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This note discusses the legal issues entrepreneurs must consider as they form their company as a legal entity. In Q&A format, the note concisely defines the types of entity available and discusses when and how to engage a lawyer.

The chief operation officer (COO) of Long Wang Sha Tan Ku Company, a boardshorts manufacturer based in Shanghai, China, was expected to present a plan to improve the company's profitability through adjustments to the company's operations. There were at least three possible paths to increase profitability. First, reviewing how production was scheduled between the company's two manufacturing facilities. Second, since the company operated at capacity during busy times, he thought that it might be beneficial for the company to expand capacity in one of its manufacturing facilities. Finally, the COO wondered whether some price adjustments could help out of the company's supply chain and increase contribution.

The president and founder of a Toronto, Ontario transportation company considers his future and that of the family-owned company in the face of major changes in the for-hire trucking industry. After 50 years in the trucking industry, the president considers simplifying operations and expanding the business or, alternatively, stepping down as president and passing control to a successor.

Global Health Partner was founded in 2006 as a privately owned health care provider in Sweden serving both public and private paying patients. In contrast to most providers in the country, GHP organized around specific service lines where it saw the potential to provide the most value. This case details the GHP approach to both Spine Care and Obesity Care demonstrating the power of specialization for quality improvement as a basis for competitive advantage. Students will examine the organization of integrated multidisciplinary care, the impact of volume on learning and efficiency , and the importance of demonstrating quality through outcomes reporting. The case also provides a window into the Swedish Health Care System.

Student spreadsheet to cases UV0840 and UV0841.

An analyst at IGM Financial (IGM) is asked to make a presentation outlining the final details of the proposed acquisition of Saxon Financial (Saxon). The analysis was to include the strategic rationale for the acquisition, an estimate of the proposed offering price for Saxon and whether or not the acquisition would be accretive to earnings per share of IGM. To complete the assignment the analyst had to calculate a preliminary valuation range based on several different valuation methodologies.

After the successful Apollo series NASA formulated a new vision for the space program, incorporating a space station and guaranteeing routine access to space via a reusable space shuttle. In 1986, the space shuttle design included two solid-rocket launchers which required the use of O-rings to seal the joints. After each launch the launchers were retrieved, inspected and possibly reused is they did not display evidence of O-ring distress. The space shuttle Challenger had flown 9 successful missions into space and was gearing up for its tenth with great fanfare due to NASA's successful public relations program, "The Teacher in Space Program". The evening prior to the January 28, 1986 launch saw representatives from the Kennedy Space Centre, the Marshall Space Flight Centre and contractor Morton Thiokol participate in a 3-hour teleconference to discuss if the predicted low temperatures would have any effect on the expected performance of the O-rings. In addition to the statistical analysis of the historical O-ring failure, the stakeholders needed to communicate their results in the appropriate flow of information.

This case series is designed to illustrate the specificities of competition in poor and developing economies and, more specifically, competition at the Base of the Pyramid. It is composed of four documents: two company cases, a country note, and an industry note. The company cases describe the competitive dynamics between two international telecom companies, Orange and MTN, in the Cameroonian telecom market. Each company case begins with a brief history of the company, followed by a description of the company's global strategy and of its entry into Cameroon. It goes on to describe the competitive dynamics in Cameroon from the company's perspective, and, particularly, the moves and counter-moves undertaken by each competitor to gain market share. Finally, the case describes the company's Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, globally and in Cameroon. The case series also includes two background notes. The first note describes the evolution and the basic technical characteristics of the cell phone industry. The second note provides an introduction to the geography, history, and economy of Cameroon, with a particular focus on the socio-economic conditions of the country's population. Taken together, this case series allows a discussion of competition at the Base of the Pyramid, including both business and ethical aspects.

This case series is designed to illustrate the specificities of competition in poor and developing economies and, more specifically, competition at the Base of the Pyramid. It is composed of four documents: two company cases, a country note, and an industry note. The company cases describe the competitive dynamics between two international telecom companies, Orange and MTN, in the Cameroonian telecom market. Each company case begins with a brief history of the company, followed by a description of the company's global strategy and of its entry into Cameroon. It goes on to describe the competitive dynamics in Cameroon from the company's perspective, and, particularly, the moves and counter-moves undertaken by each competitor to gain market share. Finally, the case describes the company's Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, globally and in Cameroon. The case series also includes two background notes. The first note describes the evolution and the basic technical characteristics of the cell phone industry. The second note provides an introduction to the geography, history, and economy of Cameroon, with a particular focus on the socio-economic conditions of the country's population. Taken together, this case series allows a discussion of competition at the Base of the Pyramid, including both business and ethical aspects.

