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Impact Investing: Driving Change (LAWS90254)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
September
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability | September - Online |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing is a hot topic, championed as well as vilified globally. From charities to large fund managers, investors are looking beyond purely financial returns to tangible and sustainable impact. What does it take to be a responsible investor? What is the role of a lawyer with an impact fund, and what are the responsibilities of investors and managers? This subject explores both responsible and impact investing, highly dynamic and urgent topics in the transition to net zero and the challenge of the sustainable development goals.
The subject has a distinctly practical approach and is designed to assist students in developing the skills to assess, prioritise and negotiate impact transactions. We dig into the structuring, negotiation and documentation of impact investing across a broad spectrum, ranging from venture capital, direct and co-investments to managed equity funds. We also explore challenging and live legal topics such as corporate responsibility, fiduciary duty, disclosure obligations and impact washing.
Special attention is dedicated to how investors can generate meaningful and sustainable change in their engagement with investee companies and impact funds. Seasoned practitioners from across the market provide their insights as part of a valuable diversity in perspectives.
Principal topics include:
- Exploring impact and sustainability across private equity in the broadest sense, from venture capital and direct investments to managed funds.
- The wave of (hard and soft) relevant regulation, taking our cue for instance from EU sustainable finance directives on corporate responsibility and disclosure, to public policy and increasingly principles and best practices driven by market participants.
- Engagement of responsible (as well as activist) investors with investee companies and impact funds.
- Investor stewardship to help and drive change.
- The role of major institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds alongside NGOs.
- Reviewing and critiquing impact funds in practical case studies, lessons learnt from recent failures, and the toolbox of the responsible investor.
- Challenges to the credibility and growth of the impact investment market, and the role of market supervisors.
- The risk of ‘impact’ washing litigation for both investors and managers and how to mitigate or exploit it.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Examine and explain responsible, stewardship and impact investing across private equity, (private and sovereign wealth) funds and venture capital
- Analyse and contextualise the best practices and regulatory framework underpinning impact investing for financial institutions, fund managers and corporates and the legal, litigation and reputational risk for front-runners in this market
- Apply knowledge of the key legal concepts across these legal areas to impact investing in practice
- Critically review and negotiate the documentation and structuring of (for instance) impact funds
- Assess the legal risks of impact washing litigation and demonstrate approaches to mitigate and/or capitalise upon these risks.
Generic skills
- An advanced understanding of how the legal and regulatory architecture works in ESG investing works
- An understanding of the legal, litigation and reputational risks in sustainable investing, and how to evaluate the legal risks of impact washing litigation
- A sophisticated understanding of the key legal issues and principles associated with ESG investing
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Class participation | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Case study activity
| Throughout the teaching period | 30% |
Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| 15 November 2023 | 60% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- September - Online
Coordinator Jan Job de Vries Robbe Mode of delivery Online Contact hours A Welcome Session will be held online on Thursday 24 August 2023. Teaching dates are: 4, 5, 6 September 2023 and 14, 15 September 2023 (all online) Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 7 August 2023 Pre teaching requirements A Welcome Session will be held online on Thursday 24 August 2023. Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 4 September 2023 to 15 September 2023 Last self-enrol date 11 August 2023 Census date 5 September 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 October 2023 Assessment period ends 15 November 2023 September contact information
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Time commitment details
This innovative subject will be taught on-line during evening hours as well as additional independent and group activities for students to undertake during and between the teaching periods. We will focus on engagement and interaction. Optional pre-teaching materials on private equity, fund management and venture capital will be made available early to ensure accessibility of this subject for those without prior experience in this area.
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students per offering.
Enrolment is on a 'first in' basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of waitlisted places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS during the pre-teaching period.
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024