General Legal Notions for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Lectures include both theory and examples taken from real-life and court cases. Students will be asked to solve practical cases in which they have to apply the legal knowledge acquired during lectures and will be further encouraged to examine some leading cases and decisions taken by both Portuguese and European courts.

Learning Outcomes

SMEs represent 99.8% (INE, 2011) of the Portuguese enterprises. SMEs depend on legal regulation. This course unit focuses on the fundamental legal regulation concerning SMEs.

Students are expected to acquire a general knowledge of the fundamentals of the Portuguese legal system and to recognise the importance of legal regulation on business activities. At the end of the course unit students are expected to be able: a) to demonstrate an understanding about how the law that regulate SMEs is produced; b) to identify the various kinds of SMEs owners; c) to know the various legal alternatives on SME creation and management; d) to have the knowledge allowing them to make legally informed business decisions.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The General Legal Notions for SMEs course unit has been created especially for the Master on Accounting and Finance of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra. The legal issues that are addressed are the most relevant to give an understanding of the SMEs legal regulation.

1. What is law?

2. The Portuguese Constitution and SMEs

3. Portuguese EU integration

4. SMEs creation and management

5. SMEs and conflict resolution

6. The SMEs crisis.

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria Elisabete Gomes Ramos

Assessment Methods

Final assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Continuous assessment
Two written tests: 100.0%

Bibliography

ASCENSÃO, José de Oliveira — Direito civil : teoria geral. Coimbra : Coimbra Editora, 1997-2002. 3 vol

ESTUDOS de direito das sociedades. Pedro Maia [et al.]. 10.ª ed. Coimbra : Edições Almedina, 2010.

HENRIQUES, Miguel Gorjão. - Direito da União : história, direito, cidadania, mercado interno e concorrência. 6ª ed. Coimbra : Edições Almedina, 2010.

JUSTO, António Santos - Introdução ao estudo do direito. 5.ª ed. Coimbra : Coimbra Editora, 2011.

MACHADO, João Baptista — Introdução ao direito e ao discurso legitimador. 18ª reimp. Coimbra: Edições Almedina, 2010.

NAMORADO, Rui — Noções gerais de direito. Coimbra : FEUC, 2009. 2 vol.

PINTO, Carlos Alberto da Mota — Teoria geral do direito civil. 4ª ed. Por António Pinto Monteiro ; Paulo Mota Pinto. Coimbra : Coimbra Editora, 2005.