Book Description

The last several decades have witnessed the development of diverse approaches to the evolving field of Law and Economics. Each school of thought within Law and Economics has helped both to redefine the study of law and to expose the important economic implications of the legal environment. Here, Nicholas Mercuro and Steven Medema present a valuable, concise overview of the current perspectives and varied traditions that constitute the field. The authors make clear that Law and Economics is not a homogeneous movement by deftly illuminating the several competing and yet complementary traditions, including the Chicago School of Law and Economics, Public Choice Theory, Institutional and Neo-Institutional Law and Economics, the New Haven School, and Modern Civic Republicanism, as well as the challenge to Law and Economics posed by Critical Legal Studies. By providing readers with a noncritical description of the broad contours of each school of thought, Mercuro and Medema convey a strong sense of the important elements of each of these interrelated yet varied traditions.

The authors define Law and Economics broadly to include the application of economic theory (primarily microeconomics and the basic concepts of welfare economics) to the formation, structure, processes, and economic impact of law and legal institutions. Because the law and the economy interact across a variety of fronts, the fundamental insights of this burgeoning field have important implications, not only for economics and the law, but also for those in contiguous disciplines such as political science, public administration, and sociology. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a very good introduction
The authors know what they are talking about. The book is a survey of the main strains of law and economics theories and approaches. It provides examples of each theory and that can be illuminating. However, more examples could have given a better sense to the differences across the several theories. The notes are well written and provide all you need for further reading.

Useful introduction to an important field
What is law & economics? It is the school of jurisprudence in which the tools of microeconomic analysis are used to study law. Those of us who practice economic analysis have a deceptively simple task. We translate some legal doctrine into economic terms. We then apply a few basic principles -- cost-benefit analysis, collective action theory, decision-making under uncertainty, risk aversion, and the like -- to the problem. Finally, we translate the result back into legal terms.

Law & economics unquestionably is the most successful form of intellectual arbitrage in the history of jurisprudence. Why? Traditional forms of legal scholarship were mostly backward looking. One reasoned from old precedents to decide a present case, seemingly without much concern (at least explicitly) for the effect today's decision would have a future behavior. Yet, law is necessarily forward looking. To be sure, a major function of our legal system is to resolve present disputes, but law's main job is to regulate future behavior. The law & economics movement succeeded because it recognized that judges cannot administer justice solely retrospectively. They must also consider what rules their decisions will create to guide the behavior of other actors in the future. Even more important, however, law & economics gives judges systematic mechanisms for predicting how rules will affect behavior.

Mercuro and Medema's text offers a comprehensive overview of law & economics. Unlike many texts, it is not limited to the Chicago School (as exemplified by such stalwarts as Manne, Easterbrook, and Posner). They also describe the New Haven school (classically exemplified by Calabresi), the public choice theory of Arrow, Buchanan, and others, as well as both the traditional and new institutional economics. By reminding us that law & economics is not a homogeneous field, and providing a fair commentary on each of the major traditions within the larger discipline, they offer an excellent introduction to this important area of jurisprudence.

One nice touch, which makes the text useful for a wide audience, is that it does not assume familiarity with either economics or law. The introduction offers a brief historical overview of basic jurisprudence, as well as an appendix explaining basic economic principles. Consequently, the book will serve well the interests both of lawyers who need to brush up on economics and economists interested in law.

Criticisms that led me to subtract one star: There is little in the way of critical evaluative judgment. Indeed, Mercuro and Medema disavow any effort at criticism. As a result, the reader is left to his own devices. Second, I am not persuaded by Mercuro and Medema's decision to include a rather lengthy chapter on critical legal studies. Criticism of law & economics has been a major project of CLS scholars, but CLS scholarship has had no influence of any significance on any of the dominant strains of law & economics thinking. In this case, moreover, the failure to exercise critical evaluative judgment means that the generalist reader may have difficulty assessing the (bogus) claims made by CLS. In general, while maintaining facial neutrality on their own part, Mercuro and Medema give far more attention to CLS and Marxist critiques of law & economics than they do to conservative critiques thereof or to law & economics criticisms of CLS.

Solid introductory exposition to a broad range of outlooks.
Houman Shadab's review is right on the money -- including what's left _out_ of this otherwise excellent introductory work. Since I like Hayek, Barnett, and Rothbard, I find the omission disappointing -- but c'est la vie.

