Boston College law professor Brian JM Quinn’s latest textbook Mergers and Acquisitions: Law, Theory, and Practice (co-authored with Steven Davidoff Solomon and Claire Hill) aims to “change the way that transactional law is taught in U.S. law schools by immersing students in a deal environment.”
The textbook, available from West Academic, focuses on a number of recent high profile deals to teach students about the basics of mergers and acquisitions, as well as the tools to negotiate and document the best deal for their clients. “The idea behind this book is that law students and young lawyers not only have to know the law of mergers and acquisitions, but that they also have to understand the practice of law and doing the deal,” said Quinn. “Being an M&A lawyer requires not only a knowledge of the law—the statutes, cases, and regulations—but it also requires that the lawyer understand the document, how it’s negotiated and, ultimately, how it actually gets litigated.”
Mergers and Acquisitions provides students and young lawyers an overview of the entire deal process, including auctions and board decisions during the sale. “We hope that the book helps students think about the whole process of a deal, not just the legal doctrine,” Quinn said. “Our goal is to help students and young lawyers become ready to practice from day one. That’s a challenge, but we hope our book is helpful in getting M&A students practice ready.”
Brian Quinn is a national expert in corporate law and mergers & acquisitions. He joined the law school from Stanford Law School where he was the Teaching Fellow for Corporate Governance & Practice. Prior to his position at Stanford, Quinn was in private practice with Cooley Godward in Palo Alto, where he represented public and private technology clients in merger and acquisitions transactions. Quinn is the president-elect of the AALS Section on Transactional Law and Skills. At the law school, Quinn also serves as Associate Dean for Experiential Learning.
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