THE OBJECTIVE OF THE COMPANY

The important role that corporate governance has played in a wide range of public companies is self-evident. Recent major corporate failures are more or less related to bad corporate governance and the increasing corporate scandals call for good corporate governance not only in China but all around the world. Corporate governance is principally about how companies are structured and directed, which is indeed a quite broad field. It is a good direction to discuss how to improve the overall corporate governance level in China through the perspective of perfecting shareholder protection. However, while running companies for shareholder interests is getting increasingly more criticisms, the so-called stakeholder model and entity model are raised as alternative approaches. Accordingly, it is the purpose of this paper to find the most appropriate corporate objective which could be applied as the starting point for future corporate governance discussion by providing a right direction for assessing and evaluating corporate performance and accountability of management. Through the comparative studies of the three models, this paper concludes that shareholder primacy is a more effective and efficient approach with regard to advancing social welfare and controlling director’s accountability among others; the other two models cannot justify substituting the shareholder model as the corporate objective.     

Company Liability and Competition Law: Exposure of Company to Risk of Undesirable Behaviour of Directors

In order to protect the objectives of competition policy, companies as undertakings are primarily targeted for the competition law infringements based on the mixed approach of compliance and deterrence theories relying on the view that company directors are incentivised to comply with the rules of competition law by the internal compliance programmes and corporate fines are the consequences of incompliance. This enforcement strategy gives rise to a tension between corporate governance, company law and competition law, as the former two focus on the behaviour of individuals within the corporate structure, while the latter concerns the impact of the company’s behaviour in the market. The question that arises in this tension is whether or to what extent competition law actually considers the way in which the company is run internally while it seeks to promote these primary objectives. This article analyses the deterrent effectiveness of primary enforcement strategy employed in the UK competition law regime and argues that competition law does not tend to localise the source of conduct or particular decisions and does not aim to correct the right wrongdoer. Despite that lack of effectiveness of public enforcement strategy to deter further anti-competitive behaviour has led individual sanctions to be introduced by the Enterprise Act 2002 and the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 in the UK, companies are still primarily targeted by corporate fines even though directors have intentionally breached the rules of competition law and this strategy is unlikely to deter directors from engaging with undesirable behaviour which exposes the company to risk of liability and loss.

     

论资本监管与公司治理

公司作为独立交易主体的法律安排所产生的矛盾及其在控制条件下引发的公司与社会间的利益冲突 ,决定了公司治理问题的产生及内容。因此 ,在公司法意义上 ,公司治理的范畴不局限于公司机构的调整和改革 ,还应包括公司资本监管体系的改革和完善。这不仅具有理论意义 ,而且作为一种制度安排 ,资本监管在公司法框架内 ,为第三人、公司债权人及其他利益相关者提供了介入或影响公司治理的法律途径 ,从法律技术上解决了多边治理的制度安排问题     

Regulating Political Donations by Companies: Challenges and Misconceptions

This paper analyses the regulation of company political donations in the UK. It argues that UK policy makers have failed to understand the nature of company donors and, consequently, that the UK Companies Act 2006 requirement for shareholder consent for company donations is not an effective solution to concerns about company donors. To this end, the paper presents a comprehensive empirical analysis of company donations to show that the vast majority of donor companies are closely held or owner‐managed entities where shareholder consent rules are ineffective. The paper highlights particular concerns that arise with donation by such companies and argues for a more accurate understanding of company donations in order to formulate effective policy responses to concerns about the role of company donors.     

论我国公司法立法结构的变革

公司法立法结构关乎公司法的立法质量、成本以及公司运行效率。我国采用统一公司法的立法模式,以有限责任公司为目标公司,并以股份有限公司为有限责任公司的衍生品。这种立法结构扭曲了股份有限公司和有限责任公司的相互关系,造成了在法律解释和适用上的诸多困难。在未来修改公司法时,我国应以股份有限公司为目标公司,以有限责任公司为其例外,重新构建公司法的结构。     

公司法律形态结构改革的走向

现行公司法上,公司法律形态存在着结构性问题。有限责任公司虽属封闭公司,但没有涵盖发起设立股份有限公司,而股份有限公司却容纳了公开公司和封闭性的发起设立股份有限公司。这种结构导致了封闭公司适用不同规则,公开性股份有限公司、封闭性股份有限公司适用同样的规则。公司法改革的取向是整合封闭公司资源,重塑有限责任公司形态,涵盖所有封闭公司,并使股份有限公司仅具有公开公司特点,不再涵盖发起设立的公司。在此基础上,同一法律形态的公司适用同样的规则,以利公司法现代化。同时,实现公司法体系一元化,外商投资有限责任公司与内资有限责任公司并轨,这是重塑有限责任公司形态的应有内涵。     

