LAWS 2704

The course introduces students to the law governing international business transactions as well as the different forms of dispute resolution that are open to the parties in such transactions. The first part of the course focuses on the rules governing the international sale of goods and the financing of international business transactions. We will discuss the considerations that inform the parties’ choices of the law that will govern their transactions, with a particular focus on the options provided by the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods. The course also provides an overview of other forms of international transactions, such as bank finance transactions. The second part of the course introduces the students to different forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, international litigation, and arbitration, with a focus on commercial arbitration. Students will gain an understanding of the intersection of international law, national law, and private contract that comprises the governing regime for this important means for the resolution of international business disputes. Specific topics include the drafting and enforcement of arbitration agreements, the laws applicable to different aspects of the arbitration, the jurisdiction, composition and powers of the tribunal, confidentiality, interim measures, the conduct of the hearing, and the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards.