Legal Education Programs

U.S. Corporate Law and Strategy

2021 Executive Education Certificate Program

June 14-18, 2021 | Live Virtual Program
Program Fee: $2,850 | Application Deadline: June 1, 2021

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Program Overview

U.S. Corporate Law and Strategy is geared towards allowing practitioners to meet the unique challenges of doing business in the United States. This five-day, live, virtual course will focus on several areas of corporate law as it relates to various stages of a business life cycle, including: founding and startup, formation and growth, governance, mergers and acquisitions, and reorganization.

Using an interdisciplinary and practical approach, this program will provide participants with not only an understanding of the unique legal considerations as it relates to a business’s diverse life cycle, but also the skills needed to represent clients or provide legal advice on these matters.

Who Should Attend?

The program offers valuable skills for lawyers trained outside of the United States seeking to expand or grow their practices or transition to a new, business-oriented practice, and is well-suited for U.S. trained lawyers without a corporate background who are seeking to gain a deeper understanding of business-centric practice areas of U.S law.

Participants who complete the program will earn a certificate in U.S. Corporate Law and Strategy from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Faculty Co-Directors

Featured 2021 Speakers at U.S. Corporate Law and Strategy


Michael Knoll Theodore K. Warner Professor of Law; Wharton Professor of Real Estate; Co-Director, Center for Tax Law and Policy	Sarah Pierce Legal Practice Skills Senior Lecturer; former Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Topics Covered*

The initial focal point is on the beginning of a company’s life-cycle—the start-up venture. This topic will focus the legal, business, and strategic issues faced in representing a start-up venture, including entity selection, intellectual property protection, employee issues, raising early-stage capital, first steps in developing a business plan and platform for venture capital.

As a company grows and expands, and outside investors hold equity in the company and maintain seats on the company’s board, corporate governance issues become more prominent and complex. This topic will focus on fiduciary duties to shareholders, the business judgment rule, entire fairness standards, duties that arise in the context of sale processes, and defensive measures, through the lens of transactions and Delaware case law.

The pinnacle of a company’s life cycle is typically the merger or acquisition transaction—the change of control and monetization of the company’s value. This topic will focus on the different types of M&A transactions: public versus private sales, mergers versus acquisitions, solicited versus unsolicited transactions, and the agreements (and related obligations) that govern M&A transactions.

A company may face distress—financial, operational, or otherwise—at various stages of its life cycle. Some may additionally require financial or operational restructuring to maintain the go-forward business. This topic will focus on restructuring transactions under the framework of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, including Chapter 11 going-concern sales, plans of reorganization, and the rights and obligations of a debtor-company using Chapter 11 to restructure its business and emerge from bankruptcy.

*Topics and scope are subject to change.

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Program Schedule

The live virtual format is designed to foster a cross disciplinary discussion to maximize your learning experience.

U.S. Corporate Law and Strategy will take place on Penn Law’s Zoom platform.
There will be two-to-three interactive sessions and group discussions each day between 8:00am and 11:00am-12:00pm ET. Breaks will also be scheduled intermittently.
Course materials and pre-recorded sessions will be available to help participants prepare for the program.

Program Details

Dates June 14 - 18, 2021 This five-day program begins at 8:00am and ends 11:00am-12:00pm ET.
Location 100% Online
Program Fee $2,850 Program fee includes access to all sessions, suggested readings, and course materials. Save $350! Early-Bird Application Deadline: March 26, 2021 Participants who apply by this date, and are accepted, will receive a savings of $350 off program fee.
Application Deadlines Early-bird Application Deadline: March 26, 2021 Participants who apply by this date, and are accepted, will receive a savings of $350 off program fee. Regular Application Deadline: June 1, 2021
Application Process Admission into this program is based upon the background and materials submitted via the formal, online application process. The non-refundable application fee for the program is $50. Complete instructions for submitting an application can found here. Admission will be granted on a rolling basis, but we encourage everyone interested to apply as early as possible as there are a limited number of spots available in the program.

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Continuing Legal Education Credits (CLE)

CLE credits may be available for lawyers in attendance. If you have any questions regarding CLE credits for this program, please email us at cle@law.upenn.edu.

Financial Assistance

A limited amount of financial assistance may be available to qualified applicants. Requests for more information on the qualifications and availability of assistance can be directed to USCorporateLaw@law.upenn.edu.

Contact Us

Questions about the program, application process, and admissions can be directed to USCorporateLaw@law.upenn.edu.

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