The Law of Cross-Border Business Transactions

Book excerpt: Law of Cross-Border Business Transactions aims at giving a structured introduction to the law and practice of investment deals (e.g., greenfield projects, M&As and hybrid forms) and of non-investment transactions (e.g., trade, technology transfer and services). Cross-border business deals are nowadays routine matters for business entities all over the world and the related legal aspects are becoming more and more complex. This book provides extensive general background information. It also covers numerous specific issues of relevance in the context of cross-border projects. Substantive law issues, procedural aspects and skills-related considerations such as contract drafting, structuring options and cross-cultural lawyering techniques are included, adding up to an unusually comprehensive and useful guide in the field. What’s in this book: The author describes a wide spectrum of transaction types. He explains underlying principles from a conceptual and a comparative point of view with a focus on transactional issues, using case studies from a variety of jurisdictions to demonstrate the significance of particular aspects in the context of multi-jurisdictional legal practice. Among much else, topics include the following: international lawyering and cultural diversity; lex mercatoria; conflict of laws; letters of intent, position papers, heads of agreement, confidentiality and exclusivity agreements; structure and contents of international contracts; e-contracts and smart contracts; protection of intellectual property rights and technology transfer; trade, countertrade and trade financing; insurance; agency and distributorship; greenfield investments and M&As; competition law and merger control; employment law; corporate governance and corporate social responsibility; international taxation; and dispute settlement and cross-border enforcement of awards. This second edition updates the discussion of the different topics comprehensively. It also expands many parts and adds sections in relation to new themes that have gained importance since the publication of the first edition. In particular, it addresses legal issues arising out of the digitalization of the global economy with a special focus on choice-of-law questions, smart contracts, e-bills of lading and online dispute settlement. It also draws attention to the impact of China’s Belt and Road initiative, Brexit and the ‘America First’ foreign policy. How this will help you: Of special value is the author’s precise guidance on drafting techniques and contract practice. The clarity of the presentation, the uncompromising consistency in terms of structure and a large body of references to primary and secondary sources presented in this edition ensure that legal professionals, business managers and academics as well as other interested parties can gain easy access to comprehensive and detailed information across jurisdictions.