Anyway, if you're looking for a solid overview of the various schools of thought involving the relations between law and economics, this volume is a great place to start. (_Complete_ newcomers might also want to pick up Dennis Patterson's _Companion to Philosophy of Law and Legal Theory_, which includes a fine essay on "Law and Economics.")

One tremendous merit of the present volume is that it doesn't limit itself to the "Chicago school." The U of Chi crowd gets a single chapter, and the rest of the book is devoted to the other schools of thought Mr. Shadab has helpfully listed below. The resulting volume is therefore pretty comprehensive (with the exceptions already noted).

Readers interested in this topic may want to read Thomas Miceli's _Economics of the Law_ next. I don't personally favor the mathematical-models approach (for the usual Misesian/Rothbardian reasons) -- but Miceli's volume is a fine introduction to that approach and will afford the reader the opportunity to judge it on its merits.

Great Overview of Legal-Economic Thinking
Mercuro and Medema (M&M) provide an excellent overview of all major schools of thought on the relationship between the law and the economy, and in so doing give the reader an good idea of 20th century legal thought in general. The book's main virtue is that the authors brilliantly break down the fundamental propositions of the different schools of thought, making the book serve as great reference and fertile ground for further research.

While "law and economics" is usually thought of to be a narrow subdiscipline within the field of law, consisting mainly of analyzing the impact on economic efficiency of various legal rules, M&M use "law and economics" in the broadest sense to not only include traditional Chicago School analysis, but also Public Choice, Institutional, Neo-Institutional, and Critical Legal Studies law and economics. In so doing, M&M allow the reader to be exposed to the wide range of scholarship dealing with law and economics, from the impact of special economic interests on legislation, to neo-Marxist accounts of how the legal "superstucture" affects the economic position of classes.

This book is an excellent primer for prospective law students, for law students themselves, for those studying political science or economics, and to the interested layman. Since the book does move along quite quickly, a background in law and/or economics would help one get the most of the book, but it is not necessary since M&M don't presuppose any background knowledge on the part of the reader.

My only real criticism of the book is that they do not include more of the rights-based and Austrian approaches to law and economics such as those of F.A. Hayek, Randy Barnett, and Murray Rothbard, a shortcoming they acknowledge in a footnote.

Excellent introduction to law and economics
A nice piece of work. The authors undertake a difficult task: providing a readable introduction to the varied "law and economics" movement. The first chapter is one of the better narrative explications of the idea of efficiency that I have seen. It is followed by chapters on the various schools that make up the law and economics movement, each of which provides a good,brief intellectual history of the school and a helpful exposition of its content. For the undergraduate, this book is really a service since it also provides good follow up reading in the field. For the lawyer becoming interested in economics, this may well be the best place to start. Kudos to the authors and Princeton University Press: a clear and well-written book that serves an important purpose. ... Read more

Book Description

When two or more persons act together for mutual profit, a legal partnership is typically created. This text covers limited-liability partnerships (LLPs), limited-liability companies (LLCs), and the modern law of agency and partnership. Tracks the wide variety of alternative business entities. Also discusses the conflicts of authority and ambiguities to the rules to provide an accurate picture of the law. ... Read more

Book Description

Knowledge is more than power.
It’s profits, too.

Tools and techniques for extracting even more value from your company’s intellectual capital–from today’s leading intellectual capital innovators: Xerox, Dow Chemical, Hewlett-Packard, Avery Dennison, Eastman Chemical, Rockwell, and Skandia

"Patrick Sullivan . . . has brought together some of the best thinkers and best thinking on the subject of intellectual capital. Anyone who hopes to profit from intellectual capital will profit from Profiting from Intellectual Capital."–Thomas A. Stewart, author of Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of Organizations

"The first thorough exposition of how companies manage and extract value from their intellectual capital. The discussion of best practices, as well as the high-level conceptual examination of various intellectual capital issues, is an important contribution to this fast-growing field."–Baruch Lev, PhD, The Philip Bardes Professor of Accounting and Finance, Stern School of Business, New York University, and Director, The Intangibles Research Project at New York University

"This is a remarkable compendium of analytic approaches to that most elusive of management goals–managing intellectual capital. It gives our state-of-the-practice knowledge a most substantial boost."–Larry Prusak, Managing Principal, Knowledge Management, IBM Corporation ... Read more

Reviews (19)

The only book you'll need on effective selling
Zig Ziglar's "Secrets Of Closing The Sale" is probably the best book I've ever read. Not only does it provide you with everything you will ever need to be successful in the world of selling - it thoroughly entertains as well. "Secrets" provides readers with interesting and humorous stories meticulously tied in with step by step actions and exact scripts for sales people to use in specific situations.

