the words from the box which can be combined with the word lawyer to describe different types of lawyer Say what each one does

public sector sole tax trial

Listening C: Legal education

In English-speakin9 countries, the Bar is a term for the legal profeSSion itself, while a bar association is the association which regulates the profession Aperson who qualifies to practise law is admitted to the Bar; in the US, a law-school graduate must pass the

bar examination

You are going to hear a German law student speaking to a 9rouP of other students at a US

law school He describes the education and training a Law graduate must complete to enter the legal profession in Germany

11.1 ~~ Listen and decide whether these statements are true or false

1 In Germany, a student requires a university degree to study law

2 Attendance is obligatory at the introductory lectures at a German law faculty

3 German students of law learn to apply the relevant statutes to the cases they

11~i'Di;cu~ these questions

~j \;/:' J~.< " - : ,

lis legal edll<::~tiHri)\}.X~yncountry more simifar to the US or the German model?

·'Z.jllihatdoestbe.spealrer:JJiean by 'the Socratic method'? What do you think the advantages and disadvantages of using this method might be?

Describe the education of a lawyer in your country and include these points

• Prerequisites for studying law • Bar examination

• Main subjects covered at law school • Student clerkships

listening D: law-firm structure

13.1 '4~ A young British lawyer, Linus Walker, has applied for a position at a law firm

Listen to his job interview and answer these questions

2

3 What does Linus say

13.2 '4~ Listen again and complete this organigram of the firm using the words in the box

Associate Full partners M r Robertson Paralegal Real Property

Salaried lawyer

1) _ _ ,Mr Michaels Senior Partners

Ms Graham, Mr Nichols 2)

3) Secretary Debtor-Creditor Department

Speaking 0: Describing a law.firm

14.1 look at these phrases used by Mr Nichols to describe the firm in Listening D Which

can be used to speak of a department or company, and which of a person? Which

TRUNG TAM (HOr;11 is/are headed by is/are responsible for Uri G'"' H "'e

TR \.IN tJ~\; IV is/are assisted by is/are in charge of

PHOiVG . -.:C- ,­

;,

14.2 USing the phrases in Exercise 14.1, describe the structure of a law firm with which

you are familiar or the one just described in Listening D Refer to the pOSitions and

Listening E: Practice areas

15.1"f Listen to five lawyers talking about their firms, practice areas and clients Tick the information you hear about each speaker

Speaker 1

2 works as a clerk at a mid-size commercial law firm

3 will get to know other departments of the firm

5 plans to specialise in commercial litigation D

Speaker 2

1 is a sole practitioner

Speaker 3

1 works in the area of secured transactions D

3 assists clients who are in artistic professions D

4 serves as an expert witness in court

5 is a partner in a large IP firm

Speaker 4

1 is a senior partner in a mid-size law firm D

3 represents clients before the employment tribunal

4 deals with infringements of the Competition Act

5 has clients in the telecommunications sector D

Speaker 5

1 owns shares in his firm

2 argues cases in court

5 teaches courses on litigation at the law university D

15.2 Discuss these questions

1 Which kind of firm do you work in or would you like to work in?

2 Which areas of the law have you specialised in or would like to specialise in?

Listening F: law-firm cuLture

16.1 Read this excerpt from an article in a law-school newspaper about law-firm culture

Which type of firm would you prefer to work for? Why?

O

A small law firm, which typically engages

ne factor which plays an important from two to ten lawyers, is sometimes

role in the culture of a law finn is its known as a 'boutique firm', as it often

size Law firms can range from a one-person specialises in a specific area of the law A

solo practice (conducted by a sole practi­ mid~size law finn generally has ten to 50

tioner) to global finns employing hundreds lawyers, while a large law finn is considered

of attorneys all over the world to be one employing 50 or more attorneys

16.2 ~ You are going to hear Richard Bailey, a law student, talking to a group of first­

year law students at an orientation event at law school He tells them about his

experience as a clerk in different law firms Listen and answer these questions

16.3 ~ Listen again and tick the advantages of small and large law firms Richard

mentions In some cases, he says both types of firm have the same advantage

more autonomy and responsibility

opportunity to work on prestigious cases

chance to rotate through different practice areas

asked to write briefs and letters

allowed to conduct research and manage court books

opportunity to make many contacts

more training offered

made to feel part of a team

invited to participate in social events

•family-like atmosphere

made good use of time

I

16.4 Discuss these questions

:1 Do you have any experience working as a clerk in a law firm? In what ways was it

similar to or different from Richard's experience?

