Charlesworth's Company Law - 18th edition

This new edition of Charlesworth's Company Law, the student textbook which has been produced since 1932, is the first produced by Stephen Girvin (professor of law, National University of Singapore) and two past law teachers of the year (Sandra Frisby and Alastair Hudson).

The book starts with the basics with sections on the nature of companies and company law, the company as a corporate entity and corporate capacity. It goes on to cover share capital and corporate securities and the day-to-day governance of a company, with sections on accounts and auditors and meetings. It ends with consideration of the less frequent occurrences in a company's life: insolvency and reorganisations by way of mergers, divisions and takeovers. Detailed statutory references are included as well as reviews of case law in areas such as the meaning of financial assistance.

It is in the nature of a book of this sort that topics are not considered exhaustively. However, it is a readable introduction to the areas covered and consequently the text will be of use as a reference work for solicitors who are not company law specialists as well as a handbook for students. The approach is generally academic so that, for example, the chapter on the nature and formation of registered companies includes a brief history of how limited companies came to exist in their current form before setting out which forms need to be submitted to the registrar of companies to set up a new company.