All you have to do is adapt these scripts to your situation and you are ready to start selling more of what you sell.

Zig covers - how to use a tape recorder to explode your selling power - how to use voice inflection to communicate your message more effectively - how to make you and your prospect both winners when you close the sale - and so much more.

Ziglar even has various free items that he will send you scattered throughout the book. Just by responding I've already received three free gifts including an incredible audio casette on voice inflection. It's incredible.

I hope to get to see Zig live one day. He's an incredibly powerful speaker and author. Get this book - even if you have to steal it.

If you do steal it though, read it, learn to sell, sell something, get your commission, then go pay for the book. Zig deserves to get paid. He did a fine job on this one.

The only book you'll need on effective selling
Zig Ziglar's "Secrets Of Closing The Sale" is probably the best book I've ever read. Not only does it provide you with everything you will ever need to be successful in the world of selling - it thoroughly entertains as well.

"Secrets" provides readers with interesting and humorous stories meticulously tied in with step by step actions and exact scripts for sales people to use in specific situations.

All you have to do is adapt these scripts to your situation and you are ready to start selling more of what you sell.

Zig covers - how to use a tape recorder to explode your selling power - how to use voice inflection to communicate your message more effectively - how to make you and your prospect both winners when you close the sale - and so much more.

Ziglar even has various free items that he will send you scattered throughout the book. Just by responding I've already received three free gifts including an incredible audio casette on voice inflection. It's incredible.

I hope to get to see Zig live one day. He's an incredibly powerful speaker and author. Get this book - even if you have to steal it.

If you do steal it though, read it, learn to sell, sell something, get your commission, then go pay for the book. Zig deserves to get paid. He did a fine job on this one.

Raymond A. Mardo III Mailto:raymardo@raymardo.com

Don't pollute your mind with this waste of time.
These techniques may have worked 40 years ago but, now, in 2004, buyers are keen to this "old pro's" dialogs. After reading this book, "The Closers" and "How to Master the Art of Selling", you will see the difference I'm talking about and realize that this book is a joke.

zig you're alright
but your book didn't knock my socks off. At least two thirds of the book are more or less a waste of time and teach about closing only in the form of annecdotes - then every little story has a headline and the "close" gets a name, the soundso-close, and he drones on and on and then towards the end of the book finally he is getting somewhere. Still, I think that Ziglar is mostly good at selling cooking pots, (I even believe he was good at it), and himself. But since buyers and markets always change and salespeople should change alltogether with them in order to stay on top, we should turn to other authors in the meantime. I recommend SPIN Selling and QBS. This one here is still at times enjoyable and I am not saying I didn't learn anything or that I wasn't inspired at times. But not a treat and no matter how good he's been and still is, old school is over and I am looking for something fresh. When you're not Zig, don't sell like him, it may not work. Everything from chapter 25 on, however, is worth the money, this is where he covers objections and how to handle them. Also, I never knew the guy (I'm German). When I started to listen to his audio programs on motivation (How to stay motivated) he made a lot more sense to me.

Invest in "Secrets"
While attending a sales class last spring, I met a salesman in my company who was consistently performing at top levels. I asked him his secrets, and he suggested I buy this book and read it. "I could let you borrow my copy," he said with a smile, "but if you invest in your own copy you'll get a lot more out of it."

He was so right. This book shows a lot of tips on closing the sales: how to make the sale when your customers don't show up for appointments, how to handle complaints on price, how to help the prospect sell HIMSELF on the product/service. I don't know how I was ever selling anything before reading this!

It's a delightful read, written with humorous stories and pertinent examples in every chapter. And despite its age (written in the 1980's) it consistently provides good advice. Everything I have read in "Secrets" has been a boon.

