International Commercial Law – (LL.M.)

Contents

The course consists of 3 stages, details of which are below. This includes an overview of the units you will study.

Stage 1-(Autumn)

International Economic Law

The Law of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has become the underpinning of the global free trade system. Issues covered include the foundational concepts of non-discrimination and tariff reduction, as well as the WTO’s powerful dispute settlement mechanism. The unit also deals with questions arising from the rapid globalisation of financial markets, financial services and the banking system. This unit is assessed by coursework.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Corporate Law: Theory and Practice

This unit examines the theory and practice of corporate law. This includes discussion of the historical emergence of the corporation; the formation and constitutional aspects of companies in the UK; corporate governance (decision-making, directors’ duties and shareholder remedies); corporate finance; and insolvency. This unit is assessed by examination.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Dispute Resolution

Cross-border trading activity raises complex issues involving the law of more than one country. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) offers an alternative way of resolving disputes other than litigation. This unit will introduce the key concepts, forms and procedures of ADR and discuss its development and merits compared to litigation.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Stage 2Units(Spring)

Law of International Trade

This unit deals with the core of international commercial law: the legal regulation of international commerce from the perspective of transactions relating to the exportation of goods. This allows for an in-depth exposure to international supply, sale and carriage contracts, to considerations associated with multiple transactions and to techniques for the international harmonisation of substantive law.

Assessment: 50% coursework and 50% examination

International Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property rights (IPR) are implicated in most aspects of international commerce. For example: patent laws affect technology transfer, trade mark laws affect branding, design laws affect product development and copyright laws affect all entertainment goods. Through the integration of intellectual property standards into the WTO framework with the 1994 TRIPS Agreement, intellectual property laws have been substantially and controversially harmonised. This unit evaluates the consequences of the globalisation of intellectual property laws.

Assessment: 100% coursework

International Taxation

This unit enables students to assess the tax consequences of overseas trade, in particular with reference to the flexibility which the supra-national framework offers to multinational corporations. Issues covered include double taxation and tax treaties, tax competition, tax havens, transfer pricing, e-commerce and corporation tax.

Assessment: 100% coursework

Stage3

Research Project / LLM Dissertation

For this stage of the course you will prepare, complete and submit a supervised dissertation. The dissertation provides you with an opportunity to undertake a significant piece of self-managed research in a relevant area of particular interest (as approved by the dissertation supervisor) using empirical research or doctrinal study. The dissertation can be completed off-campus with supervision available via email.

Assessment: you will be required to submit a 15,000 word research project carrying 100% of the marks available

Accreditation

The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the UK government’s teaching quality watchdog, awarded us the highest category of confidence in our academic standards.

Many of our courses are accredited by professional and industry bodies, which means our courses are readily recognised by employers, and our graduates have professional membership or status when they compete on the job market.

Funding details

For more information about fees and funding please visit our website