Full course description
When starting a new venture, understanding the relevant laws can make or break your success. This course covers the basics of business law for an entrepreneur. It reviews legal structures for a new venture, intellectual property, employment law, contracts, government regulation, and personal and real property.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand basic legal terminology and the larger legal environment
- Identify and distinguish among the three basic legal structures of business organization
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a sole proprietorship
- Understand the rules and liabilities involved in a partnership
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a corporation, and the steps necessary to incorporate
- Distinguish between a general partnership and a limited partnership or a limited liability partnership
- Explain the differences between S corporations and limited liability companies
- Identify the three major types of franchises and discuss the pros and cons of franchising
- Explain the major legal protections for intellectual property rights
- Define and distinguish between patents and copyrights
- Discuss the importance of trademarks
- List the criteria that define a trade secret
- Identify the areas of employment law that are most relevant to entrepreneurs
- Define the four legal elements involved in forming a contract
- Discuss the Statute of Frauds and the types of contracts to which it applies
- Explain Article 2 of the Universal Commercial Code and how it applies to sales contracts
- Understand the basics of tax law as it applies to a business
- Identify the major areas of federal regulation that apply to businesses
- Understand basic legal principles applying to personal property
- Understand basic legal principles applying to real property
- Identify the legal means for transferring ownership of real property
- Identify the three types of bankruptcy defined under federal law
Estimated length: 5 hours
Access time: 90 days
0.5 CEUs
5 HRCIs
SHRM PDCs: 5