2 What kinds of tasks and responsibilities do clerks in your firm have?

3 Do you agree with the way Richard characterises small and large law firms?

Unit 1

To improve your web-based research skills, visit www.cambridge.orgteIVile2.click on Research

Tasks and choose Task 1

2

formation and management

Reading A: Introduction to company law

This text provides an introduction to the key terms used when talking about companies as legaL entities, how they are formed and how they are managed It also covers the legal duties

of company directors and the courts' role in policing them

Read the text below quickly, then match these phrases (a-f) with the paragraphs (1-6)

a directors' duties c company definition e partnership definition

1 A companyl is a business association which has the character of a legal person, distinct from its officers and shareholders This is significant, as it allows the

company to own property in its own name, continue perpetually despite changes in ownership, and insulate the owners against personal liability However, in some instances, for example when the company is used to perpetrate fraud or acts ultra vires, the court may 'lif12 the corporate veil' and subject the shareholders to

personal liability

2 By contrast, a partnership is a business association which, strictly speaking, is not considered to be a legal entity but, rather, merely an association of owners However, in order to avoid impractical results, such as the partnership being

precluded from owning property in its own name, certain rules of partnership law treat a partnership as if it were a legal entity Nonetheless, partners are not

insulated against personal liability, and the partnership may cease to exist if a change in ownership occurs, for example when one of the partners dies

3 A company is formed when a certificate of incorporation3 is issued by the

appropriate governmental authority A certificate of incorporation is issued when the constitutional documents of the company, together with statutory forms, have been filed and a filing fee has been paid The 'constitution' of a company consists

of two documents One, the memorandum of association4, states the objects of the company and the details of its authorised capital, otherwise known as the

nominal capital The second document, the articles of associatlon5, contains provisions for the internal management of the company, for example shareholders' annual general meetings6 , or AGMs, and extraordinary general meetings7, the board of directors, corporate contracts and loans

4 The management of a company is carried out by its officers, who include a

director, manager and/or company secretary A director is apPOinted to carry

out and control the day-to-day affairs of the company The structure, procedures and work of the board of directors, which as a body govern the company, are

determined by the company's articles of association A manager is delegated

1 (US) corporation 4 (US) articles of incorporation or certificate of incorporation

2 (US) pierce 5 (US) bylaws

3 (US) Generally no official certificate is issued; 6 (US) annual meetings of the shareholders

companies are formed when the articles/certificate 7 (US) special meetings of the shareholders

of incorporation are filed (see footnote 4),

supervisory control of the affairs of the company A manager's duties to the company

are generally more burdensome than those of the employees, who basically owe a duty

of confidentiality to the company A company's auditors are appointed at general

meetings The auditors do not owe a duty to the company as a legal entity, but, rather,

to the shareholders, to whom the auditor's report is addressed

5 The duties owed by directors to a company can be classified into two groups

The first is a duty of care and the second is a fiduciary duty The duty of care

requires that the directors must exercise the care of an ordinarily prudent and

diligent person under the relevant circumstances The fiduciary duty stems from

the position of trust and responsibility entrusted to directors This duty has many

aspects, but, broadly speaking, a director must act in the best interests of the

company and not for any collateral purpose However, the courts are generally

reluctant to interfere, provided the relevant act or omission involves no fraud,

illegality or conflict of interest

6 Finally, a company's state of health is reflected in its accounts1, including its

balance sheet and profit-and-loss account2• Healthy profits might lead to a

bonus or capitalisation issue'! to the shareholders On the other hand, continuous

losses may result in insolvency and the company going into liquidation

1

2 (US) profit-and-Ioss statement or income

3 (US) stock

Key terms: Roles in company management

2.1 Some of the important roles in company management are discussed in Reading A

above Which roles are mentioned?

2.2 Here is a more comprehensive list of roles in company management Match the roles

(1-10) with their definitions (a-j)

1 auditor a person appointed by a shareholder to attend and vote at a meeting in

2 company secretary his/her place when the shareholder is unable to attend

3 director b director responsible for the day-to-day operation of the company

4 liquidator c person elected by the shareholders to manage the company and decide

5 managing director its general policy

6 official receiver d person engaged in developing or taking the initiative to form a company

7 promoter (arranging capital, obtaining personnel, making arrangements for filing

9 receiver e person appointed by the company to examine the company's accounts

10 shareholder and to report to the shareholders annually on the accounts

f company's chief administrative officer, whose responsibilities include accounting and finance duties, personnel administration and

compliance with employment legislation, security of documentation, insurance and intellectual property rights

g member of the company by virtue of an acquisition of shares

h officer of the court who commonly a,cts as a liquidator of a company being wound up by the court

i person apPOinted by creditors to oversee the repayment of debts

j person appointed by a court, the company or its creditors to wind up the company's affairs

Listening A: Company formation

Lawyers play important roles in the formation of a company advising clients which entities

are most suited to their needs and ensuring that the proper documents are duly filed

You are going to hear a conversation between an American lawyer Ms Norris and her client

Mr Herzog The lawyer describes how a specific type of corporation is formed in the state of

8 organisational board resolutions

3.2 ~ Listen again and answer these questions

1 According to the lawyer, what is the advantage of incorporating an entity in the

state of Delaware?