我国《公司法》体系的重构——一种解释论的观点

1993年以来我国《公司法》虽经过多次修订、修改,但其体系结构并没有发生实质的变化。由于历史的原因,我国《公司法》最初是为现代企业制度的建立,而参酌各国公司立法经验,整合了有限责任公司法规范和股份公司法规范,采取“统分结合”的方式,形成了现行法上的规范体系。这一体系对法律解释和法律适用产生了困扰。各国现代公司法体系是19世纪自由竞争和工业经济的产物,是为大型公开公司的需求而设计的。多数国家以公开公司为基础,以封闭公司为例外,建立了公司法的体系,在立法形式上,采取这两类公司的分别立法或统一立法的模式。近年来,以英国和日本为代表的国家进行了公司法的改革,转变了原有的观念,以中小企业和封闭公司为基础构建一般规范,对公开公司作出例外规定或就某一事项作出单独规定。我国《公司法》的修订应顺应当代知识经济和数字经济的要求,在坚持现行法上将有限责任公司和股份有限公司统合于一部公司法典的基本模式的同时,建立从公司设立、存续到消灭等的同一事项中以具有封闭性质的中小公司为定位建立基础规范,对具有公开性质的大公司作例外或单独规范,以利于公司法的解释和适用。     

Glocal targeted open innovation: challenges,opportunities and implications for theory,policy and practice

In line with the growing number and type of innovation sources and partners, companies’ institutional set up to manage the potential problems of multiple sources and partners for innovation is increasingly challenged to develop and maintain effective and efficient corporate innovation activities. The paper highlights recent developments of open innovation in companies. Findings are based on company case studies involving companies from different industries and company representatives. It shows that open innovation is actually a paradigm long practised but the main efforts are targeted to continuously developing the organization and managerial model of companies to meet the new innovation challenges.     

关于公司法实施中的若干问题

在公司法实施中暴露的主要问题是发起人虚假出资、控制股东行为不规范、公司人格混同及被滥用现象突出。完善公司立法应立足中国国情,统一公司与企业法,重构公司资本制度,降低公司设立门槛,完善公司治理,细化债权人保护规则以增强法的可诉性;在公司司法方面,宜完善司法解释并由最高人民法院公布公司案例,发挥其引导作用;在揭开公司面纱方面尤其应结合中国的国情和司法实践,而不宜机械地照般国外的理论。     

母子公司相互持股之法律规制

母子公司相互持股异于一般公司间的相互持股,其对传统公司法基本原则与具体制度产生了一定的冲击并导致了一系列法律问题。我国时下的公司法修改应秉承公司法的基本精神,原则上允许母子公司相互持股,但相应地,可以规定对母公司的直索责任并限制子公司反向持股的表决权。     

公司本质论纲——公司法理论体系逻辑起点解读

对公司本质的承诺直接决定着公司法理论的走向。本文从超越“唯一本质观”出发 ,全面评述了法人拟制说、法人否认说和法人实在说的理论优势和局限及其对立法实践的影响。在此基础上 ,介绍了“公司的合同理论”的基本主张 ,系统分析了该种公司本质观的理论优势 ,认为对公司本质的这种承诺必将引发公司法研究的整体转向 ,为公司法研究提供一个极具潜力的理论生长点。     

公司重组之上市公司收购法律透视

公司重组实质上是从法律角度谈资产重组 ,也即用法律来约束和规范公司重组中所涉及的各方利益主体及其行为。在现阶段 ,我国主要的公司重组方式有国有企业股份制改造、公司收购、公司的合并与分立、公司间的相互持股参股、资产置换、增资扩股等等。在这些重组过程中 ,法律所起的作用不言自明。本文将具体分析上市公司收购这种重组方式 ,结合我国证券法的有关规定 ,对其间所涉及的相关法律问题做出阐述 ,并提出自己对相关立法和实践的完善意见     

Factors affecting the transfer of technology from industry/university cooperatives to sponsoring companies

This paper illuminates the technology-transfer process by identifying the factors affecting the implementation decisions of sponsor companies with regard to eight projects conducted at two industry/university cooperative-research centers. Telephone interviews with corporate-sponsor representatives provided the data. The factors reported most often as influential in the decision of whether or not to use research results were relevance of the project, researcher's ability to demonstrate the usefulness of the results, and the quality of communication with the researcher. When results were not used, lack of company support and lack of communication within the company also appeared to be influential. The end result of these analyses is a model depicting the factors that affect the implementation decision.     

