giovedì 28 marzo 2019

Lesson_7_2019

Revision vocabulary 
How would you define these words & phrases:
  • intermediary
  • a no cure, no pay' basis
  • goodwill
  • commission
Prespositions
  • to advise a client ___ a matter
  • a breach __ contract
  • Commercial law is governed ___ international treaties
  • An agent works ____ behalf ____ a principal
  • to apply ____ an internship
  • a contract comes _____force 

to secure a payment
to enforce law
to grant an indemnity


Unit 7: Real property law
pp. 72-73 ex 1-3 Instruments and people in real property law

  • lease= (contratto di locazione) o meglio diritto di godere di un immobile per un certo tempo.
  • licence = licenza d'uso
  • deed = atto (notarile)
  • tenant
  • landlord
  • heir
  • grantor = concessore
  • grantee = beneficiario
  • licencee
  • Language use: Forming adjectives with negative prefixes pag. 74 ex 5,6


Self Study Reading 

2: Real Property investment law ex 7, 9 
  • Key terms 2: Buying real property ex 16, 17
  •  Listening 2 Telephone enquiry:buy-to-let
  • Reading 3 Draft tenancy agreement ex 25-28
  • Language focus 
    Language notes:
    I termini "freehold" e “leasehold” sono entrambi termini di matrice feudale, che rappresentano due sistemi tipici per possedere una proprietà in UK .

    Il primo possiamo renderlo con “proprietà fondiaria assoluta/libera” Chi acquista una “freehold” proprietà diventa “freeholder” e acquisisce il massimo dei poteri possibili su quell’immobile e senza alcun limite di tempo;

    Rientrano nell'istituto di freehold:
    • Fee simple = diritto assoluto sulla proprietà 
    • fee tail = Il beneficiario ha un diritto limitato in quanto non può vendere il bene ma solo tramandarlo ai suoi eredi; la proprietà ha un vincolo inalienabile
    • life estate = il bene è di proprietà del beneficiario solo per la durata della sua vita 
    • Estate pur (pour) autre vie = simile al life estate ma il bene è di proprietà del beneficiario per la durata della vita di una terza persona. For example, if Bob is given use of the family house for as long as his mother lives, he has possession of the house pur autre vie

    Leasehold, pur traducendosi con proprietà in affitto, si riferisce alla locazione del suolo. Il termine fa riferimento ad un rapporto giuridico in base al quale un soggetto detto lessor(locatore) conferisce al lessee (locatario) un diritto esclusivo di proprietà sull’immobile per un periodo di tempo determinato, di solito per una consideration detta ground rent . Deve essere sottolineato che il lease si differenzia profondamente dalla locazione così come intesa nei sistemi civilistici, soprattutto per il fatto che il titolare del lease è titolare di un diritto di natura reale sull’immobile, dove invece il locatario dei sistemi di civil law può vantare soltanto un diritto di credito nei confronti del locatore. Quando si acquista una proprietà con leasehold bisogna prestare attenzione alle covenants, ossia le obbligazioni alle quali il lessee è tenuto ad osservare, la cui presenza rappresenta una delle particolarità più difficile da accettare per chi è abituato al sistema civilistico.


  • Dal Il sole 24 ore "A Londra la proprietà è del re"
  • From the Telegraph "How much of the UK does the Queen own?"


Act of conveyance: (atto di cessione) transfer of title in land from one person to another

Goods and chattels: beni ed effetti
title interest: diritto nel titolo, interest in the real property

Lease/let/rent vb. They are used interchangeably – More common:
To lease/let property to somebody and rent property from somebody
Lease= n. the agreement
Rent= n. the money to be paid
inheritable = passed on to heirs