2 What information is included in the articles of incorporation?

3 What happens at the first organisational meeting of a corporation?

3.3 Company types (USA) Look at this table, which provides information on the

documents required to form and operate the different company types in the United

States Based on what you heard in Exercise 3.1 which type of business association

was the lawyer discussing with her client?

US entities Documents required for formation and operation

general partnership General Partnership Agreement local filings if partnership holds real estate limited partnership Limited Partnership Certificate, Limited Partnership Agreement

Ccorporation Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Organisational Board Resolutions,

Stock Certificates, Stock Ledger Scorporation Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Organisational Board Resolutions,

Stock Certificates, Stock Ledger, IRS and State S corporation election

3.4 Company types (UK) The table on the next page contains information about five

types of common UK business aSSOCiations, covering the aspects of liability of

owners, capital contributions and management (In many jurisdictions in the world,

there are entities which share some or all of these characteristics.) Look at the table

and decide which entity (a-e) is being described in each row (1-5)

Unlimited personal liability for Business is managed by the sole

the obligations of the business sole proprietor proprietor

2) I Generally no personalliability of No minimum share capital Company is managed through

I the members for obligations of requirement However, capital its managing director or the

the business can be raised through the board of directors acting as a

issuance of shares to members whole

or through a guarantee

3) No personal liability; liability is The minimum share capital Company is managed by the

generally limited to shareholder of £50,000 is raised through board of directors; shareholders

contributions (Le consideration issuance of shares to the public have no power to participate in

for shares) and/or existing members management

4) Unlimited personal liability of Partners contribute money or The partners have equal

the general partners for the services to the partnership; they management rights, unless they

obligations of the business share profits and losses agree otherwise

5) Unlimited personal liability of General and limited partners The general partner manages

the general partners for the contribute money or services the business, subject to any

obligations of the business; to the limited partnership; they limitations of the Limited

limited partners generally have share profits and losses Partnership Agreement

no personal liability

Reading B: A memorandum of association

An important document in company formation is the memorandum of association [UK] or

articles/certificate of incorporation [USA) This document sets forth the objects of the

company and its capital structure; as such, it represents a legally binding declaration of

intent to which the members of the company must adhere

4.1 Below is an extract from the articles of incorporation of a US company Read through

the extract quickly and tick the issues it addresses

2 changing corporation bylaws

3 procedures for holding a vote of the shareholders

4 stipulations for keeping corporation records

4.2 Read the extract again and decide whether these statements are true or false

1 The board of directors only has the power to change the bylaws if the shareholders

in turn have the power to amend any changes made by the board of directors

2 The board of directors is proscribed at all times from changing any bylaw which

has been altered by a vote of the shareholders

3 Records must only be kept of decisions reached by shareholders and

directors in the course of a meeting

4 Records of the shareholders must list the number

of shares they own

4.3 For each of these words or phrases, find the italicised word(s) in the extract that

most closely matches its meaning

Language use: Shall and may

Read through the extract on page 23 again, noting how shall and may are used, and

answer these questions

1 Which of these words most closely matches the meaning of shall in each case?

2 What do you notice about the use of shall in line 6?

3 Which of these words most closely matches the meaning of may in the text?

to make offers (Shall I open the window?) or to refer to the future (I

shareholders

In everyday speech, this future meaning is commonly expressed using only the

present perfect ( until two years have expired )

Another verb commonly found in legal documents is may, which generally expresses

permission, in the sense of 'can' (this use is less common in everyday English):

any bylaw or amendment thereto as adopted by the Board of Directors may be

altered, amended or repealed by a vote of the shareholders

In everyday English, may is sometimes used as a substitute for might, indicating

probability (He may want to see the document)

Learners of legal English should be aware that the use of shall in legal texts has been

criticised in recent years, particularly with regard to what some consider its inconsistent

proscribe

== prohibit, ban

prescribe

stipulate

not express obligation, but rather is used solely to

tendency, which can in part be attributed to

ambiguous use of

legislation into other

texts in

to understand and

of the Plain English M<Nement even recommend replacing

obligation (see Unit 3)

the issues surrounding the use of

Listening B: Forming a business in the UK

You are going to hear a phone conversation in which a lawyer, Mr Larsen, discusses some of

the characteristics of two business entities with Mr Garda, a client who is interested in

forming a company in the UK

6.1 ~~ Listen to the phone conversation and decide whether these statements are true

