Joint-Stock Enterprise in France, 1807-1867: From Privileged Company to Modern Corporation

Integrating politics, economics, and law, Freedman traces the origin, development, and the role of joint-stock companies in France from the prerevolutionary Old Regime to the reorganization of the corporation under the legislation of 1867. He focuses on two types of companies, the société anonyme and the société en commandite par actions, to show that French corporate law was as liberal as any in Europe and should be regarded as a positive contributor to French economic growth.

Originally pu...