SPROTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

BUSI 2601A
WINTER 2020
BUSINESS LAW

Instructor: Sam Schwisberg

Office Hours: By appointment
Email: SamSchwisberg@cunet.carleton.ca OR for a faster response:
sam@tslegaloffice.com
Phone Number: 613 236 8000 X229
Cell Phone: 613 262 2951 (feel free to text me)

Course meets: Every Thursday from 6:05 PM to 8:55 PM commencing JANUARY

9, 2020 and ending APRIL 2, 2020 inclusive EXCEPT FOR FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Course Description:
The legal system and legal ordering as they affect those engaged in business activities.
Emphasis on the law of tort, law of contract, agency and bailment, business associations
(partnerships/proprietorships/corporations) and real estate.

Lectures 3 hours weekly

Learning Outcomes:
The broad objective of the course is to give students an understanding of the legal
environment’s impact on Canadian businesses. After the course, students who apply
themselves will be able to appreciate the implications of the law on business at the
operational and strategic levels. They will come to know that compliance with the law
forms not only an essential part of operating a business but should also form a key
element within the strategic planning process of any well-run business.

Reading(s)/Textbook(s)/Required Materials:
Legal Guide for the Ontario Entrepreneur, published by Top Hat, 2019
Author: Samuel Schwisberg,
Top Hat Textbook ISBN: 978-1-77412-144-3
Top Hat 1 Semester Subscription ISBN: 978-0-9866151-0-8 
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Course Requirements & Methods of Evaluation:

PARTICIPATION: 10%

SEE THE NOTE ON PARTICIPATION EVALUATION THAT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS THE

MARK BREAKDOWN

MIDTERM EXAMINATION: 40% ON FEB 13, 2020

FINAL EXAMINTION: 50% DURING FORMAL EXAM PERIOD

THIS MARK ALLOCATION IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING ESSAY

OPTION:

ESSAY OPTION: A STUDENT MAY SELECT THE ESSAY OPTION SIMPLY BY

SUBMITTING THE ESSAY ON THE DUE DATE OF MARCH 12, 2020. STUDENTS NOT
SUBMITTING A PAPER BY 11;59 PM ON MARCH 12 WILL BE DEEMED TO
HAVE DECLINED THE OPTION. THE ONLY WAY TO CHOOSE THE OPTION IS BY
SUBMITTING THE PAPER ON TIME. EMAILS, WRITTEN NOTES, TEXTS AND
COMMUNICATIONS OF ANY KIND OTHER THAN SUBMISSION OF THE PAPER SHALL NOT
CONSTITUTE SELECTION OF THE ESSAY OPTION.

IF AND ONLY IF THE ESSAY OPTION IS SELECTED BY THE DUE DATE.

THE MARK ALLOCATION WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:

PARTICIPATION 10%

MIDTERM EXAMINATION: 30% ON FEB 13, 2020

FINAL EXAMINTION: 40% DURING FORMAL EXAM PERIOD

ESSAY 20% NO LATER THAN MARCH 12 @ 11:59

PM

THE TOPIC AND OTHER DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED DURING THE SECOND LECTURE
AND POSTED ON CU LEARN

PARTICIPATION EVALUATION

We will be using the Top Hat (202) classroom response system in class. You will be able
to submit answers to in-class questions using Apple or Android smartphones and tablets,
laptops, or through text message. Additionally, we will be using the custom-built
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interactive textbook Legal Guide for the Ontario Entrepreneur within Top Hat for this
class.

Of the 12 lectures in this course, one will be dedicated to the midterm examination,
leaving 11 lectures to earn participation marks. Each lecture will feature 5 questions,
each worth 0.2 marks, for a total of 1 mark per class. Therefore, a student who attends all
11 lectures and answers every question will be able to earn a bonus mark since there are
11 available marks and participation is worth 10% of the final grade.

Note that a student does not have to answer the question correctly to achieve the
participation mark. Simply participating will earn the participation marks. Participation
in this manner will also familiarize the student with the types of questions to be asked in
the midterm and final examinations.

You can visit the Top Hat Overview (https://success.tophat.com/s/article/Student-Top-

Hat-Overview-and-Getting-Started-Guide) within the Top Hat Success Center which
outlines how you will register for a Top Hat account, as well as providing a brief
overview to get you up and running on the system.

An email invitation will be sent to you by email, but if don’t receive this email, you can
register by simply visiting our course
website: https://app.tophat.com/e/234698/page/153281629
Note: The course code will be provided shortly

Top Hat may require a paid subscription, and a full breakdown of all subscription options
available can be found here: www.tophat.com/pricing.

Your textbook will be applied at checkout for an additional fee. Don’t worry if you don’t
see any content in the course right away, I will make it available to you as we progress
through the semester.

Should you require assistance with Top Hat at any time, due to the fact that they require
specific user information to troubleshoot these issues, please contact their Support Team
directly by way of email (support@tophat.com), the in app support button, or by calling
1-888-663-5491.

Course Schedule:

Chapter references are to the Top Hat Textbook

JAN 9 LECTURE ONE – CHAPTER ONE - Foundations of Law

JAN 16 LECTURE TWO – CHAPTER TWO - From Philosophy to the

Canadian Legal Framework
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JAN 23 LECTURE THREE – CHAPTER THREE -Dispute Resolution,

JAN 30 LECTURE FOUR – CHAPTER FOUR – Contracts

FEB 6 LECTURE FIVE – CHAPTER FIVE – Contract Disputes

FEB 13 MID TERM EXAMINATION IN CLASS

FEB 2O NO LECTURE – NO CLASSES – WINTER BREAK

FEB 27 LECTURE SIX – CHAPTER SIX - Torts

MAR 5 LECTURE SEVEN – CHAPTER SEVEN – Structuring Business

MAR 12 LECTURE EIGHT – CHAPTER EIGHT – A Closer Look at

Corporations.
NOTE: OPTIONAL ESSAY DUE DATE

MAR 19 LECTURE NINE - CHAPTER NINE – The Regulation of Business

MAR 26 LECTURE 10 – CHAPTER 10 – Property

APR 2 LECTURE ELEVEN - CHAPTER ELEVEN – Debt Financing,

Insolvency and Risk Management

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Course Sharing Websites

Materials created for this course (including presentations and posted notes, labs, case
studies, assignments and exams) remain the intellectual property of the author(s). They
are intended for personal use and may not be reproduced or redistributed without prior
written consent of the author(s).

Required calculator in BUSI course examinations

If you are purchasing a calculator, we recommend any one of the following options:
Texas Instruments BA II Plus (including Pro Model), Hewlett Packard HP 12C
(including Platinum model), Staples Financial Calculator, Sharp EL-738C & Hewlett
Packard HP 10bII

Group work
The Sprott School of Business encourages group assignments in the school for several
reasons. They provide you with opportunities to develop and enhance interpersonal,
communication, leadership, follower-ship and other group skills. Group assignments are
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also good for learning integrative skills for putting together a complex task. Your
professor may assign one or more group tasks/assignments/projects in this course. Before
embarking on a specific problem as a group, it is your responsibility to ensure that the
problem is meant to be a group assignment and not an individual one.

In accordance with the Carleton University Undergraduate Calendar (p 34), the letter
grades assigned in this course will have the following percentage equivalents:
A+ = 90-100 B+ = 77-79 C+ = 67-69 D+ = 57-59
A = 85-89 B = 73-76 C = 63-66 D = 53-56
A - = 80-84 B - = 70-72 C - = 60-62 D - = 50-52
F = Below 50

Grades entered by Registrar:

WDN = Withdrawn from the course
DEF = Deferred

Academic Regulations
University rules regarding registration, withdrawal, appealing marks, and most anything
else you might need to know can be found on the university’s website, here:
http://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/regulations/academicregulationsoftheuniversity/

Requests for Academic Accommodation

You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term.
For an accommodation request, the processes are as follows:

Pregnancy obligation
Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the
first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is
known to exist. For more details, visit the Equity Services website:
carleton.ca/equity/wp-content/uploads/Student-Guide-to-Academic-
Accommodation.pdf

Religious obligation
Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the
first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is
known to exist. For more details, visit the Equity Services website:
carleton.ca/equity/wp-content/uploads/Student-Guide-to-Academic-
Accommodation.pdf

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course,
please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) at 613-520-
6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to
send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You
must also contact the PMC no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test
or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from
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PMC, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation

arrangements are made. carleton.ca/pmc

Survivors of Sexual Violence

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning,
working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and is
survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual
Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and
to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit: carleton.ca/sexual-
violence-support

Accommodation for Student Activities

Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and
for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the
classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who
compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor
with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as
soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist.
https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-
Activities-1.pdf

For more information on academic accommodation, please contact the departmental

administrator or visit: students.carleton.ca/course-outline

Academic Integrity
Violations of academic integrity are a serious academic offence. Violations of academic
integrity – presenting another’s ideas, arguments, words or images as your own, using
unauthorized material, misrepresentation, fabricating or misrepresenting research data,
unauthorized co-operation or collaboration or completing work for another student –
weaken the quality of the degree and will not be tolerated. Penalties may include; a grade
of Failure on the submitted work and/or course; academic probation; a refusal of
permission to continue or to register in a specific degree program; suspension from full-
time studies; suspension from all studies at Carleton; expulsion from Carleton, amongst
others. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and follow the Carleton
University Student Academic Integrity Policy which is available, along with resources for
compliance at: https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/.

Sprott Student Services

The Sprott student services office, located in 710 Dunton Tower, offers academic
advising, study skills advising, and overall academic success support. If you are having a
difficult time with this course or others, or just need some guidance on how to
successfully complete your Sprott degree, please drop in any weekday between 8:30am
and 4:30pm. Our advisors are happy to discuss grades, course selection, tutoring,
concentrations, and will ensure that you get connected with the resources you need to
succeed! http://sprott.carleton.ca/students/undergraduate/learning-support/

Centre for Student Academic Support

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The Centre for Student Academic Support (CSAS) is a centralized collection of learning
support services designed to help students achieve their goals and improve their learning
both inside and outside the classroom. CSAS offers academic assistance with course
content, academic writing and skills development. Visit CSAS on the 4th floor of
MacOdrum Library or online at: carleton.ca/csas.

Important Information:
- Students must always retain a hard copy of all work that is submitted.
- All final grades are subject to the Dean’s approval.
- For us to respond to your emails, we need to see your full name, CU ID, and the email
must be written from your valid CARLETON address. Therefore, in order to respond to
your inquiries, please send all email from your Carleton CMail account. If you do not
have or have yet to activate this account, you may wish to do so by visiting
http://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/courses/BUSI/