Does it work? Well, now I'm the top salesperson in my market area and in the top ten in my region, whereas before reading "Secrets" I was near the bottom in both. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is a hands-on manual that guides business owners through the legal and practical details of forming and operating a corporation. Among the most important topics explained in depth are methods of financing a corporation, setting up management structure, recognizing the rights and privileges of shareholders, paying dividends, carrying out stock splits and repurchases, keeping accounting records, and filing corporate taxes. Appendixes include blank forms that can be photocopied and used for setting up and maintaining a corporation. Barron’s Legal Ease books guide users through business details that are often put in the hands of lawyers, but which can be dealt with by practical men and women who have no formal legal training. Legal-Ease titles present advice and instruction from accredited legal and business experts, and serve as reliable guides for owners of small-to-mid-sized business firms and private individuals. They also make good supplementary texts for business students. ... Read more

Book Description

REAL ESTATE LAW, SIXTH EDITION tells the ?story? of real estate from its basic spatial and conceptual form through all the most important private and public law transactions and processes that govern real estate in the United States today. It approaches the study of real estate law using the past to explain the present as well as presenting discussion of its future. It has been updated to include many new cases and concepts, and adds innovative material on the legal aspects of e-commerce and the probable impact it is having on real estate law today and tomorrow. The book is presented in a very clear, concise, and readable style.With its transactional approach, the book is especially practical and useful to both real estate majors and non-majors. ... Read more

Book Description

We found the truly gifted law professors most law students can only dream about – the professors who draw rave reviews, not only for their scholarship, but for their ability to make the law easy to understand.We asked these select few professors to condense their courses into a single lecture.And it’s these lectures you’ll find in the Law School Legends Series.With Law School Legends, you’ll get a brilliant law professor explaining an entire subject to you in one simple, dynamic lecture.The Law School Legends make even the most difficult concepts crystal clear.You’ll understand the big picture, and how all the concepts fit together.You’ll get hundred of examples and exam tips, honed over decades in the classroom.But best of all, you’ll get insights you can only get from America’s greatest law professors! ... Read more

Book Description

This book contains 17 chapters that follow the progression of a start-up business and anticipate its legal concerns through the stages of growth up to an initial public offering. The new edition integrates e-commerce and international issues where appropriate.This text is appropriate at both the undergraduate and graduate level for those courses that cover legal issues and entrepreneurs.Depending on the course, it could be used as either a core text or a supplement. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

book review
I find the book to be very practical, and extremely helpful to entrepreneurs who are in the process of starting companies. I highly recommend this book to first-time entrepreneurs...

Great book for entrepreneurs -- much more than law
Any person beginning a new start-up should pick this up before they get much further than an idea. Though geared towards the major legal issues involved in starting a company, this book covers many of the essentials of beginning and structuring a business far better than most of the other books on financing or building start-ups. I've at least looked through a dozen books on the subject and none has had better, more explicit guidance on dividing founder's equity, options, funding relationship and so much more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough; you'll be at a disadvantage without it. You can view other reviews of entrepreneur books via my reviewer profile.

great book -- excellent overview of business law
highly readable and informative primer on basic business law principles and their application within the context of early stage and maturing companies (from day one of the business to ipo). its use of examples is also excellent. chapter 13 (Human Resources) was particularly helpful -- the information on employment issues and the sample work agreement forms are enormously helpful.

i recommend reading this book before quiting your corporate job and starting your own company -- the 2nd chapter of the book, "Leaving Your Employer," highlights certain legal restrictions that may save the entrepreneur from potential headaches in the future involving their former employer.

Vital "preventive" legal measures for business novices...
I found this book be very insightful. Many people that start businesses rarely think of the broad legal ramifications of their business activities. This book clearly sets forth basic business and legal concepts that ALL persons entering into a business venture should consider before they begin operations.

Individuals with a legal or business background may find much of the information obvious, but to the vast majority of readers, this book is a must, if they are considering launching their own business.

An Outstanding Practical Resource
This book is an extremely helpful resource for anyone interested in establishing or working for a new business.

I made practical use of several chapters within days of reading them.

Its easy-to-read style does not compromise useful depth.

I highly recommend it to anybody starting, thinking of starting, or considering working for a new enterprise. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 30 books covering individual states!