or false

matter of personal liability

4 The shares of a US C corporation can be freely traded on a stock exchange

S Both company types mentioned by the lawyer can be formed by a person who is a

citizen of another country

6 The UK company type discussed places a restriction on the number of people

permitted to buy shares in the company

7 The fastest way to form a company is to submit the documents directly to

Companies House

6.2 In the conversation, the lawyer compares and contrasts two company types

Complete the sentences below (1-4) using the phrases in the box {a-d}

[ a are like each other b are similar to c differs d in both

4 The two types of

6.3 Compare and contrast two types of company from the table on page 23 using these

EXAMPLE: A ~~~frOW\.tiL rriv~ li~ ~~il'\.~itjt;.~ ~~!).(}\e,

~ V'AfW:r~ ~til ~~diV'ec!?JY ()'( til ~dof diV'ectOV't;

Speaking: An informaL presentation: a type of company

When speaking briefly about a topic of professional interest, experienced speakers will organise their thoughts in advance Asimple but effective structure divides

information into three parts:

1 introductory remarks 2 main pOints 3 concluding statement

Introductory remarks

A pubfikt aktiebo/ag is the closest Swedish equivalent to a public limited company ­

Main points

1 liability: no personal liability

2 management: board of directors (Swedish eqUivalent, styrelsen) has power to

make decisions; shareholders don't participate in management

3 needed for formation: memorandum of association (stifte/seurkund) and articles

contrast your company type with a UK business entity

Reading C: Russian entity formation

Law firms often publish informative articles on their websites which they believe wiLL be of interest to their clients TypicaLLy, these articles deal with areas of the law in which the firm has particular expertise The text on the next page, which appeared on the website of a US law firm, deals with entity formation in Russia, and contrasts a WhoLLy Foreign-Owned Entity {WFOE] with a representative office

8.1 Read the first paragraph Which three types of business enterprise are mentioned?

8.2 Read through the entire article and decide whether these statements are true or false

1 The option of forming a WFOE to do business in Russia has existed for many years

2 Establishing a representative office is not recommended for merchants unless they are primarily interested in engaging in marketing activities

3 Since an 000 has the status of a legal person, it is fully liable for its own

obligations, and the foreign entity is free from aI/liability

4 Regarding employee permits, the same requirements apply for both business types

5 The tax and reporting requirements connected with a WFOE are disadvantages that should be weighed against the advantage it offers with regard to the freedom

to carry out business in Russia

8.3 Is there a comparable WFOE in your jurisdiction? Describe its features with regard to the pOints listed in the table in the article

One of the most common requests our law firm gets regarding Russia comes from a non-Russian company

seeking assistance in setting up a Russian joint venture or a representative office When we tell them in response

to their queries that only rarely does it make sense to go into Russia with a joint venture or a representative

office, they commonly respond either with surprise that there are other alternatives or by telling us that this is

how their very well-run competitor entered the Russian market When we explain that Russia now allows

Wholly Foreign-Owned Entities (WFOE); they quickly realise the benefits of not getting enmeshed with a Russian

joint-venture partner However, the benefits of a WFOE over a representative office are more difficult to explain

The purpose of this article and the accompanying table is to briefly compare the advantages and disadvantages

of a representative office and of a limited liability company (known as an Obschtschestvo s Ogranitschennoj

Otvetstvennostju, or 000) wholly owned by a foreign entity in terms of those characteristics that are relevant for

companies interested in establishing and running a business in Russia At the outset, however, it must be made

clear that if your intention is to buy or sell goods in Russia, you cannot legally go in as a representative office

A representative office is limited to representing or marketing for a foreign-owned entity In the past, many foreign

companies would go into Russia by way of a representative office and then conduct business within Russia, but

only because they had no other real choice Companies have that choice now

Limited liability company (000)Representative office

000 is liable for its own obligations The

acts of its representative office Foreign entity would be liable forUability

foreign entity's liability generally limited to its done pursuant to the power of contribution to charter capital

attorney

Approximately $330 minimum charter capital required

NoneCharter capital

$3,500-$6,500

$10,000-$18,000

Fees and costs

Foreign employees must obtainForeign employee

company must obtain an employment permit

Afterwards, every foreign employee must obtain a personal work permit

personal work permit

Subject to payroll, retirement, road Subject to same taxes at same rates as and social security taxes

Taxation

I

representative office, but also subject to income tax, VAT (e.g equipment shipped for sale to Russia is SUbject to VAT), property taxes and transportation taxes (if 000 owns vehicles) The foreign entity dividends received from 000 may be subject to either

US or Russian taxation according to the Treaty signed between USA and Russia regarding double taxation

