'American securities law has developed, since its creation in the 1930s, in response to changing practices and changing problems. As judges, regulators and legislators attempted to respond to the pressing issue of the day, focus turned from the forest to the trees and the theoretical coherence of securities laws as a whole has diminished. In The Logic of Securities Law, Professor Georgakopoulos acts to restore some of the lost coherence, tying together different strands of securities law around a simple yet powerful theoretical focal point - a virtuous circle in which liquid markets, accurate securities prices and low trading costs reinforce each other. By directing securities law to facilitate this virtuous cycle, law is given a clarity of purpose and those who study and practice the law are given a simple yet supple roadmap to understand and evaluate this complex and important legal field.' Amitai Aviram, Director of the Corporate Law Program, University of Illinois
Foreword Richard Posner; 1. Introduction. Real markets and financial markets; Part I. Definition of a Security: When to Leave Buyer Beware for Seller Disclose?: 2. Toward defining a security; 3. The vacuous definition of a security; 4. The function of investment contract; 5. Pricing mechanisms; 6. From the sale of business doctrine to Gustafson; 7. Gustafson works!; 8. Definition conclusion; Part II. Disclosure: Why Subsidize Informed Traders?: 9. Introduction; 10. An overview of disclosure theories; 11. The failure of the corporate disclosure decision; Part III. Deterrence of Securities Fraud: 12. Introduction to deterrence intensity; 13. Comparing the economic function of deceit to that of securities fraud; 14. Reliance in deceit and securities fraud; 15. Conclusion of deterrence intensity; Part IV. Insider Trading: 16. Introduction to insider trading; 17. Insider trading law; 18. Defining insiders; 19. Concluding the insider trading analysis; Part V. The Virtuous Cycle of Liquid Markets, Accurate Prices and Cheap Trading: 20. The virtuous cycle; 21. Closing note: financial crises and securities law.