Public stock markets are too small. This book is an effort to rescue public stock markets in the EU and the US. There should be more companies with publicly-traded shares and more direct share ownership. Anchored in a broad historical study of the regulation of stock markets and companies in Europe and the US, the book proposes ways to create a new regulatory regime designed to help firms and facilitate people's capitalism. Through its comparative and historical study of regulation and legal practices, the book helps to understand the evolution of public stock markets from the nineteenth century to the present day. The book identifies design principles that reflect prior regulation. While continental European company law has produced many enduring design principles, the recent regulation of stock markets in the EU and the US has failed to serve the needs of both firms and retail investors. The book therefore proposes a new set of design principles to serve contemporary societal needs.

This book defines the characteristics of a new discipline that is both legal and scientific: user-friendly legal science.Focusing on how legal tools and practices can be used to achieve objectives in different contexts, it offers an alternative to doctrinal research, law-and-something disciplines, and the traditional interdisciplinary approach.The book not only defines the new discipline's research approach, point of view, theory-building, and research methods, it also shows how it relates to other scientific disciplines and how existing doctrinal legal disciplines can be upgraded into scientific disciplines.

This book defines the characteristics of a new discipline that is both legal and scientific: user-friendly legal science.Focusing on how legal tools and practices can be used to achieve objectives in different contexts, it offers an alternative to doctrinal research, law-and-something disciplines, and the traditional interdisciplinary approach.The book not only defines the new discipline's research approach, point of view, theory-building, and research methods, it also shows how it relates to other scientific disciplines and how existing doctrinal legal disciplines can be upgraded into scientific disciplines.

This book aims to describe the mechanisms of the internal wholesale electricity market in terms of the legal tools and practices used by electricity producers, the most important market participants. In this regard, the focus is on Northwestern Europe. Because of the book's functional perspective, it is not limited to the external regulation of electricity markets at the EU level and also describes the business models and practices employed by electricity producers. Both the physical and financial marketplaces are examined and topics including electricity supply, balancing, transmission and derivatives are covered. The target for the completion of the EU's internal electricity market was 2014. The internal wholesale electricity market is very important not only for electricity producers, suppliers and major end consumers but also for network operators, marketplace operators, electricity technology firms, investment firms and market regulators.

The theoretical basis of commercial law, corporate governance law, and corporate law is still unsatisfactory. There essentially is no theory of commercial law, and existing theories of corporate governance and corporate law cannot explain the behaviour of firms or the contents of existing regulation. This book proposes a coordinated solution for all three areas. The starting point is that all three areas deal with the organisation of firms. Commercial law, corporate governance, and corporate law are therefore studied from the perspective of the firm rather than that of the judge or the investor. Changing the perspective makes it easier to formulate an "umbrella" theory of commercial law, and theories of corporate governance and corporate law as applications of the main theory. The book provides examples of how the proposed theories work by studying legal corporate governance tools and practices that increase the sustainability of the firm. Sustainability can be bolstered by making the governance model more self-enforcing and ensuring that it fosters innovation.

1. 1 Investments, Generic Contracts, Payments According to Volume I, contracts are one of the five generic legal tools used to manage cash flow, risk, agency relationships, and information. Many investments are therefore based on one or more contracts. Obviously, the firm should draft good contracts. Good drafting can ensure the same intended cash flow with reduced risk. Bad drafting can increase risk. This volume attempts to deconstruct contracts used by non-financial firms and analyse them from a cash flow, risk, agency, and information perspective. The starting point is a generic contract, i. e. a contract which does not belong to any particular contract type (Chapters 2-7). This volume will also focus on payment obligations. Payment obligations are characteristic of all financial instruments, and they can range from simple payment obligations in minor sales contracts and traditional lending contracts (Chapters 8- 11). 1. 2 Particular Contract Types A number of particular contract types have been discussed in the other volumes of this book. (1) A certain party's investment contract can be another party's fu- ing contract. Particular investment contracts will therefore be discussed in Volume III in the context of funding. (2) Many contracts are necessary in the context of business acquisitions discussed in Volume III. (3) Multi-party contracts are c- mon in corporate finance. The firm's contracts with two or more parties range from syndicated loans to central counterparties' contracts. Such contracts will be discussed both in Chapter 12 and Volume III.

1.1 Cash Flow, Risk, Agency, Information, Investments The first volume dealt with the management of: cash flow (and the exchange of goods and services); risk; agency relationships; and information. The firm m- ages these aspects by legal tools and practices in the context of all commercial transactions. The second volume discussed investments. As voluntary contracts belong to the most important legal tools available to the firm, the second volume provided an - troduction to the general legal aspects of generic investment contracts and p- ment obligations. This volume discusses funding transactions, exit, and a particular category of decisions raising existential questions (business acquisitions). Transactions which can be regarded as funding transactions from the perspective of a firm raising the funding can be regarded as investment transactions from the perspective of an - vestor that provides the funding. Although the perspective chosen in this volume is that of a firm raising funding, this volume will simultaneously provide infor- tion about the legal aspects of many investment transactions. 1.2 Funding, Exit, Acquisitions Funding transactions are obviously an important way to manage cash flow. All - vestments will have to be funded in some way or another. The firm's funding mix will also influence risk in many ways. Funding. The most important way to raise funding is through retained profits and by using existing assets more efficiently. The firm can also borrow money from a bank, or issue debt, equity, or mezzanine securities to a small group of - vestors.

"Wenn man eine Erkenntnis als Wissenschaft d- stellen will, so muss man zuvor das Untersch- dende, was sie mit keiner andern gemein hat, und was ihr also eigentumlich ist, genau bestimmen konnen; widrigenfalls die Grenzen aller Wiss- schaften in einander laufen, und keine derselben, ihrer Natur nach, grundlich abgehandelt werden 1 kann. " 1. 1 What Does Corporate Finance Law Mean? The law of corporate finance has been defined in a modern and more holistic way in this three-volume book. In this book, corporate finance law is studied from the perspective of the firm. Like modern commercial law in general, the law of cor- rate finance helps the firm to reach its legal objectives (management of cash flow and the exchange of goods, management of risk, management of agency relati- ships, and management of information). When trying to reach its legal objectives, the firm typically applies generic legal tools and practices (incorporation and choice of business form, contracts, regulation of internal processes through c- pliance and otherwise, typical ways to manage agency relationships, and typical ways to manage information problems) and takes into account legal rules that - long to different traditional fields of law (contract law, company law, banking law, 2 tax law, competition law, and so forth). In corporate finance law, these legal tools 1 Immanuel Kant, Prolegomena (1783), 1.

The theoretical basis of commercial law, corporate governance law, and corporate law is still unsatisfactory. There essentially is no theory of commercial law, and existing theories of corporate governance and corporate law cannot explain the behaviour of firms or the contents of existing regulation. This book proposes a coordinated solution for all three areas. The starting point is that all three areas deal with the organisation of firms. Commercial law, corporate governance, and corporate law are therefore studied from the perspective of the firm rather than that of the judge or the investor. Changing the perspective makes it easier to formulate an "umbrella" theory of commercial law, and theories of corporate governance and corporate law as applications of the main theory. The book provides examples of how the proposed theories work by studying legal corporate governance tools and practices that increase the sustainability of the firm. Sustainability can be bolstered by making the governance model more self-enforcing and ensuring that it fosters innovation.

It is fairly easy for a Finnish Jurist to understand German Company law. On the other hand, UK Company law seems very confusing. What is even more confusing is that the UK corporate govemance model is often regarded as one of the best in the World. Clearly German law cannot be as bad as it is often said to be. This books results from these kinds of thoughts and an interest in comparative law, Company law and securities markets law. I wanted to find out whether the functional method would give anything new to say about the regulation of corpo rate govemance in Germany and the UK. As I have been lecturing on Company law and corporate govemance myself, I also wanted to write a book that I could use as a textbook in my courses. For this reason, I focused on one of the key questions in corporate govemance: the regula tion of shareholder activism."

1. 1 Investments, Generic Contracts, Payments According to Volume I, contracts are one of the five generic legal tools used to manage cash flow, risk, agency relationships, and information. Many investments are therefore based on one or more contracts. Obviously, the firm should draft good contracts. Good drafting can ensure the same intended cash flow with reduced risk. Bad drafting can increase risk. This volume attempts to deconstruct contracts used by non-financial firms and analyse them from a cash flow, risk, agency, and information perspective. The starting point is a generic contract, i. e. a contract which does not belong to any particular contract type (Chapters 2-7). This volume will also focus on payment obligations. Payment obligations are characteristic of all financial instruments, and they can range from simple payment obligations in minor sales contracts and traditional lending contracts (Chapters 8- 11). 1. 2 Particular Contract Types A number of particular contract types have been discussed in the other volumes of this book. (1) A certain party's investment contract can be another party's fu- ing contract. Particular investment contracts will therefore be discussed in Volume III in the context of funding. (2) Many contracts are necessary in the context of business acquisitions discussed in Volume III. (3) Multi-party contracts are c- mon in corporate finance. The firm's contracts with two or more parties range from syndicated loans to central counterparties' contracts. Such contracts will be discussed both in Chapter 12 and Volume III.

"Wenn man eine Erkenntnis als Wissenschaft d- stellen will, so muss man zuvor das Untersch- dende, was sie mit keiner andern gemein hat, und was ihr also eigentumlich ist, genau bestimmen konnen; widrigenfalls die Grenzen aller Wiss- schaften in einander laufen, und keine derselben, ihrer Natur nach, grundlich abgehandelt werden 1 kann. " 1. 1 What Does Corporate Finance Law Mean? The law of corporate finance has been defined in a modern and more holistic way in this three-volume book. In this book, corporate finance law is studied from the perspective of the firm. Like modern commercial law in general, the law of cor- rate finance helps the firm to reach its legal objectives (management of cash flow and the exchange of goods, management of risk, management of agency relati- ships, and management of information). When trying to reach its legal objectives, the firm typically applies generic legal tools and practices (incorporation and choice of business form, contracts, regulation of internal processes through c- pliance and otherwise, typical ways to manage agency relationships, and typical ways to manage information problems) and takes into account legal rules that - long to different traditional fields of law (contract law, company law, banking law, 2 tax law, competition law, and so forth). In corporate finance law, these legal tools 1 Immanuel Kant, Prolegomena (1783), 1."

1.1 Cash Flow, Risk, Agency, Information, Investments The first volume dealt with the management of: cash flow (and the exchange of goods and services); risk; agency relationships; and information. The firm m- ages these aspects by legal tools and practices in the context of all commercial transactions. The second volume discussed investments. As voluntary contracts belong to the most important legal tools available to the firm, the second volume provided an - troduction to the general legal aspects of generic investment contracts and p- ment obligations. This volume discusses funding transactions, exit, and a particular category of decisions raising existential questions (business acquisitions). Transactions which can be regarded as funding transactions from the perspective of a firm raising the funding can be regarded as investment transactions from the perspective of an - vestor that provides the funding. Although the perspective chosen in this volume is that of a firm raising funding, this volume will simultaneously provide infor- tion about the legal aspects of many investment transactions. 1.2 Funding, Exit, Acquisitions Funding transactions are obviously an important way to manage cash flow. All - vestments will have to be funded in some way or another. The firm's funding mix will also influence risk in many ways. Funding. The most important way to raise funding is through retained profits and by using existing assets more efficiently. The firm can also borrow money from a bank, or issue debt, equity, or mezzanine securities to a small group of - vestors.

In this three-volume book, the law of corporate finance is defined in a modern way and studied from the perspective of a non-financial firm. The law of corporate finance helps the firm to manage cash flow, risk, principal-agency relationships, and information in the context of all decisions that influence the firm 's finances. The first volume introduces the fundamental concepts and explains the relationship between corporate risk management, the management of agency relationships, corporate governance, and the management of information. The second volume discusses how risk, agency, and information can be managed in all contracts. In addition, the second volume contains an introduction to the legal aspects of payment obligations and the management of various forms of counterparty risk. The third volume discusses a wide range of funding and exit transactions as well as the legal aspects of takeovers.