There are currently major reforms underway within the European jurisdictions of their company laws, and the European Commission has adopted an extensive action plan. This book aims to offer a better understanding of the company laws of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. The book deals with a number of core topics and compares the rules and legal concepts on the background of EC law. There is no other book dealing with these issues and it will appeal to practising lawyers, government officials and academics.

1. The emerging discipline of European company law; 2. EC company law and comparative company law: some methodological problems; 3. Formation of companies (also including the free movement, Centros type problems); 4. Forms of business organisation; 5. Management and control; 6. Share and loan capital; 7. Protection of minority rights; 8. Employee participation; 9. Groups of companies; 10. Mergers, divisions, acquisitions and take-overs, and their cross-border aspects; 11. Investor protection and the regulation of insider trading; 12. Corporate insolvency.