Conduct of Corporations and Corporate Officers: Expected Business Practices or Unlawful Violations

Abstract

The U. S. economy is based on free enterprise. “Free” indicates that the national economy is based largely on necessary restrictions, both in business transactions and in capital transactions. The hall‐mark of free enterprise is the kind of competition that considers both the size and geographic scope of the participants. Restraint on competition is determined by law, by regulation, and by judicial decision. Arange of these determinations has been established in the modern U. S., to set expected conduct of business. The purpose of this paper is to examine the conduct of corporations that is beyond legal business affairs, and those that falls into unlawful areas. “Unlawful” here defines violations of law and regulation. Clearly the federal and state governments have enacted an integrated scope of law controlling conduct in both business practices and employment protection. This analysis focuses on the external violations of law and regulation.