How to Incorporate and Start a Business in... covers every essential topic you need to understand to start a business right. Protect yourself and your business with expert knowledge provided in this book. The easy-to-follow steps and worksheets guide you through every aspect of incorporation and starting your own business. This book discusses in detail:

Selecting an operating entity-which one is best for you? Learn the pros and cons of each type:
Sole proprietorships
Partnership-general and limited
"S" corporations
Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)

The five necessary steps to incorporation-five essential moves you must know and follow:
Choose a name: learn the legal ramifications of this simple step
Prepare the Articles of Incorporation
Write the bylaws
Hold the organizational meeting
Issue the stock

Raising Capital-Avoid costly mistakes and financing pitfalls that leave other business owners behind:
Identify potential investors
Sell stocks, notes, bonds, or convertibles
Borrow money from banks, credit unions, and venture capital firms

Dealing with the law-Legal issues always come up, so be prepared:
Learn how to arm yourself with knowledge
Handle disputes
Tips to keep you out of court

Preparing Contracts and Leases-Learn the tricks of the trade to save you time and money:
Identify the essential elements
Master unique aspects of your business
Negotiate a lease for maximum benefit, minimum risk

Understanding copyrights, trademarks, and patents-How does this apply to you?
Learn how to copyright material
Identify the key elements of a trademark
Navigate the patent process

Mastering your taxes-Save money by following advice outlined in this chapter:
Choose an accounting method
Keep accurate records
Learn what you can deduct, and what you can't

How to Incorporate and Start a Business in... will also each you how to hire the best employees, extend credit to your customer, acquire the proper insurance for your business, and maximize corporate and executive benefits.

Don't be left out in the cold! How to Incorporate and Start a Business in... How to Incorporate and Start a Business in...will guide you past common snares and pitfalls that hamper the efforts of many new business owners. This book contains dozens of profit strategies engineered to maximize your profit and prevent common mistakes. Plus, this book outlines specific laws and procedures you need to be aware of to do business in your state. It's specifically designed for you. How to Incorporate and Start a Business in...is easy to read, informative, and will save your business both time and money. Use its expert advice to get you started and keep you business on the path to success! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

thank you
thank you for the promt delivery of the book.It was in great condition!Thank you for saving me time and money!

Boise State University Reviewer
I thought the book was pretty good.There were a few issues not well explained, but it does a good job for the most part.I also used the study guide which really helped prepare for tests (ISBN: 0130199087).Saved me from having to read the text when all I wanted was a quick overview.Also has some practice stuff.I'd sell it, but Amazon (and that "other" online bookstore) doesn't have it in its database. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The smarter lawyer will read this book
A well written, comprehensive, practical guide to knowledge management in the law office. The author has taken the theory of knowledge management and explained why it is so critical to the "business of law" - ie why, since lawyers only sell knowledge, they must have a knowledge management program in place. She then describes how any law office can apply the theory to their practice - giving helpful hints on developing the knowledge management strategy, and implementing specific initiatives. I have read a lot on this topic, but nothing comes close to this book.

A must read
This book is a must read for every managing partner. The author makes a compelling case for why, as a knowledge based business, knowledge management is fundamental to the successful operation of a law firm or law department. Rusanow's book is the only book on the application of knowledge management theory to the legal profession. Her approach is easy to read, practical and business oriented. Through her examples of knowledge management in law firms, her mastery of this topic and its application to the legal profession is clearly evident.

Rusanow's approach is much broader than the typical technology centric approach to knowledge management - recognizing that while technology is the enabler, lawyers must also look at scope, organization and culture to be successful at knowledge management. Chapters are also dedicated to the relationship between knowledge management and clients, and how to measure the value of knowledge management. The author also devotes a chapter each to knowledge management for law departments and solo practitioners.

I highly recommend it!

Book Review: Knowledge Management and the Smarter Lawyer
The first book on KM expressly written for lawyers came out this year. It is Knowledge Management and the Smarter Lawyer by Gretta Rusanow. The publisher is American Lawyer Media, the leading legal news publisher in the U.S. This book is a guide for implementing KM programs in law firms. It paints a rosy picture about how KM can help a law business. "If knowledge management is done well, leveraging the knowledge that differentiates you from your competitors will lead to reduced costs, increased revenue, increased profitability, a more satisfying work environment - and the best lawyers, the best clients and the best work." (p. 31)

Rusanow provides this definition for KM: "[K]nowledge management is the leveraging of your firm's collective wisdom by creating systems and processes to support and facilitate the identification, capture, dissemination and use of your firm's knowledge to meet your business objectives." (p. 7) She says that firms need to develop KM strategies. Such strategies may mean starting small with a pilot project in a practice group. Rusanow acknowledges that larger KM initiatives require management support.

