Best Company Law Textbooks for LLB UK Students (2026)
Quick Answer: Hannigan’s Company Law (OUP, 7th ed) is the most widely prescribed undergraduate company law text — clear, well-structured, and excellent for both essay and problem-based assessment. Gower (12th ed, just published July 2026) is the more encyclopaedic and academically authoritative reference, preferred by postgraduates and academics.
Hannigan (7th ed, OUP, ISBN 9780198895930) for most UK undergraduates — it is prescribed at most UK law schools, well-structured, and excellent for exam preparation. Gower (12th ed, Sweet & Maxwell, ISBN 9780414133815, just published July 2026) is the authoritative reference for postgraduate study and academic research. Check your reading list.
📋 In This Guide
1. Hannigan — Company Law
| Author: | Brenda Hannigan (Southampton) |
| Edition: | 7th Edition (2022) |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN: | 9780198895930 |
| Price: | £48.99 |
| Pages: | 808 |
Company Law by Brenda Hannigan (Professor of Corporate Law, Southampton) is the leading undergraduate company law textbook in the UK. The 7th edition (2022) provides comprehensive yet accessible coverage of all major areas — corporate structures, governance, finance, directors’ duties, shareholder remedies, and liquidation — alongside in-depth engagement with key primary sources. Hannigan’s editorial style — ample paragraph spacing, clear subheadings, balanced treatment — makes the book considerably more readable than Gower without sacrificing analytical rigour.
7th edition updates: Comprehensive coverage of post-Brexit company law developments, updated sections on corporate governance (UK Corporate Governance Code), directors’ duties, and shareholder engagement. Includes Law Trove access for OUP digital edition purchasers.
Prescribed at: The majority of UK law schools with company law on the LLB curriculum.
2. Gower — Principles of Modern Company Law
| Authors: | Davies, Worthington & Hare |
| Edition: | 12th Edition (July 2026) — JUST PUBLISHED |
| Publisher: | Sweet & Maxwell |
| ISBN: | 9780414133815 |
| Price: | £36.78 |
| Pages: | ~1,200 |
Gower Principles of Modern Company Law by Davies, Worthington and Hare is the most authoritative company law reference text in the English-speaking world. The 12th edition was published in July 2026 and is the most current version of this landmark work. At around 1,200 pages, Gower is more encyclopaedic than Hannigan — it covers company law in greater depth, engages more extensively with academic commentary, and is preferred by academics and postgraduates for research purposes. Students report finding Gower dense and demanding as a primary teaching text, particularly in the early stages of a company law course.
Who Gower is for: Postgraduate students specialising in corporate law; LLB students who find Hannigan insufficiently deep; dissertation students researching corporate law topics; practitioners. For most LLB undergraduates, Hannigan is the better primary text.
12th edition (July 2026): Updates all post-2023 company law developments including recent case law on directors’ duties and corporate governance developments.
3. Dignam & Lowry — Company Law
Company Law by Dignam and Lowry (OUP Core Text series) is a shorter, more affordable alternative for undergraduates — typically around 450 pages. It covers the same core curriculum as Hannigan but in less depth, making it useful for students who want a more concise text or as a budget supplement. Recommended where neither Hannigan nor Gower is explicitly prescribed.
Head-to-Head: Hannigan vs Gower
| Feature | Hannigan | Gower |
|---|---|---|
| Primary audience | LLB undergraduates | Postgraduate, academic, practitioner |
| Depth | Comprehensive — undergraduate level | Encyclopaedic — full academic depth |
| Accessibility | High — clear structure, readable | Low — dense, demanding |
| Current edition | 7th (2022) | 12th (July 2026) |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press | Sweet & Maxwell |
| Price (new) | ~£55 | ~£39 |
| UK universities | Most UK law schools | Postgraduate, research, some LLBs |
| Textbook | Waterstones | Amazon | AbeBooks | Blackwells | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Law – Hannigan (7th) | Check → | £53.99 £48.99 | Check → | Check → | Check → |
Prices updated from retailer feeds. Always verify before purchasing. We earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Our Verdict
⚖ The Verdict
Buy Hannigan (ISBN 9780198895930) for most LLB company law courses. It is the dominant undergraduate text and its 7th edition covers the full curriculum clearly and accessibly.
Buy Gower (ISBN 9780414133815, 12th edition just published July 2026) if you are postgraduate, writing a dissertation on a corporate law topic, or if your institution prescribes it.
Consider Dignam & Lowry if neither is prescribed and you want a shorter, cheaper text.
💰 Save Money
Hannigan is available used on AbeBooks from £20–30. The 7th edition is current — the 6th edition covers the same core law but misses post-2022 updates. Gower 12th edition (July 2026) replaces the 11th. For most undergraduate modules, Hannigan 7th used is excellent value. See our full comparison: Gower vs Hannigan — Which Company Law Textbook?
Which company law textbook is best for UK LLB students?
Hannigan’s Company Law (7th edition, OUP, ISBN 9780198895930) is the most widely prescribed undergraduate company law textbook at UK law schools. It is clear, well-structured, and comprehensive for LLB-level study.
Is Gower better than Hannigan for company law?
For LLB undergraduates, Hannigan is the better primary teaching text — more accessible, better structured, and directly mapped to undergraduate curricula. Gower is more encyclopaedic and authoritative but very demanding as an undergraduate primary text. Most students who use Gower are postgraduates or doing dissertation research.
Has Gower Principles of Modern Company Law 12th edition been published?
Yes — Gower Principles of Modern Company Law 12th edition (Davies, Worthington & Hare, Sweet & Maxwell, ISBN 9780414133815) was published in July 2026 and is now available.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Hannigan for company law?
Dignam & Lowry’s Company Law (OUP Core Text series) is a shorter, more affordable alternative covering the same core curriculum. It is useful where neither Hannigan nor Gower is explicitly prescribed, or as a supplementary text.
Last Updated: August 2026 | Author: Textbooks.co.uk Editorial Team
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