International Commercial Agreements

This new Professional Insight appears at an exciting time for international commercial lawyers: new legislation, fresh opportunities--and the challenge of understanding fully how to exploit them.

Recent changes to EC Competition law have made a significant impact upon parties' freedom to contract commercially, generally giving them greater flexibility. In the field of e-commerce, the EC has issued a welter of laws that are in the course of being implemented into national laws.

The report explains the principles and techniques of successful international negotiation and provides a valuable insight into the commercial points to be considered as a result of the laws relating to: pre-contract; private international law; resolving disputes (including alternative methods, such as mediation); competition law; drafting common clauses; and contracting electronically.

It also examines in more detail certain specific international commercial agreements, namely agency and distribution and licensing.