Rusanow sets the record straight that KM is not simply a technology solution. She suggests that attorneys should spend time creating a knowledge base of precedent documents as part of a KM program. Precedent documents are form documents that would be commonly used by other attorneys. The idea is these documents will improve efficiency so lawyers will spend less time "reinventing the wheel". The trouble is, in law, wheels come in so many shapes and sizes. Rusanow recommends that senior attorneys should be creating the precedent documents while associates would alter them to fit circumstances according to their clients' needs. This way of doing things would change the way firms conduct their business. Senior attorneys may not want to lose time that they could be billing to their clients.

Rusanow identifies the time-based billing model as "probably the single greatest barrier to knowledge management." (p. 194) She says hourly billing promotes inefficiency because it rewards slow work, but KM is about efficiency. She advocates alternative billing methods such as billing by transaction. The American Bar Association's Commission on Billable Hours has explored such options, but it seems that the ubiquitous practice of hourly billing is firmly entrenched in the legal community. For reasons not related to knowledge management, many attorneys would like to do away with billable hours. These reasons have to do with quality of life issues. There is great pressure on attorneys to meet billing quotas, frequently more than 2,000 hours a year. Regardless, hourly billing looks like it is here to stay.

All in all, Rusanow's book seems to offer more cheerleading than evidence that her version of knowledge management will work. The 484-page book includes only two references to other sources. One is a Nonaka article, The Knowledge Creating Company, and the other is a report produced by her own consulting agency, Curve Consulting. Rusanow should have included references to the works of other KM theorists, including Working Knowledge by Davenport and Prusak.

It will be interesting to see how well this book is accepted by the legal community. It is unlikely that its concepts will be implemented wholesale because of its position on time-based billing. One thing it will do is open up the idea that KM is more than a technology solution.

Another book on KM for attorneys, Effective Knowledge Management for Law Firms by Matthew Parsons will hit the presses in 2004. Oxford University Press will publish it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Awesome Book!
This is the best book for those of you looking into the paralegal profession. It helped me land my first paralegal job. A must buy!

The Most Complete Paralegal Job Search "How-to" Available
Andrea Wagner tells you everything you need to know to get your first paralegal job. Everything. This honest and to-the-point book offers examples of everything you'll need for your job search and detailed information about how to use each piece of paper and each opportunity. The practical advice on where to look for jobs, who to talk to when you find them and how to dress for the big day are critical. The list of probable interview questions along with potential responses to difficult or inappropriate questions will give you confidence, and the advice on how to negotiate better compensation will enable you to get what you're worth. Wagner also provides an impressive list of legal buzzwords that will help you sound like an old-timer once you are on the job. If you're serious about getting your first paralegal job, do yourself a favor. Buy this book.

Excellent resource for paralegals of all experience levels
In my job as Career Development Coordinator for a major ABA-approved paralegal school, I frequently recommend this book to current students and graduates alike. I recommend it to new paralegals as a step-by-step guide to finding a job, and to experienced paralegals as a great tool for making sure that your job-search skills are as sharp as your legal skills.

Greatly improve your employment prospects: Use this resource
I loaned this book to a friend who had trouble finding decent paralegal employment. Within 7 days, she had 2 quality offers. I referred her to the chapters on networking, job searches, the interview, and salary negotiation strategies. I also included a separate salary survey. So the book paid immediate dividends for my friend. I also refer to the book frequently. I just completed paralegal school and still use the book for the resume and cover letter information. This book reads easily, cover all of the pertinent subjects, and is useful from the time a paralegal career and education are being considered, untilyour first year in your new job. Experienced paralegals should find all of the chapters relating to job hunting very useful and updated. However, I do have a problem, that is I don't have enough copies to loan to my friends. The book is only helpful when used, though. If you choose to let it collect dust, you will not receive the full benefits of all of the tested tips and advice.

Jeff Sparks Paralegal Tomorrow ... Read more

Book Description

In addition to its coverage of agency and partnership, the new edition of Agency and Partnership Law adds coverage of limited liability partnerships and limited liability companies. Because the authors feel that agency law is the foundation on which the law of business firms is built, the second edition retains substantial treatment of both the contract and tort aspects of agency law. Rosin and Closen integrate problems into the text to facilitate teaching by the problem method and introduces a transactional perspective by using problems that ask students to structure transactions so as to achieve client goals while addressing the concerns raised in the materials. The new edition also continues to cover the various unincorporated firms by comparing and contrasting their functional characteristics. ... Read more

Book Description

Everyone from investors to employees to executives is asking what corporations can do to begin effectively governing themselves.

Corporate Governance explores how directors must deal with internal events from strategy formulation to executive compensation, and external events from hostile takeover attempts to shareholder activism.

Based on a course of the same name at the Darden School of Business, it provides a complete action plan for understanding the nuances of successful governance, and improving the performance of boards of directors.

Book Description

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT TODAY provides students with a colorful, lively introduction to the legal environment of business. This highly visual text builds a solid base of legal knowledge, while presenting material in a comprehensible, interesting manner. ... Read more

Book Description

For companies in and around the telecommunications field, the past few years have been a time of extraordinary change-technologically and legally. The enacting of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the development of international trade agreements have fundamentally changed the environment in which your business operates, creating risks, responsibilities, and opportunities that were not there before.

Until now, you'd have had a hard time finding a serious business book that offered any more than a cursory glance at this transformed world. But at last there's a resource you can depend on for in-depth analysis and sound advice. Written in easy-to-understand language, Telecommunications Law in the Internet Age systematically examines the complex interrelationships of new laws, new technologies, and new business practices, and equips you with the practical understanding you need to run your enterprise optimally within today's legal boundaries.

* Offers authoritative coverage from a lawyer and telecommunications authority who has been working in the field for over three decades.
* Examines telecommunications law in the U.S., at both the federal and state level.
* Presents an unparalleled source of information on international trade regulations and their effects on the industry.
* Covers the modern telecommunications issues with which most companies are grappling: wireless communication, e-commerce, satellite systems, privacy and encryption, Internet taxation, export controls, intellectual property, spamming, pornography, Internet telephony, extranets, and more.
* Provides guidelines for preventing inadvertent violations of telecommunications law.
* Offers guidance on fending off legal and illegal attacks by hackers, competitors, and foreign governments.
* Helps you do more than understand and obey the law: helps you thrive within it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Worth the money I have spent for it.
Who would have known that a book about telecommunications law could be this interesting?! The author deserves credit. She has both technical background and she is J.D. too. Wonderful examples. It is book worth saving for future reference. ... Read more

Book Description

Inventors, business people, programmers and other professionals often possess confidential information that gives them an advantage in their field. The sad reality, however, is that a secret can be leaked, obliterating any benefit it provided.

Protect yourself and your business. Armed with Nondisclosure Agreements, you have the step-by-step instructions and legal forms you need to safeguard your trade secrets, even if they reach the wrong hands.

Written by attorneys who specialize in intellectual property, this book guides you through the development of a nondisclosure agreement, explaining the "fine print" so that you can keep your information confidential. Nondisclosure agreements can be tailored for every type of situation, including:

* employers maintaining employee secrecy
* inventors keeping their gadgets under wraps
* businesses licensing their secret technology
* programmers beta-testing their software
* marketers protecting customer lists
* and many more

The book provides a thorough, easy-to-follow analysis of trade secret law and nondisclosure agreements, including an explanation of how trade secrets are created and who owns them. Includes over 15 forms as tear-outs and on CD-ROM. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Applies to all businesses, but especially consultants
This book is applicable to all businesses and industries, but my review is from the perspective of an IT consultant. In my profession we've all signed a nondosclosure agreement at one time or another, and we frequently make presentations or provide information that discloses trade secrets, or business-sensitive information to clients and potential clients.

This book contains a clear explanation about what you should be protecting with a nondisclosure agreement and does so in detail. The author clearly explains how to protect youself from both employees and competitors, as well as from potential business alliances (contractor/subcontractor, suitors in a merger or acquisition to whom you expose sensitive information, and clients to whom you make presentations and reveal processes and other sensitive information).

Key topics of importance that this book covers include:

* How much protection an NDA affords you.
* Remedies available to you in the NDA is violated.
* Alternatives to NDAs.

It also covers non-compete agreements and their limitations, especially in certain states, and gives example NDAs for specific situations such as beta testing, customer data, etc. The accompanying CD ROM provides fifteen sample forms that can be used with little or no modification (although I recommend that all be checked by an attorney who specializes in intellectual property law and is familiar with nuances of the law in your state). ... Read more