Essentials of Business Law

Anthony L. Liuzzo, J.D., MBA, Ph.D. Dr. Anthony L. Liuzzo is Professor Emeritus at Wilkes University where, until recently, he served as Professor of Business and Economics and Chairperson of the Business Programs of Arizona. Dr. Liuzzo is a licensed attorney and economist. He earned his Ph.D. in business administration, Master of Philosophy in economics, and MBA in management and organizational behavior from New York University; his law degree from St. Johns University; and his bachelors degree in marketing from Fordham University in New York City. Specializing in public policy issues, employment law, and holiday retail sales forecasting, he has been cited on numerous occasions in hundreds of publicationsincluding CNN, Fox News, Forbes, The New York Times, USA Today, the Arizona Republic, the New York Daily News, the Philadelphia Daily News, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Times, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Detroit News, the Christian Science Monitor, and the San Francisco Examinerfor his views on legal and business issues. Dr. Liuzzo has been the author of several editions of the popular textbook, Essentials of Business Law, and its accompanying assessment materials, mobile applications, and instructors manual, published by McGraw-Hill. Dr. Liuzzo is also the author of several books and numerous articles that have appeared in scholarly and professional journals. He has served as editor of a scholarly journal and has been instrumental in creating several successful small businesses. Dr. Liuzzo is an active member of many professional and community organizations and currently serves as a member and officer of several boards of directors. Ruth Hughes serves as Assistant Professor of Business Law at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Hughes is a licensed attorney and received her JD from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and her BA in economics from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She began her career as an attorney specializing in corporate transactions in New York City and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She was director of the Small Business Development Center in Wilkes-Barre for many years before joining the faculty of the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership at Wilkes University in 2013. Her research interests, publications, and presentations include the areas of environmental sustainability in business, equity crowdfunding, and emerging trends in securities laws. She serves as a reviewer for several academic publications. Hughes is an active member of many university, professional and community organizations. She is married to Richard Hughes and the proud mother of three children, Callie, Ellen, and Richard.

Part 1 Introduction to Law





Chapter 1: Our System of Law





Chapter 2: Ethics and the Law





Chapter 3: Criminal Law





Chapter 4: Tort Law





Chapter 5: Constitutional Law





Chapter 6: Administrative Law





Part 2 Contracts





Chapter 7: Introduction to Contracts





Chapter 8: Offer and Acceptance





Chapter 9: Mutual Agreement





Chapter 10: Consideration





Chapter 11: Competent Parties





Chapter 12: Legal Purpose of Contracts





Chapter 13: Form of Contracts





Chapter 14: Operation of Contracts





Chapter 15: Discharge of Contracts





Part 3 Sales, Agency, and Business Organizations





Chapter 16: Transfer of Title





Chapter 17: Sales





Chapter 18: Warranties





Chapter 19: Agency





Chapter 20: Business Organizations





Chapter 21: Creditor’s Rights and Bankruptcy





Part 4 Commercial Paper





Chapter 22: Introduction to Commercial Paper





Chapter 23: Transfer and Discharge of Commercial Paper





Part 5 Property





Chapter 24: Real and Personal Property





Chapter 25: Bailments





Chapter 26: Landlord/Tenant Relations





Chapter 27: Wills, Intestacy, and Trusts





Part 6 Business and Technology





Chapter 28: Intellectual Property





Chapter 29: Computer Privacy and Speech





Chapter 30: Social Media and the Law





Chapter 31: Conducting Business in Cyberspace





Part 7 Legal Environment of Business





Chapter 32: The Employer/Employee Relationship





Chapter 33: Employment Law





Chapter 34: Product Liability





Chapter 35: Professionals’ Liability





Chapter 36: International Business Law





Chapter 37: Business and the Environment





Chapter 38: Health Care Law





Appendix: The Constitution of the United States