WBLC Course Offerings

Fall Semester Courses

Corporate Finance

Mondays (beginning October 21, 2024): Class times: 5:15 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

This course provides students with an understanding of current corporate finance theory and practice, with a focus on what determines a company’s value and how managers can maximize value. Emphasis is on developing the analytical skills needed for financial decision making and for understanding financial transactions (e.g., acquisitions and mergers). Topics include discounted cash flow analysis, the relationship between risk and return, cost of capital, capital budgeting (valuing business assets), corporate valuation, and capital structure (the choice between equity and debt financing). An important goal of the course is to enhance attorneys’ ability to provide value-added contributions in the corporate and other settings in which value is at play (e.g., assessing an investment proposal or the purchase/sale of a business). Students will develop a solid understanding of how businesses work financially and what the drivers of value are for shareholders and other investors.

Global Strategic Management

Wednesdays: Class times: 5:15 p.m.–6:45 p.m.

The decisions and central issues that affect the international expansion and sustainability of a company are neither obvious nor determined by the technological or economic forces generally associated with globalization. This course will explain the unexpected way in which international competition unfolds over time and across countries. By examining detailed case studies, students will gain a deeper understanding of the decisions that multinational companies face when conducting business across borders.

Specifically, Global Strategic Management will explore the:

• Emergence of new multinationals
• Models for organizing and managing a multinational network of subsidiaries, including how to coordinate and to transfer knowledge across borders
• Issues associated with managing human and social capital in the enterprise
• Persistence of cross-national differences and the effect of these differences on corporate strategies, structures, and performance
• Sequence and modes of international expansion

Spring Semester Courses

Mergers and Acquisitions

Friday: Class times: 1:45 p.m.–3:15 p.m.

This course explores how mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can catalyze firm growth and change. The objective of this course is to develop a comprehensive framework for executing M&A, from initiation to implementation. As such, we will delve deeply into acquisition screening and deal making, as well as post-merger integration. The emphasis is on the strategic, operational, and relational aspects of these transactions over the financial considerations, though we will certainly consider both. In terms of its pedagogical approach, this course is interactive, applied, and case based, with accompanying conceptual readings to help structure your thinking. This means that thorough preparation and in-class participation will be expected in each session.

Negotiations

Wednesdays: Class times: 5:15 p.m.–6:45 p.m.

This course will teach participants a systematic process for approaching any kind of negotiation or dispute resolution, whether negotiating for oneself or on behalf of a client. It features hands-on negotiation exercises that let participants experiment with new negotiating approaches and encourages them to negotiate with various partners without risking money or internal credibility. Topics addressed in the workshop include deciding when to negotiate, framing the negotiation, and developing a full repertoire of strategies for optimizing results. Particular emphasis is placed on each participant’s personal negotiation styles and how they can be adapted to be more effective.