LAW-8047 Planning for the Family Owned Enterprise
Family-owned enterprises—ranging from global corporations such as Fidelity Investments, Walmart, and Cargill to local car dealerships, professional practices, and retail stores—are the backbone of the American economy. This intensive intersession course examines the unique challenges faced by family enterprises and the advisors who serve them.Key topics include choice of business entity, corporate governance structures, succession planning, family conflict management, estate and gift tax planning, risk management, and the integration of family and business objectives. Special attention will be given to the fiduciary tensions that arise when the enterprise is held in trust form, particularly the conflicting duties of Trustees versus Corporate Directors.Through case studies—including Harry Winston’s decades-long litigation among his heirs and with the corporate fiduciary, Rupert Murdoch’s succession dispute, and the landmark Demoulas family litigation—students will see how corporate law, tax law, trust and estate principles, and family dynamics intersect in real-world conflicts.By the conclusion of the course, students will have a working knowledge of how to approach advising owners and stakeholders in family enterprises with both legal rigor and sensitivity to interpersonal dynamics.No prerequisites. 2 credits.
Offered
Intersession, Spring Law