Learning Commercial Law the Practical Way
The CLD workshops equip you with essential skills and knowledge needed to form the basis for advising on a range of English commercial law issues.
They train you to discuss and advise on various commercial law problems which your clients may face, and to prepare client memoranda on such issues.
Practical Workshops To Develop Knowledge and Skills
About Our Workshops
Our workshops focusing on practical skills and real-world applications, to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
The workshops require you to advise a fictional client on a series of realistic problems which they face throughout their commercial journey, including: choosing and designing the most effective business structure; concluding commercial contracts; raising finance; handling litigation; protecting IP rights; resolving corporate governance disputes; contemplating insolvency mechanisms and others.
The workshops are interactive and built around realistic commercial scenarios. We follow the commercial journey of a single client in a case-study which develops as the client's business moves from a start-up to an international concern.
We believe that teaching-by-doing is the most effective and enjoyable way to learn legal principles and practical solutions.
Workshops Overview
Choosing the best business type
Advise clients on which type of business vehicle best suits their commerical needs (e.g. sole tradership, partnership types, company types).
Explore how to regulate business vehicles via shareholders' agreements or by amending the Articles of Association.
Learn how to register a company.
Corporate Transactions
Explore the rules on concluding transactions before a company is incorporated (pre-incorporation contracts), and during the company's existence.
Learn how to conclude deeds and novation agreements which substitute one contractual party for another.
Discover how to use Companies House.
IP law: Trade Marks
Protect goods and services with registered trade marks. Learn which criteria are applied when deciding whether a mark can be registered.
Learn how to explore trade mark registries in the UK, EU and globally.
Learn about the various remedies available for trade mark infringements.
Corporate Governance
Explore how a company's powers are divided between its shareholders, directors and others.
Learn who can lawfully conclude contracts on behalf of a company, and what happens if these rules are breached.
Learn when minority shareholders may sue a company's directors.
International Litigation
Explore the special features of international litigation, including jurisdictional challenges.
Discover which jurisdiction's rules of private law govern litigation in different contexts.
Learn to analyse and draft dispute resolution clauses that operate reliably and predictably in EU/English courts.
IP law: Copyright
Learn how various types of creative works are created and protected under English law. Discover the rules governing ownership, infringement, and enforcement of copyright.
Explore issues regarding the licensing and commercial usage of copyright works. Discuss remedies and potential defences.
Corporate Insolvency
Learn how to advise on a restructuring plan for a company in financial difficulty. Explore how to increase assets for distribution in insolvency.
Discover how creditors can protect their position against insolvency risks.
Learn how a company's assets are distributed upon insolvency.
Corporate group liability.
Explore the implications for liability of separate corporate personality.
Learn how the liability of one member of a corporate group may be extended to other group companies. Study the features that increase or lessen risks of intra-group liability.
Explore the importance of litigation venue in such cases.
Corporate finance
Explore the various types of corporate financing (e.g. equity financing, loan finance) and their respective advantages and risks, from both a legal and commercial perspecctive.
Discover how secured financing (fixed and floating charges and mortgages) can form part of finance packages to support commercial transactions.
People behind the CLD
The experts who helped devise the practical learning experience underpinning the CLD
Nick Fletcher
Clifford Chance
Prof. Richard Fentiman
University of Cambridge
Prof Jonathan Morgan
University of Cambridge
Michael Davies
GKW law