Multi-disciplinary in approach, this comprehensive volume examines English company law from both a socio-legal and black letter perspective. Using a contextual and critical framework; drawing on the influence of American law and legal scholarship and a case study of mutual building societies' march to the market and corporate identity, this book argues that modern company law is shaped by economics, ideology and existing law and that the state of the law at any one time is determined by the constantly shifting dynamic between them. Scrutinizing the Companies Act 2006 in detail and tracing the history of the fundamental principles of company law, Talbot explores: the doctrine of separate corporate personality directors' duties minority protection and the doctrine of "ultra vires". Invigorating this much studied area; uncovering the social factors that continue to inform it and the political nature of the law itself, this textbook is an invaluable resource for all those studying company law.