论我国一人公司法律制度的完善

传统公司法理论以缺乏团体人格为主要理由,否认一人公司的法律地位。然而,一人公司以自身的特点赢得了投资者的关注,并被许多国家认可。一人公司已在实践中对我国《公司法》提出挑战,为了中国企业制度的科学完善,我国应从法律上对一人公司进行规制。     

一人公司对传统公司法的冲击

自２０世纪８０年代开始，许多国家顺应现代市场经济发展的客观需要，先后在公司法中确立了一人公司的合法地位。但是，一人公司的出现与发展，对传统的公司社团性理念以及公司法律制度产生了极大的冲击，使人们不得不重新思考公司制度的本质特征。本文认为，传统的公司理念对公司立法承认一人公司不利，应强调公司的本质特征为“公司是独立于其出资人的法人”，而不在于其社团性。但我们必须正视一人公司的弊端，因为一人股东确实打破了复数股东的相互制衡性。因此，应在公司法确立一人公司的合法地位同时，强化对一人公司运行机制的平衡控制。如强化公司资本制度，严格资本充实规则；在公司登记中强化公示主义与要式主义的适用；在法定的有限范围内对一人股东适用无限责任；特定场合下适用揭开公司面纱的制度等。     

合伙企业所得税制度的困境和出路——从创业投资企业个人合伙人所得税争议切入

个人合伙人来源于创业投资企业的所得是否能够适用20%的所得税税率的争议,其实质是我国合伙企业所得税制度在理论上是遵循“集合论”还是“实体论”的争议。根据这两种不同理论构建的合伙企业所得税制度之间存在巨大的差别。我国对合伙企业所得税只在合伙人层面征收仅仅是一种形式上符合“集合论”的政策选择。如果以我国《个人所得税法》为前提考察有关税收规范中的具体规则可以发现,支撑我国合伙企业所得税制度的核心是“实体论”。这种形式上采用“集合论”而实质上为“实体论”的混合模式使得合伙企业所得税制度形成了独有的内在逻辑,即合伙企业虽然不作为纳税主体但其是阻隔所得穿透的实体,这需要一个理论清晰、具有普遍适用性的单行立法来体现。在不改变当前以“实体论”为主的路径下,合伙企业所得税制度的立法还应当区分有限合伙人和普通合伙人的税收待遇,从而更好地促进税负公平。     

Share Capital and Creditor Protection: Efficient Rules for a Modern Company Law

This article examines the case for rules of company law which regulate the raising and maintenance of share capital by companies. The enquiry has practical relevance because the content of company law is currently under review, and the rules relating to share capital have been singled out for particular attention. The existing rules, which apply generally, are commonly rationalised as a means of protecting corporate creditors. The analysis considers whether such rules can be understood as responses to failures in the markets for corporate credit. It suggests that whilst the current rules are unlikely, on the whole, to be justified in terms of efficiency, a case may be made for a framework within which companies may 'opt in' to customised restrictions on dealings in their share capital.     

The European airline industry: law and economics of low cost carriers

This article offers an analysis of the European airline industry in order to understand the new dynamics of the competitive field. The liberalization process did not lead the entrance of competitors similar to incumbents, but a new organizational model has been developed, the one of low cost carriers. The incumbents’ reaction to the liberalization process coupled with the entrance of low cost companies into the sector are hence considered. Two theories are analysed: the contestable markets theory, to understand the theoretical vision that has influenced the liberalization process, and the core theory, a modern approach to the concept of destructive competition that, according to some authors, is a recurring problem in the sector. While numerous barriers to entry still exist, the paper examines how the organizational model of low cost companies has helped new entrants to overtake these obstacles. By the same token, the application of the core theory does not seem to justify strategic alliances taking place in these years. The competitive framework is definitely clearer if we analyse sector changes in a different way, from the point of view of low cost companies considered as new market actors.