International Business law

Description

The course offers an introduction to the legal aspects of transacting business across national borders in a world divided into sovereign states. It presents how to identify legal and legally relevant business risks and the techniques developed to address them on commercial contracts, how to determine essential terms and to analyze the most important clauses used in international contracts. The course specifically addresses principles of international commercial contracts and examines in some detail the International Convention on the Sale of Goods (“CISG”). In addition the course will address basics of intellectual property protection internationally, considering its increasing importance in nowadays business environment.

Goals: to give students increased awareness of the legal infrastructure that supports (and sometimes hinders) the flow of goods, services and intangibles between and among nations, and to enhance communication between those engaged in business and their legal advisers.

Grading: will be based on attendance, participation in class discussion (30%), case analysis assignments and a final exam or written paper (70%).

Learning outcomes: to understand the main notions of private international law and identify characteristics of international contracts; to explain the objectives and contents of main international treaties; to identify central issues and structure on international commercial contracts; negotiation and drafting tools necessary for addressing the complexity of international commercial contracts; to understand the basics of intellectual property protection internationally.