Law 653:  International Business Transactions

Corporate entities and financial institutions are operating increasingly on a transnational or even global basis. Lawyers, consequently, frequently are called upon to structure cross-border business transactions that are affected or regulated by international treaties and/or the interplay of the domestic laws of two or more nations. This task becomes particularly challenging when the participants are from, or the transaction occurs in, a developing nation without a mature or reliable judicial system or sophisticated commercial laws. This course is designed to introduce law students to the types of legal problems typically confronted in international commerce, including cross-border sales, technology transfers, transfers of funds and cross-border financing arrangements, international transport arrangements, export regulations and customs clearance, foreign corrupt business practices, and international arbitration and other means of commercial dispute resolution. This course does not cover, except incidentally, the regulation of trade among nations (e.g., GATT, WHO, NAFTA, etc.), which is the subject of a separate course.

Sequence and Prerequisites: None

Evaluation: Grades for this course will be based on an administered final exam and class participation.