The book aims to present the complex subject of company law in a clear and straightforward manner. It is readable, and yet provides sufficient detail to complex issues, making it a good first choice not only for intending students of company law but also for persons who work with or in companies. The company is subject to a complex amalgam of common law rules and legislative regulation. This book attempts to unpack these rules. Concepts that define and characterise a company are explained, as are those legal principles that mediate the different rights and obligations of the various factions with interests in the company. This third edition has been significantly rewritten to expand the coverage of decided cases, and of difficult questions of corporate governance and theory, and also to take account of the changes introduced by the Companies (Amendment) Act 2014.