I

In the course of deciding whether to establish a representative office or a WFOE, the investor must balance the

convenience of a representative office with the ability 10 conduct business in Russia through a WFOE A representative

office in Russia can be opened and closed with relatively little formality Since the office is not a Russian legal person,

it is not subject to many of the burdensome regulations that apply to legally established Russian companies, such as

tax and reporting requirements However, the business activities of a representative office are severely restricted, 10

the point that it usually can do little more than act as a company's marketing arm in Russia On the other hand, a

WFOE entity in Russia is considered to be a legal person, and as such, it enjoys both the rights and obligations of

any other Russian company Thus the scope of business operations for a WFOE in Russia is nearly always equivalent

to that of any other Russian company But a WFOE in Russia is also subject to the same taxation, reporting and

company regulation requirements of any Russian company The burden of these obligations for a WFOE must be

balanced against the freedom to conduct real business in Russia

Reading D: Corporate governance

Lawyers often assist their clients in handling legal disputes involving corporate governance The Letter of advice below addresses one such dispute

9.1 Read the first three paragraphs of the letter What does the dispute specifically

involve?

Re: Special shareholders' meeting of Longfellow Inc

I have now had an opportunity to research the law on this point and I can provide you with the following advice

Firstly, to summarise the facts of the case, a group of shareholders of Longfellow Inc has filed an action in the district court seeking to set aside the election of

5 the board of directors on the grounds that the shareholders' meeting at which they were elected was held less than a year after the last such meeting

The bylaws of the company state that the annual shareholders' meeting for the election of directors be held at such time each year as the board of directors determines, but not later than the fourth Wednesday in July In 2009, the meeting

10 was held on July 17th At the discretion of the board, in 2010 the meeting was held on March 19th The issue in this case is whether the bylaws provide that

no election of directors for the ensuing year can be held unless a full year has passed since the previous annual election meeting

The law in this jurisdiction requires an 'annual' election of the directors for

15 the ensuing 'year' However, we have not found any cases or interpretation of this law which determine the issue of whether the law precludes the holding of

an election until a full year has passed The statutes give wide leeway to

the board of directors in conducting the affairs of the company I believe that it is unlikely that a court will create such a restriction where the legislature has not

20 specifically done so

However, this matter is complicated somewhat by the fact that there is currently

a proxy fight underway in the company The shareholders who filed suit are also alleging that the early meeting was part of a strategy on the part of the directors

to obstruct the anticipated proxy contest and to keep these shareholders from

25 gaining representation on the board of directors It is possible that the court will

take this into consideration and hold that the purpose in calling an early meeting was to improperly keep themselves in office The court might then hold that, despite the fact that n~ statute or bylaw was violated, the election is invalid on a general legal theory that the directors have an obligation to act in good faith

30 Nevertheless, courts are usually reluctant to second-guess the actions of boards

of directors or to play the role of an appellate body for shareholders unhappy with the business decisions of the board Only where there is a clear and serious breach of the directors' duty to act in good faith will a court step in and overturn the decision The facts in this case simply do not justify such court action and I

35 therefore conclude that it is unlikely that the shareholders will prevail

9.2 Read the whole letter and choose the best answer to each of these questions

9.3 Choose the best explanation for each of these words or phrases from the letter

9.4 Answer these questions

1 What do the bylaws of the company stipulate concerning the date of the election

of company directors?

2 What do the shareholders claim was the reason why the annual shareholders' meeting was held early?

3 What role might the concept of 'good faith' play in the court's decision?

9.5 What is your opinion of the case? Do you think the shareholders' claim is justified?

9.6 In the letter, different verbs are used to refer to what the company bylaws and the relevant legislation say Complete these phrases using the appropriate verbs from the letter

Text analysis: Aletter of advice

10.1 Look at the letter on page 28 again and discuss these questions

paragraph?

The text in Reading D represents a letter of advice, a type of text written by a

letter of advice is a legal opinion

o identifies the legal issue at stake in a given situation and explains how the law applies to the facts presented by the client;

o indicates the rights, obligations and liabilities of the client;

o outlines the options the client has, pointing out advantages and disadvantages

of each option;

o

o makes use of facts, relevant law and reasoning to support the advice

The structure of the letter can be made clear by using standard signalling phrases The table on page 31 provides examples of phrases used to structure the

10.2 Read through the letter once again and look for 11 phrases with a signalling

function Add them where appropriate to this table

. ~

Thank you for instructing us in relation to

I Referring to the subject

advice concerning

: f

I

I

Summarising facts Our opinions and advice set forth below are based upon your account of the I

circumstances giving rise to this dispute, a summary of which is as follows Based on information provided to us, we understand that

2)

Identifying legal issue The legal issue seems to be

Referring to relevant

legislation/regulations The section makes express reference

As the law stands at

Referring to previous The court has held that

court decisions We have (not) found cases or interpretation of this law which argue that

Drawing conclusions We therefore believe that

11)

