Chapter 4 Further reading
Books
A Cadbury, Corporate Governance and Chairmanship: A Personal View (OUP 2002). |
Provides a practical account of numerous issues involving the board of directors. An extremely interesting personal account of what it is to be a director. |
D French, Mayson, French & Ryan on Company Law (36th edn, OUP 2019) ch 16. |
A highly detailed and analytical discussion of the general duties and those transactions requiring shareholder approval. |
B Hannigan, Company Law (5th edn, OUP 2018) chs 8-14 |
Provides a detailed and structured discussion of the codification of directors’ duties and the duties themselves. |
Journal articles
A Alcock, ‘An Accidental Change to Directors’ Duties’ (2009) 30 Co Law 362. |
Discusses the duty to act within powers and argues that s 171 does not alter the prior common law duty. |
HC Hirt, ‘The Law on Corporate Opportunities in the Court of Appeal: Re Bhullar Bros Ltd’ [2005] JBL 669. |
Provides a detailed discussion of the corporate opportunity doctrine. |
A Keay, ‘Section 172(1) of the Companies Act 2006: An Interpretation and Assessment’ (2007) 28 Co Law 106. |
Discusses the key phrases contained within the duty to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members, and argues that s 172 is unlikely to achieve its aims. |
A Keay, ‘The Duty of Directors to Exercise Independent Judgment’ (2008) 29 Co Law 290. |
Discusses the common law background to the duty to exercise independent judgment and explores to what extent, if any, the duty contained in the Companies Act 2006 will adopt a different approach. |
A Keay, ‘Company Directors Behaving Poorly: Disciplinary Options for Shareholders’ [2007] JBL 656. |
Discusses the practical ability of shareholders to discipline directors, focusing on the shareholders’ ability to remove the directors under the CA 2006, s 168. |
R Edmunds and J Lowry, ‘The Continuing Value of Relief for Directors’ Breach of Duty’ (2003) 66 MLR 195. |
Discusses the courts’ ability to grant relief for breach of duty and argues that a more radical approach is required than that contained in s 1157. |
A Walters, ‘Directors’ Duties: The Impact of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986’ (2000) 21 Co Law 110. |
Discusses how the CDDA 1986 has affected the development of the directors’ duty of care and skill. |
P Watts, ‘The Transition From Director to Competitor’ (2007) 123 LQR 21. |
Discusses a number of cases where a director leaves a company in order to compete with it, and examines to what extent such action breaches the duties relating to conflicts of interest. |
S Witney, ‘Duties Owed by Shadow Directors: Closing in on the Puppet Masters?’ (2016) 4 JBL 311. |
Argues that the reforms introduced by the SBEEA 2015 do not clarify the duties owed by shadow directors. |
Reports and consultation papers
Law Commission, Company Directors: Regulating Conflicts of Interest and Formulating a Statement of Duties (Law Com No 261, 1999) Pts 4 and 5. |
Although the entire report is of use, Pts 4 and 5 are of particular use. Part 4 discusses the extent to which directors’ duties should (and can) be codified. Part 5 discusses the duty of care and skill. |
Law Commission, Company Directors: Regulating Conflicts of Interest and Formulating a Statement of Duties: Consultation Paper (Law Com CP No 153, HMSO 1999). |
Provides a clear and analytical account of the common law duties and recommends a number of options for reform. Chapter 14 examines the advantages and disadvantages of codifying directors’ duties. |
Websites
The website of the Hampton-Alexander Review. |
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https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/women-on-boards-reports |
The website of the Davies Review on boardroom gender diversity. |