Business Networks Reloaded

Business networks are an important economic phenomenon of increasing practical importance throughout Europe. This volume examines business networks from an interdisciplinary perspective, with many contributions dealing with a certain form of business network, the so-called cooperative or non-hierarchical. With regard to this specific form of cooperation the volume presents new economic findings, proposes a definition and discusses the governance structure of those networks.Moreover, this book explores whether the research results can also be applied to hierarchical, centralized business networks. With medium-sized companies and all the more with large companies, business networks also pose the question of the compatibility with anti-trust law. This collection dedicates three contributions to this important question. They are complemented by chapters on liability of the network and its members towards third parties and contributions discussing duties of loyalty and the interpretation of agreements. Drawing on new research from Italy, Spain, Germany and Norway, this work illustrates the European legal perspective on business networks.

Peter Krebs is full Professor for civil law and business law at the University of Siegen since 2001. Prior to holding the chair of civil law and business law at the University of Siegen, Peter Krebs was interim Professor at the University of Mainz, the University of Trier, the University of Cologne and as well as at the University of Heidelberg. He teaches civil law, competition law, the unification of European civil law and courses regarding the design of business contracts and negotiations. Dr Stefanie Jung studied German and European Business Law at the University of Siegen. Her main fields of research include European corporate law, business networks and contract governance. Dr Jung is currently working on her habilitation in the field of contract governance. She has published extensively in the field of European company and corporate law. Prof. Dr em. Teubner studied law and legal sociology in Goettingen, Tuebingen and Berkeley. He has taught at the University of Bremen, the European University Institute Florence, the London School of Economics, the University of Frankfurt and at the International University College, Turin. He further taught as a visiting Professor at Berkeley, Ann Arbor, Stanford, Leyden and Toronto. His research areas include social theory of law, private law theory, contract law and comparative law. Prof. Dr em. Teubner has published extensively and is one of the leading international experts on business networks.