Indicating options In light of the aforesaid, you have several courses of action / alternatives / options

open to you

Closing I await further instructions at

Please contact us ifyou have any questions about the matters here discussed, or

other

Writing: A letter of advice 0

Aclient who is the managing partner of a Mexican energy-drink firm has asked you for

information about establishing a business in Russia, with a view to launching a chocolate­

flavoured energy drink called Xocoatl

Write a letter of advice in which you should:

o say what a WFOE is;

o list advantages and disadvantages connected with it;

o recommend the best course of action for his firm

Before you write, consider the purpose, the expected contents and the standard structure

of a letter of advice Refer back to Reading C for information about WFOEs in Russia and

make use of signalling phrases from the table above to help structure the information in

your letter

Unit 2

To improve your web-based research skills, visit www.cambridge.orgjeltjile2.click on Research

Tasks and choose Task 2

1 Vocabulary: distinguishing meaning Which word in each group is the odd one out? You may need to consult a dictionary to distinguish the differences in meaning

1 stipulate specify <§scr~

2 succeeding elapsing ensuing

3 responsibility duty discretion

4 prior previous prerequisite

S margin leeway latitude

6 preclude permit forestall

2 Vocabulary: word choice These sentences deal with company formation and management In each case, choose the correct word or phrase to complete them

1 The constitution of a company comprisesknsi~/ contains of two documents

2 The memorandum of association states / provides for/sets up the objects of the

company and details its authorised capital

3 The articles of association contain arguments / provisions / directives for the

internal management of a company

4 The company is governed by the board of directors whilst the day-to-day

management is delegated upon / to / for the managing director

S In some companies, the articles of association make / give / allow provision for

rotation of directors, whereby only a certain portion of the board must retire and present itself for re-election before the AGM

6 Many small shareholders do not bother to attend shareholders' meetings and will

often receive proxy circulars from the board, seeking authorisation to vote on the basis of/ in respect of/on behalf of the shareholder

3 Word formation Complete this table by filling in the correct noun or verb form Underline the stressed syllable in each word with more than one syllable

administrate1

~~ ~t'li<;.1y~

audit liquidation perpetrate

appointment assume

! authorise

formation issue

omit

provide

redemption require

I

resolution transmit

1 (US) administer

4 Vocabulary: prepositional phrases These prepositional phrases, which are common

in legal texts, can all be found in Reading C Match the prepositional phrases (1-4)

with their definitions (a-d)

1 in terms of;~~a 1) for the purpose of; 2) by the route through

2 in the course of b as an answer to; in reply to

3 by way of c 1) with respect or relation to; 2) as indicated by

4 in response to d while, during

5 Vocabulary: prepositional phrases Complete these sentences using the prepositional

phrase from Exercise 4 that best fits in each one For one of the sentences, there is

more than one correct answer

1 l~~.~.~~ choosing the name of the company, a number of matters must be

considered

2 Confidential information acquired one's directorship shall not be used for

personal advantage

3 I would advise that members of your project group formalise your relationship

a partnership agreement, incorporation or limited liability company

4 This form of corporation is often considered to be the most flexible body

corporate structure

S Our company formations expert is unable to provide advice your query, as

there are a number of factors which need to be taken into account which do not

relate directly to his area of expertise

6 The relationship between management and boards of directors at US multinational

companies has been changed dramatically through a series of corporate governance

initiatives begun corporate scandals, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other

requirements

7 Shareholders and other investors in corporations tend to view corporate governance

the corporation's increaSing value overtime

8 Regular and extraordinary board meetings may be held by telephone,

video-conference and written resolutions

6 Verb-noun collocations Match each verb (1-5) with the noun it collocates with (a-e)

in Reading D If you have difficulty matching them, look back at the letter

7 Collocations with file Decide which of these words and phrases can go with the verb

to file You may need to consult a dictionary

an action an AGM an amendment an appeal a breach a brief charges

a claim a complaint a debt a defence a dispute a document a fee

an injunction a motion provisions a suit

Reading A: Introduction to company capitalisation

Company law is a very wide area The text below serves as an introduction to the legal terminology and issues regarding how companies raise capital in the UK

Read through the text quickly and decide whether these statements are true or false

1 The shares of a company which are actually owned by shareholders are known as authorised share capital

2 Share capital is subdivided into two basic types of share: ordinary and preference shares

3 People who already own shares possess the right of first refusal when new shares are issued

4 In addition to share capital, loan capital is another means of financing a corporation

The term capitalisation refers to the act of providing capital for a company through the issuance of various securities Initially, company capitalisation takes place through the issuance of shares as authorised in the memorandum of associatlon1

The authorised share capltaP, the maximum amount of share capital that a

company can issue, is stated in the memorandum of association, together with the division of the share capital into shares of a certain amount (e.g 100 shares of £1)

