Getting Started
Getting Started
This guide is meant to help you find laws and information on corporate law issues; the goal is to provide useful, but not exhaustive, resources. If you are looking for resources to research companies and/or industries, look at this other HLS Guide.
Research requires analysis and synthesis of information, and no one resource will likely provide sufficient information or data on any given topic. Cast a broad net first, and then focus on your specific issue.
Some of the main topics involved in corporate governance include executive compensation, board composition, diversity, shareholder engagement, and sustainability.
Keeping that in mind while conducting your research, you may want to explore:
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Laws and regulations governing corporate law
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Government agencies controlling corporate law
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Practice and study aids, i.e., corporate law treatises
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News sources, including blogs
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Practical and scholarly articles
- Data on executive compensation, shareholder agreements & more
For many of these databases, you will need your Harvard University ID and PIN. For others, you may need to register to gain access. If you have any trouble accessing a database, please contact the library.
Subject Guide
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Primary Sources
Corporation Statutes, Model Laws, and Regulations
- Delaware General Corporation LawTitle 8 of the Delaware Code
- Laws that Govern the Securities IndustryIncluding the texts of the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Dodd-Frank.
- Model Business Corporation Act
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This is also available as a book in the Library. - Code of Federal RegulationsTitle 17 covers the Securities and Exchange Commission
Secondary Sources
Articles
- Google ScholarAcademic and scientific research papers on the web.
- ProQuest Business CollectionThe most comprehensive business offering, comprising all content from ABI/INFORM Complete, Accounting & Tax, Asian Business & Reference, Banking Information Source, Entrepreneurship, and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences. Featuring thousands of full-text journals, dissertations, conference proceedings, and working papers as well as trade publications, industry reports, and key periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Economist. Strong US and international coverage in business and the social sciences.
- SSRN's Corporate Governance Research CenterThe The Corporate Governance Network (CGN) is directed by Lucian Bebchuk, William J. Friedman and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor of Law, Economics, and Finance, and Director of the Corporate Governance Program, at Harvard Law School, with input and help from other members of the Corporate Governance Program.
Google Scholar
Government
Practice Materials & Study Aids
Practice Pages
- Westlaw - Corporations Practice
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- Bloomberg Law
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- Lexis Advance
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Practice and Study Aids
- Getting the Deal Through (Lexology)The Getting the Deal Through (GTDT) module of Lexology lets you quickly compare laws across different countries. The Corporate Governance section allows you to compare laws regarding governance, shareholder rights, voting rights & requirements, board structures, reporting requirements and more, across specified international jurisdictions.
- Principles of Corporate GovernanceSearch this treatise on WestlawNext.
- The Law of Corporations (Fletcher's)See chapter 15 for Corporate Governance.
- NYSE Corporate Governance: A Practical GuideThe NY Stock Exchange has created a guide to help listed companies navigate key corporate governance issues.
Current Awareness
Corporate Data
Sources of Data
In addition to using the Bloomberg Law, Westlaw, and Lexis's Intelligize research platforms, there are a variety of other databases for corporate, and finance-related data. For more information, check out:
- The Library's Research Guide on Statistical and Data-Related Resources (section on "Business, Corporate, Finance, and Market Data")
- Harvard Business School's Baker Library also has a lot of resources you may have access to (check with a Librarian for details). Check out:
- Baker Library Databases
- Baker Library's collection of Fast Answers (a FAQ)
Also check out the information and links below.
- Bloomberg TerminalA Bloomberg Terminal, providing hard financial data, is located in the Research Room (Room #353, located near the Reference Area on the 3rd floor of the Library). Please note you will need to create a separate Bloomberg Terminal account using your HLS email.
- Capital IQData on public and private companies, investment firms, capital transactions, and people. Provides sophisticated retrieval and personalization tools to create numerous reports.
- Global Financial Data (GFD)A comprehensive economic and financial time-series database covering 150 countries and 6,500 different data series. GFD includes data on stock markets from 1690, exchange rates from 1590, interest rates from 1700, commodities from 1500, and inflation from 1264. If you don't want to create an account, you can log in anonymously for more limited data access.
- OrbisA global company database that provides extensive data about a company. ORBIS allows you to screen for companies based on geography, financial performance, industry, deals, ownership structure, number of employees, year of incorporation and other criteria; and compare a company to its competitors along multiple dimensions.
- SharkWatch (formerly SharkRepellent)Searchable database of takeover defense intelligence, including more than 200 charter bylaw and poison pill data items covering US publicly traded companies. SharkRepellent is available through the FactSet research platform. Refer to the box below for information on creating a FactSet account.
- Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS)WRDS provides access to key databases in the fields of accounting, banking, economics, finance, management, marketing and public policy from leading information providers, including, among others, COMPUSTAT and CRSP. Must register for an individual account to access WRDS data. Click on the "Register" tab at the top to request an account.
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