COMLAW 305 : Financial Markets Law

Business and Economics

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Businesses need investment to grow. Many raise finance from the securities markets, in particular by listing on the Stock Exchange. Topics include raising money from the public and the rules relating to insider trading, market manipulation, disclosure obligations, takeovers and listing on the Stock Exchange and will benefit investment advisers and anyone involved in the financial markets.

Course Overview

The course is intended for students majoring in commercial law, or doing a joint major in commercial law. It is also intended for students majoring in finance or who desire to work in the financial markets – as investment bankers, traders, brokers, financial advisers or other market professionals. The course covers the legal principles governing public issues of shares and other financial products and the financial markets. Specifically, the topics include primary market regulation, the rules applicable to the stock exchanges, insider trading, market manipulation, and takeovers.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: COMLAW 203

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Commerce

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Analyse and apply the legal rules in respect of regulatory control of primary markets (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2 and 6.2)
  2. Analyse and apply the legal rules in respect of insider trading (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 8.1)
  3. Critically evaluate and apply the legal rules in respect of market manipulation (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 6.2)
  4. Identify and critically analyse the key rules of the Takeovers Code (Capability 1.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2 and 8.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Workshop 5% Group Coursework
Test 20% Individual Test
Assignment 30% Individual Coursework
Presentation 5% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 40% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Workshop
Test
Assignment
Presentation
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 36 hours of lectures, 60 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 54 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required for the test, workshop and exam.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

There is a course book that contains the course outline, lecture slides, and additional readings. There is no prescribed text.
Students will also need to have access to the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, the Takeovers Act 1993, and the Takeovers Code Approval Order 2000 (including the Takeovers Code). There is a dedicated reading list for the course.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Based on feedback from students in 2022, more in-class group discussions will be conducted to encourage students to form small learning groups.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 08/11/2023 05:01 p.m.