The memorandum of association also states the names of the subscribers The minimum share capital for a public limited company in Great Britain is £50,000

Issued share capital, as opposed to authorised share capital, refers to shares actually held by shareholders Accordingly, this means that a company may authorise capital in excess of the mandatory minimum share capital but refrain from issuing all

of it until a later date - or at all

The division of share capital usually entails two classes of shares, namely ordinary shares3 and preference shares4 The ordinary shareholder has voting rights, but the payment of dividends is dependent upon the performance of the company

Preference shareholders, on the other hand, receive a fixed dividend irrespective of performance (provided the payment of dividends is legal,y permitted) before the payment of any dividend to ordinary shareholders, but preference shareholders normally have no voting rights There is also the possibility of share subdivisionS,

whereby, for example, one ten-pound share is split into ten one-pound shares, usually

in order to increase marketability The reverse process is, appropriately enough, termed share consolidation6 •

Shares in British companies are subject to pre-emption rights7, whereby the

company is required to offer newly issued shares first to its existing shareholders, who have the right of 'first refusal' The shareholders may waive their pre-emption rights by special resolution

1 (US) articles of incorporation 4 (US) preferred shares 7 (US) preemptive right

2 (US) authorized shares 5 (US) stock split

3 (US) common shares 6 (US) reverse (stock) split

A feature of public companies is that the shares may be freely traded Shares are

normally sold to existing shareholders through a rights issue, unless pre-emption

rights have been waived Even here, though, new shares are not always offered in the

first instance to the general public, but rather may be sold to a particular group or

individuals (a directed placement)

Share capital is not, of course, the only means of corporate finance The other is loan

capital, typified by debentures The grant of security for a loan by giving the creditor

the right to recover his capital sum from specific assets is termed a fixed charge1

Companies may also borrow money secured by the company's assets, such as stock

in trade This arrangement is known as a floating charge

1 (US) security interest in specifIC assets (also chattel mortgage priorto the Uniform Commercial Code)

2.1 Match these terms related to shares (1-8) with their definitions (a-h)

1 authorised share capital

a someone who agrees to buy shares or other securities

b offer of additional shares to existing shareholders, in proportion to their holdings,

to raise money for the company

c type of share in a company that entitles the shareholder to voting rights and

dividends

d entitlement entailing that, when new shares are issued, these must first be

offered to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings

e maximum number of shares that a company can issue, as specified in the firm's

memorandum of association

f proportion of authorised capital which has been issued to shareholders in the

form of shares

g type of share that gives rights of priority as to dividends, as well as priority over

other shareholders in a company's winding-up

h part of a company's profits paid to shareholders

2.2 Underline the words (1-5) in the text Then match them with their synonyms (a-e)

2.3 According to the text, the minimum amount of share capital of a public limited

company in the UK is £50,000 Do similar restrictions apply in your jurisdiction?

If so, what are they?

I

Language use A: Contrasting information

Look at this sentence from Reading A that defines issued share capital:

Issued share capital, as opposed to authorised share capital, refers to shares

actually held by shareholders

or reader is already familiar with, using the prepositional phrase as

The prepositions

Issued share capital, unlike authorised share capital, refers to shares actually

held by shareholders

Issued share capital, In contrast to authorised share capital, refers to shares

actually held by shareholders

All three of these prepositional phrases can also appear at the beginning of the

sentence if the previously defined term immediately follows them:

As opposed to / Unlike / In contrast to authorised share capital, issued share

capital refers to shares actually held by shareholders

They can also be used when defining two new terms at the same time In such a

case, however, it is necessary to insert which in the following way:

Issued share capital refers to shares actually held by shareholders, as

to / unlike / In contrast to

Or:

As opposed to / Unlike / In contrast to authorised share capital, which refers to

the maximum amount ofshare capital that a company can issue, issued share

capital refers to shares actually held by shareholders

Read the information in the table below about the two basic classes of shares: ordinary

shares and preference shares Using the prepositional phrases ex.plained above, make

sentences contrasting the two share types

EXAMPLE:

\Jl.I.\li~ OY.di~ ~lU> fl'e,fe¥et1a ~~.do \'lOt ~'h ~tit1e, f\ te, ~clwlkY'to yoW,

I", aJI'l,tY't'Iht to OYdiMY''h ~lU> wWck-ewIitte, f\ te, ~~to yoW" pY'e-fe¥et1a ~~.do Mt

