Directors' liabilities have been a key concern in boardrooms since the various high-profile corporate failures in Europe and the United States over the past two decades, when regulation increased and shareholders' and companies' rights to bring civil claims were extended. The current financial crisis will inevitably bring with it greater risks and challenges for directors. There is an increasingly aggressive environment for civil claims, fuelled by insolvencies, shareholders' pressure and public outcry. The attention of the regulators is also ever more sharply focussed on directors' conduct. directors are understandably looking closely at the protection available to them, through both indemnification and directors' and officers' insurance. The exposures faced by directors and the extent to which indemnification and insurance may provide protection vary significantly around the world. This comprehensive second edition features contributions by leading experts on the important aspects of directors' liability, the protection available to directors and the risks of doing business in multiple jurisdictions. New to the second edition are chapters on China, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. In addition to civil claims and indemnification, each chapter now includes commentary on regulatory and criminal liability. Particular focus is placed on the impact of the credit crisis. There is also a new section dealing with regulatory issues surrounding global directors' and officers' programmes and their ability to provide cover in all intended jurisdictions. Unique in its approach, this forthcoming second edition is a powerful tool in assisting directors, officers, in-house counsel and the private practice laywers advising them to make well-informed judgements about the risks they are taking.

Shareholder litigation and class action suits play a key role in protecting investors and regulating big businesses. But Directors and Officers liability insurance shields corporations and their managers from the financial consequences of many illegal acts, as evidenced by the recent Enron scandal and many of last year’s corporate financial meltdowns. Ensuring Corporate Misconduct demonstrates for the first time how corporations use insurance to avoid responsibility for corporate misconduct, dangerously undermining the impact of securities laws. As Tom Baker and Sean J. Griffith demonstrate, this need not be the case. Opening up the formerly closed world of corporate insurance, the authors interviewed people from every part of the industry in order to show the different instances where insurance companies could step in and play a constructive role in strengthening corporate governance—yet currently do not. Ensuring Corporate Misconduct concludes with a set of readily implementable reforms that could significantly rehabilitate the system.

This new edition of Kevin McGuinness's widely cited treatise on corporate law covers the wealth of case law and legislative changes since 1999. Discover how major corporate scandals and amendments to the Canadian Business Corporations Act and Ontario Business Corporations Act have impacted the way your clients operate-and what your new responsibilities involve. Canadian Business Corporations Law, formerly known as The Law and Practice of Canadian Business Corporations, combines all commentary and analysis into a convenient, user-friendly volume that you can easily bring to court or the boardroom.