Overview

The Principles of Family Business Law offers an accessible approach to legal issues that shape family businesses. Drawing on years of research, the book introduces three principles – intimacy, integration, and inheritance – that explain why family businesses are distinctive and how, with proper guidance, they can thrive. The book examines recurring problems such as role conflicts among family members, succession planning obstacles, and ownership disputes. Vivid case studies illustrate how legal rules interact with family dynamics in practice. Designed for scholars, students, lawyers, and business advisors, the book integrates insights from corporate law, family law, and estate planning, while remaining readable and grounded in real-world concerns. Whether used in the classroom or in practice, it provides essential tools for navigating the complex interplay of law and family business. By supporting the resilience of family businesses, the book affirms the family and community values they help to sustain.

Full Product Details

9781009354530

Table of Contents

Reviews

'From exploring family ties to inheritance with vivid real-world examples, Means provides an insightful study of the unique features and importance of family business. A must-read book for anyone interested in family business law and corporate governance.' Elizabeth Pollman, Perry Golkin Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 'Family-owned businesses have long played a distinct and vital role in the US economy. Yet the features that make them distinct, and how that shapes the myriad bodies of law governing their operations, have been largely overlooked by American legal scholars. In The Principles of Family Business Law, Benjamin Means provides a valuable corrective. Means shows that family businesses remain a core part of the economy and that they don't fit the profit-maximizing paradigm so often employed to study business organizations. The book is a valuable resource for corporate law scholars, family law scholars, labor law scholars, and anyone who wants to better understand this overlooked sector of the economy.' Kathryn Judge, Harvey J. Goldschmid Professor of Law, Columbia Law School 'Professor Means is among the most insightful legal scholars on family ownership, a field still marked by limited understanding. His work has shaped my own thinking on ownership, control, and stewardship. In this volume, he offers a rigorous yet accessible account of family business ownership's opportunities and challenges.' Peter Boumgarden, Koch Professor of Practice for Family Enterprise, Washington University in St. Louis 'The Principles of Family Business Law provides an indispensable framework for lawyers, scholars, and business leaders who seek to understand how family businesses can remain sustainable and competitive. It is a fascinating exploration of how intimacy, integration, and inheritance shape family businesses, and Professor Means skillfully demonstrates how family values and corporate governance intersect. The book offers practical insights for dispute resolution, succession, and building enterprises that endure across generations.' Douglas K. Moll, A. A. White Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center

Author Information

Benjamin Means is John T. Campbell Chair in Business and Professional Ethics at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. He is the founding director of the United State's first law-school-based family business program, where he has developed an innovative curriculum to prepare law students to represent family business owners. His scholarly work, published in top journals, has established a new field of legal academic inquiry.

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