~I'h ~wdt C1, Y'~to f\ te, ~elwl.d~

Ordinary shares Preference shares

2 potential to give the highest financial gains;

pro-rata right to dividends

have a fix.ed dividend; shareholder has no right to receive an increased dividend based on increased business profits

shareholders if the business is in trouble

4 ordinary shareholders are the last to be paid if the

company is wound up

preference shareholders are repaid the par value

of shares ahead of ordinary shareholders if the company is wound up

Lawyers with expert knowledge of corporate finance are often asked to explain complex

matters in simple terms to company members or to shareholders This dialogue takes place

at a seminar held at a large law firm specialising in capitalisation matters A member of a

shareholders' association (Ms Siebert) is asking a corporate finance expert [Mr Young] to

explain a rights issue, one of the key terms in Reading A

4.1 ~~ listen to the dialogue and tIck the points Ms Siebert asks about

1 The purpose of a rights issue

2 The procedure for issuing shares

3 The reason why shares are issued to existing shareholders

4 The meaning of the term pre-emption right

5 What new shares cost

6 The reason why new shares are discounted

7 Whether it is necessary for shareholders to buy the newly issued shares

8 How shareholders respond to rights issues

4.2 ~~ listen again and answer these questions

Reading B: Shareholders and supervisory boards

The excerpt below and on page 38 deals with the topics of shareholders' rights and the role

of the supervisory board It is part of the required reading in a comparative law course

dealing with European and AngLo-American company management structures

5.1 Read through the excerpt quickly and answer these questions

(Note: the word tier means 'rank' or 'level'.) Which do you think is the best model

of organisation?

Shareholders

A Shareholders are the owners of the company's assets Normally, ownership of an asset entails a

number of rights: the right to determine how the asset is to be managed; the right to receive the

residual income from the asset; and the right to transfer ownership of the asset to others The last

two clearly apply to shareholders, but what of the first? Can shareholders exercise control if the

directors fail to protect their interests?

B Two factors keep them from doing so Both are related to the spreading of ownership needed for

risk diversification in large corporations In return for the privilege of limited liability under law, shareholders' powers are generally restricted There is the AGM to approve the directors' report and accounts, elect and re-elect the board, and vote on such issues as allowed for in company legislation But, apart from this, shareholders' rights are limited to the right to sell the shares

They have no right to interfere in the management of the company Awkward questions can be

asked at the annual meeting, but the chairman of the board usually holds enough proxy votes

to hold off any challenge

C The second factor is in many ways more fundamental An essential requirement for the exercise

of effective control is the possession of an adequate flow of information As outsiders, shareholders face considerable obstacles in obtaining good information Then there is the free-rider issue Any

one small shareholder investing in the information needed to monitor management will bear all

of the costs, whereas shareholders accrue benefits as a group Moreover, co-ordination of

monitoring efforts is not easy to arrange Often it is easier for the shareholder to sell the shares,

and thus vote with one's feet

o In short, someone with ownership rights in a company can express their disappointment with the company's performance by either getting rid of their shares or in some way expressing their concern Hirschman (1970) called this the dichotomy between 'exit' and 'voice' Where there are obstacles to the exercise of voice, the right of exit and transferring ownership to another party becomes not so much the accompaniment but the substitute for the other two components of ownership rights

appointed by the controlling shareholders and must answer to the annual meeting A two-tier

board consists of an executive board and a supervisory board The executive board includes the top-level management team, whereas the supervisory board is made up of outside experts, such

as bankers, executives from other corporations, along with employee-related representatives There is reliance on the supervisory board for overseeing and disciplining the management as

well as for co-operative conflict resolution between shareholders, managers and employees

F This control function has a broader setting than in Anglo-Saxon countries, for in the Germanic countries, the supervisory boards of large companies are legally bound to incorporate specific forms of employee representation Under co-determination laws, some corporations with at least

500 employees, and all those with more than 2,000 employees, must allow employees to elect one half of the members of the supervisory board Co-determination rules cover the supervisory board, the functions of which are to control and monitor the management, to appoint and dismiss members of the management board, to fix their salaries, and to approve major decisions of the management board In 1998, the power to appoint auditors was vested with the supervisory

board (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 1998)

G How effective is this 'voice'? Obviously, it allows a participatory framework between shareholders,

managers and employees under the co-determination principle, but the supervisory-board system also is designed for overseeing and constraining management The OECD argues that 'the degree

of monitoring and control by the supervisory board in the German two-tiered board system seems

to be very limited in good times, while it may playa more important role when the corporation comes under stress' Of course, the same is true of Anglo-Saxon boards; they exert more authority

in a crisis, too But the boards in Anglo-Saxon countries have not been notably successful in

preventing crises Does the Germanic-type system of board structure do better? There is not much evidence on this point Some argue that the system encourages worker commitment to the firm and reduces day-to-day interference in management decisions, allowing both to get on with the job Others consider that the system encourages 'cosiness', with bad strategic decisions internalised

rather than subjected to the public gaze as occurs when the 'exit' option is followed