7677. International Business Transactions

The continuous flow of international business and trade has become a prominent feature of the world economy, and is accompanied by the increasing incidence of transnational business law issues. A grasp of the field of international business transactions is essential for legal professionals practicing in business-related areas. This course explores international business transactions, tracing their progression from the international sale of goods to foreign direct investment. In particular, after a brief introduction on negotiating and drafting commercial contracts, topics covered will include the international documentary sale, marine cargo insurance, regulations of imports and exports, agency and distributorships, technology transfer and licensing agreements, franchising, foreign direct investment, and international litigation and arbitration. The focus will be on the transactional aspects of investment decisions and on how to manage and allocate risks in international business through a wide spectrum of risk-transfer tools ranging from letters of credit to transactional insurance, from commercial terms to insurance programs such as the U.S. OPIC or the World Bank¿s MIGA. Political, economic, and cultural issues affecting international business transactions will be considered as well. The topics are discussed primarily from the U.S. perspective, drawing on a comparative law dimension when particularly relevant to the topic.