References
Is Uk property still a good investment?
Real Estate in Italypros & cons of leasehold

giovedì 21 marzo 2019

Lesson_6_2019

Language revision: Company law

  • shareholders
  • regulators
  • boards of directors
  • certificate of incorporation
  • memorandum of association
  • articles of association (bylaws)
  • limited liability
  • sole propriator
  • third party
  • constitutional documents
  • corporate funding
  • public listed company
  • not personally liable for
  • debts and liabilities
  • double taxation
  • enjoy many advantages
  • benefits and drawbacks
  • advise on the best form your business should take

The Companies Act 2006 is an act of parliament that currently serves as the primary source of company law in the UK. This particular act has the distinction of being the longest in the history of British Parliament, containing 1,300 sections that span over 700 pages, with a list of contents that is 59 pages long. The act also contained 16 schedules, but those have since been superseded by the Corporation Tax Act of 2009.
The provisions of the act were implemented gradually in stages, with the final provision being put into force on October 2009. Changes were made to almost every aspect of UK company law, but the following are the key components of the act:

  • Introduced new provisions for public and private companies
  • Implemented the European Union’s Transparency Obligations and Takeover Directives
  • Codified numerous existing common law principles, including those related to directors’ duties
  • Amended or restated almost all aspects of the Companies Act 1985
  • Applied a single unified company law regime for the entire UK, replacing the previously used 
  • Separate systems for Northern Ireland and Great Britain 



Commercial law covers a very wide body of law which includes: 
  • contract law, 
  • company law, 
  • tax law,
  • intellectual property law.

Reading 1_commercial law  pp. 60-61 - ex 2-4 
Language Use: Adverb  functions pp 62-63 ex 7-8
Bodies of Law that govern Trade and Commerce




Reading_3 Role of Commercial agents
  • commercial agency agreement
  • to give agents greater protection
  • under EU law
  • good and services
  • provision of services/a service
  • on behalf of/in the name of 
  • flat rate
  • paid on commissions
  • indipendent intermediaries 
  • authority to negotiate
  • provide a convenient structure
  • the principal can benefit from 
  • on commissions basis " no cure, no pay" basis
  • to build sales volume
  • temptation to circumvent 
  • come to an end
  • significant new customer base
  • to take advantage of the goodwill 
Self study
  • Listening 1: Profile of  a commercial lawyer page 62 ex 5-6
  • Text Analysis: Letter of application for an internship pp 63-64 ex 11-13
    Reading  3 The role of commercial agents
  • Reading_4 Commercial agency contract
  • Language Focus page 71 

mercoledì 20 marzo 2019

Term of the Day


assignment

Transfer of ownership of a property, or of benefitsinterestsliabilitiesrights under a contract (such as an insurance policy), by one party (the assignor) to another (the assignee) by signing a document called deed of assignment. Compare with novation. See also absolute assignment and collateral assignment.
 
assignment is in the Agreements & Contracts and Corporate, Commercial, & General Law subjects.
 
assignment appears in the definitions of the following terms: batch costassignment under documentary creditinsubordinationcost allocation, and surety.

giovedì 14 marzo 2019

Lesson 5_2019

Let's learn something about the old BaileyThe Central Criminal Court 
FAQ about the old Bailey

Language Focus: prepositions
to be arrested ___
to be accused ___
to bring an action ___
to be convicted ____
to be sentenced ___
to have an effect ___
to have an impact ___
to be put ___ probation 
to serve ___ the bench
to serve ___ the governing board of a corporation 
to comply ____ the law
____compliance _____ 



Introduction to Company law
  • Reading 1 pp 50-51 ex 1-3


Partnerships vs Companies or Corporations


Partnership 
Limited partnership with shares= società in accomandita per azioni
Limited Partnership = società in accomandita semplice
General Partnerhip = Società in nome collettivo

Società di Capitali= Società di Capitali
Limited by Shares (plc + Ltd)
Public Company Limited by Shares (plc) = Società per azioni
Private Company Limited by Shares (Ltd) = Società a responsabilità limitata.
Setting up a company in the UK - how easy/difficult is it?

It's quite difficult to find a clear correspondence with the Italian companies especially with srl ones.
Le quote della nostra srl non sono definibili shares ma quota(s), il titolare di quote sarà definito quotaholder. In riferimento al capitale della società non potrò parlare di share capital ma di corporate capital.

The situation improves when it comes to plc (or Ltd) : Il capitale sociale è definito share capital (oppure, con terminologia americana, capital stock), i soci azionisti sono shareholders (o, sempre nella versione U.S.,stockholders) e così i principali organi sociali, quali il consiglio di amministrazione – board of directors – e l’assemblea degli azionisti – shareholders’ meeting.


- board/panel of internal auditors/statutory auditors  = sort of Collegio Sindacale  
 managing director or C.E.O. (Chief Executive Officer) = amministratore delegato
-  incorporation process: 
  • ’atto costitutivo – memorandum of association/articles of incorporation 
  • lo statuto – articles of association/bylaws 
  • iscrizione al registro delle imprese locale – registration



Last but not least.... 
procedure concorsuali – insolvency proceedings 
tassa societaria - corporation tax


That means, when in Italian we refer to a private limited company o  private company limited by shares (Ltd.) we have to talk about:+
- shares quote sociali o di partecipazione
- shareholders soci 
- share capital - capitale sociale
mentre parlare di azioni, azionisti o capitale azionario riferendosi ad una Ltd. sarebbe un errore, per i motivi sopra esposti.
On the other hand, when we in Italian want to refer to a  public company (Plc.) we have to talk about:
shares azioni,
- shareholders azionisti e
- share capital - capitale azionario.
Company act 2006 è una completa codificazione della legge sulle società in Inghilterra e Galles 
  • Reading_3: Breach of Companies Act 2006 pp54-55 ex 12-15
  • Key terms_2: Public relations page 56 ex 20
  • Text analysis: Reading a statute page 57 ex 21-23



Self Study

  • Listening 1 + Listening 2  highly suggested
  • Language Focus pag 59 ex 1-3
  •  Listening 2  Ref section 172 Company Act 2006

Extra exercises_company law  page 328 ex 2; page 330 ex 2; pp 333-334 ex 1,2;page 337 ex 1; pp 339-341 ex 1, 2 Toles foundation practice page 345 ex 1, 2
EXTRA: If you like to investigate more the area of company law
Review of Italian and UKCompany Law.  A joint study by. Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili.

giovedì 7 marzo 2019

Lesson 4_2019

Students are asked to present a case 


  • Frivolous lawsuits  Listening 1 page 32
  • Reading 4 Letter threatening legal action page 36
  • Language focus page 38




Revision Key terms

  • trial /trail/
  • lawsuit
  • out of court settlement
  • claimant/plaintiff
  • defendant
  • find for vs find against
  • affirm vs reverse a judgement
  • proximate cause
  • wilful harm
  • negligence 
  • negligent
  • intentional harm 
  • gross negligence



Reading 1 pp 39-40 ex 3-5 Match the definition with the crimes

1.      armed robbery
a  killing somebody through an act or omission
2.        arson
b  deceiving somebody out of money or property
3.      assault
c  creating a false document
4.      battery
d  using a weapon to take money or property by force or direct threat of violence
5.      bribery
e  violence or abuse against a member of the offender's own household (e.g. wife/husband and children)
6.      burglary
 intentionally burning a building
7.      domestic violence
 buying and selling illegal narcotics
8.      drug trafficking
h  operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol
9.      drunk driving
i  entering a building with intent to commit a crime
10.  embezzlement
 striking a person with intent to harm
11.  extortion 
k  attempting to physically attack a person.
12.  forgery
l  giving money etc. to influence a public official
13.  fraud
m  stealing from an employer
14.  homicide 
n  obtaining money or property through indirect threats or intimidation 

Self study

Grammar: Passive constructions
Key terms_1: punishments
Reading 2 White-collar crime page 43-44 ex ex 19-21
Law in Practice
Language Use 3: giving advice
Language Focus

Listening 1 - 4 strongly suggested