This case series is designed to illustrate the specificities of competition in poor and developing economies and, more specifically, competition at the Base of the Pyramid. It is composed of four documents: two company cases, a country note, and an industry note. The company cases describe the competitive dynamics between two international telecom companies, Orange and MTN, in the Cameroonian telecom market. Each company case begins with a brief history of the company, followed by a description of the company's global strategy and of its entry into Cameroon. It goes on to describe the competitive dynamics in Cameroon from the company's perspective, and, particularly, the moves and counter-moves undertaken by each competitor to gain market share. Finally, the case describes the company's Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, globally and in Cameroon. The case series also includes two background notes. The first note describes the evolution and the basic technical characteristics of the cell phone industry. The second note provides an introduction to the geography, history, and economy of Cameroon, with a particular focus on the socio-economic conditions of the country's population. Taken together, this case series allows a discussion of competition at the Base of the Pyramid, including both business and ethical aspects.

This case series is designed to illustrate the specificities of competition in poor and developing economies and, more specifically, competition at the Base of the Pyramid. It is composed of four documents: two company cases, a country note, and an industry note. The company cases describe the competitive dynamics between two international telecom companies, Orange and MTN, in the Cameroonian telecom market. Each company case begins with a brief history of the company, followed by a description of the company's global strategy and of its entry into Cameroon. It goes on to describe the competitive dynamics in Cameroon from the company's perspective, and, particularly, the moves and counter-moves undertaken by each competitor to gain market share. Finally, the case describes the company's Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, globally and in Cameroon. The case series also includes two background notes. The first note describes the evolution and the basic technical characteristics of the cell phone industry. The second note provides an introduction to the geography, history, and economy of Cameroon, with a particular focus on the socio-economic conditions of the country's population. Taken together, this case series allows a discussion of competition at the Base of the Pyramid, including both business and ethical aspects.

In estimating depreciation for accounting purposes, Delta Air Lines has changed its assumptions about aircraft lifespan and residual values four times in the last thirty years or so. In the most recent changes, Delta adopted fair value accounting as part of its "fresh start" emergence from bankruptcy. Each of these policy changes has affected future asset values as well as present and future income. Students should organize their case analysis around three types of questions: (1) the estimated life cycle of commercial passenger airplanes; (2) the uses of financial reports, including the purpose of depreciation in reporting on assets and periodic income; and (3) alternative procedures for reporting asset book values and income that might better serve users of financial reports.

As Brazil's energetic but fractious democracy emerged in the 1990s, the Ethos Institute launched a movement for corporate social responsibility (CSR) that, it hoped, would both cajole the private sector to manage its own operations responsibly-for example, eschewing racism and protecting the environment-and lead Brazil to a more just, sustainable society. By 2007 Ethos had transformed CSR into a prominent national movement, which had even helped strengthen enforcement of some laws such as the prohibition of child labor. Two cases tell Ethos' story. The first (A) case describes the social context-the Brazilian private sector's ambiguous legacy of genuine community conscience yet collaboration with authoritarian regimes-and poses questions about how Ethos' leaders shaped their relations with business. How could they best strengthen the idea that business had moral obligations to society? How could they marshal influence to secure compliance with CSR norms? How should they define corporate social responsibility? HKS Case Number 1880.1

As Brazil's energetic but fractious democracy emerged in the 1990s, the Ethos Institute launched a movement for corporate social responsibility (CSR) that, it hoped, would both cajole the private sector to manage its own operations responsibly-for example, eschewing racism and protecting the environment-and lead Brazil to a more just, sustainable society. By 2007 Ethos had transformed CSR into a prominent national movement, which had even helped strengthen enforcement of some laws such as the prohibition of child labor. Two cases tell Ethos' story. The first (A) case describes the social context-the Brazilian private sector's ambiguous legacy of genuine community conscience yet collaboration with authoritarian regimes-and poses questions about how Ethos' leaders shaped their relations with business. How could they best strengthen the idea that business had moral obligations to society? How could they marshal influence to secure compliance with CSR norms? How should they define corporate social responsibility? HKS Case Number 1880.0

As Brazil's energetic but fractious democracy emerged in the 1990s, the Ethos Institute launched a movement for corporate social responsibility (CSR) that, it hoped, would both cajole the private sector to manage its own operations responsibly-for example, eschewing racism and protecting the environment-and lead Brazil to a more just, sustainable society. By 2007 Ethos had transformed CSR into a prominent national movement, which had even helped strengthen enforcement of some laws such as the prohibition of child labor. Two cases tell Ethos' story. The first (A) case describes the social context-the Brazilian private sector's ambiguous legacy of genuine community conscience yet collaboration with authoritarian regimes-and poses questions about how Ethos' leaders shaped their relations with business. How could they best strengthen the idea that business had moral obligations to society? How could they marshal influence to secure compliance with CSR norms? How should they define corporate social responsibility? HKS Case Number 1879.1

As Brazil's energetic but fractious democracy emerged in the 1990s, the Ethos Institute launched a movement for corporate social responsibility (CSR) that, it hoped, would both cajole the private sector to manage its own operations responsibly-for example, eschewing racism and protecting the environment-and lead Brazil to a more just, sustainable society. By 2007 Ethos had transformed CSR into a prominent national movement, which had even helped strengthen enforcement of some laws such as the prohibition of child labor. Two cases tell Ethos' story. The first (A) case describes the social context-the Brazilian private sector's ambiguous legacy of genuine community conscience yet collaboration with authoritarian regimes-and poses questions about how Ethos' leaders shaped their relations with business. How could they best strengthen the idea that business had moral obligations to society? How could they marshal influence to secure compliance with CSR norms? How should they define corporate social responsibility? HKS Case Number 1879.0

The case deals with how Shoppers Stop, a home-grown Indian retailer of branded apparel and accessories closely identified with the adult segment of customers for a decade and a half since inception, looked at the growing segment of the youth population. Against the backdrop of an aging demographic, particularly among countries in North America and Europe, India had an advantage of a largely young population. Thirty-five per cent of Indian were under 15 years of age and 70 per cent under 35 years of age - a profile likely to remain so for the next two decades. Topics of discussion include: Is there a risk for an adult company in targeting the young? Is there a risk in not targeting the young? Is there a business opportunity in the youth segment? What should Shoppers Stop do if it were to seize the opportunity? What is the addressable segment? Is a change in strategy required now or will tweaking the current strategy do?

In June 2008, the president and owner of Canada Goose Inc. (Canada Goose), a producer of luxury sport jackets, was contemplating the future of his company. Despite recent years' steady growth in both his company and the industry in general, the president believed that a significant opportunity existed for Canada Goose to further cement itself as a market leader for this industry. The president was intrigued by two separate offers from national retailers in Canada. Both were in the form of long-term contracts; in the past Canada Goose had used such contracts to maintain successful relationships with its many distributors. The offers were lucrative; however, the president needed to consider whether the offers aligned with the company's current marketing strategy. Agreeing to stock its product through a national chain would be a departure from its current method of distribution through independently-owned regional retailers. Accepting either of the offers would not only potentially price these retailers out of the market but could also lead to the devaluation of the brand.

Alara Agri, based in Bursa, Turkey, is one of the world's foremost cherry and fig producers. The president and chief executive officer (CEO) was concerned about a recurring capacity problem at the end of the process where cherries were packed. On some of the plant's conveyor belts, piles of cherries of one size waited to be packed while other belts had too few cherries to keep workers busy, and thus delayed order fulfillment. Diverting excess cherries from a busy line to an underutilized line was not an option as cherries were sorted by size. One solution the CEO had considered was to build another processing line at a cost of US$2 million, although he thought a better solution may be achieved by changing the process or reconfiguring the flow of the machine. The CEO wondered how best to improve capacity with the equipment they already had. To aid in his decision, he examined corporate data with regards to revenues and production figures, incoming cherries received in tonnes, expected size distribution of cherries, and the plant layout and packaging options.

This undisguised case is appropriate for graduate-level organizational behavior, strategy, and leadership courses. Readers will be put in the shoes of a seasoned change agent hired to transform a publicly owned company on the brink of bankruptcy. With a 50% attrition rate, low employee morale, stock market delisting notice, failed ERP system, bank default, new credit facility search, forbearance agreements, and a going-concern opinion, the new CEO faced a significant crisis. The A case describes the situation and raises questions about the firm's viability when James Leto becomes CEO. Several key leaders in the organization push to move the company's core competency away from the reseller business toward an enterprise solutions and services business.