Cobb Teaches Law Class to MBA Students

August, 2015

As our long-time readers know, Mark Cobb serves as adjunct faculty at Thomas University where he has taught Leadership, Management,Economics and most recently Construction Law to upper level students and MBA candidates. He enjoys teaching, working with students, and staying current on legal trends. This fall semester, Mark will be teaching Business Law in the MBA program at TU.

Mark Cobb Teaches Business Law at Thomas University

As a Georgia construction lawyer, Mark spends the majority of everyday working in the area of business law. “Construction law,” says Mark, “is business law on steroids! Basically, the contracts are bigger, the number of parties is significantly larger, and the problems very complex. Thus, teaching business law is a natural fit for me.”

Although the semester is only 16 weeks long, the list of topics which Mark intends to cover will challenge his students. As students working toward their MBA, the classroom should be filled with bright, alert students who want to learn.  After a quick overview of the American legal system and its court structure, Mark will dive right into the subject of Contract Law. To no ones surprise, this is likely to be one of the most-emphasized sections of the class as they tackle such topics as the following:

  • the nature of contracts
  • sources of law governing contracts
  • noncontract obligations
  • bilateral and unilateral contracts
  • requirement for a valid offer for a contract
  • requirement for a valid acceptance of a contract
  • what constitutes consideration
  • consent
  • misrepresentation and fraud
  • rescission of contracts
  • illegal contracts
  • the Statute of Frauds impact on contracts
  • parol evidence rule
  • third-party beneficiaries under contracts
  • performance and breach of contracts
  • remedies for contract default

For over 20 years, the world of construction contracting has given Mark a legal and practical application for each of these specialized topics; in addition, and equally important to construction claims, Mark will discuss the concept of personal and real property including construction liens such as subcontractors lien, materialmen’s liens as well as such topics as the following:

  • the nature of property
  • acquiring ownership of property
  • rights and interests in real property
  • transfer of property
  • landlord and tenant issues (commercial)
  • insurance law
  • secured transactions
  • suretyship and guaranty
  • liens on personal property
  • security interest in real property
  • mechanics and materialmen’s liens
  • defaults and foreclosures
  • enforcement of lien rights
  • commercial papers
  • negotiable instruments
  • holders in dues course
  • good faith in business
  • general liability of parties
  • agency law

Knowing how and when to structure a business is very important.  Some of the MBA students may become entrepreneurs, consultants to industry, or attorneys; thus, Mark’s course will conclude with an in depth look into the law of various business structures including the following:

  • partnerships
  • creation of partnerships
  • operation of partnerships
  • dissolution of partnerships
  • limited liability companies
  • limited partnerships
  • limited liability limited partnerships
  • the history and nature of corporations
  • the organization and financial structures of corporation
  • nonprofit corporations
  • management of corporations
  • shareholder rights and liabilities
  • securities regulation
  • legal and professional responsibilities of auditors, consultants ands securities professionals
  • the Sherman Antitrust Act
  • the Clayton Act
  • the Robinson-Patman Act
  • employment law
  • environmental regulation

Utilizing the Socratic method, Mark’s goal is to share with his students an understanding of the practical application of current business law as well as the theories relevant to the changing legal landscape.  He plans to draw upon his over 20 years of Georgia construction law experience and resources. “For virtually every topic presented in the textbook, I have seen a real world application which enables me to enlighten the materials with first-hand knowledge. Since our firm helps property owners, general contractors, specialty trade subcontractors and material suppliers, we’ve seen most of the scenarios from multiple perspective which give us an insight other business professionals might not have.  We will be able to discuss how to deal with breaches of contract from virtually every perspective.”

If you are interesting in sitting in on Mark’s class, there are a few seats available. Contact Thomas University Admissions for more information or feel free to contact Mark directly.

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