International Contracting: Law and Practice

For well over a decade this prized guide has served practitioners handling the legal ramifications of international contracting projects. The fourth revised and expanded edition thoroughly describes the new and ever-changing concepts and procedures that continue to redefine the researching, drafting, and execution of international contracts. More profoundly, it takes fully into account the hugely increasing volume of international trade and its ongoing expansion into more and more countries worldwide, and the concomitant need for businesspersons and transactional lawyers to be aware of the numerous recent international conventions and supranational responses to facilitate trade. All the invaluable features of earlier editions are of course still here, including analysis of key contract issues unique to various types of contracting, common contract clauses (such as choice of law and dispute resolution clauses), contract checklists, insights gleaned from actual cases and arbitral proceedings, and clear explanation of the principles of good contract drafting. The major relevant international conventions, model laws, pertinent national laws, legal guides, and other documents and instruments are all covered, with primary texts provided in appendices. Among the numerous issues and topics that arise are the following: incorporation of standard terms; difficulties of multiple language contracts; lex mercatoria; liability based upon preliminary agreements; issues of termination; regulation of Internet sales; role of model or uniform laws; sale of services; national law restrictions on the cross-border sale of services; intellectual property transfer and licensing agreements; franchising and joint ventures; electronic contracting; and confidentiality, nondisclosure agreements, and covenants not to compete. More than merely an accessible reference that can be used as a framework tool in the negotiating and drafting of international contracts, this volume offers expert insights regarding the reasonableness of many contract clauses and the likelihood of their enforcement in a foreign jurisdiction. Because knowledge of the nuances of international transactional law cannot be overstated, this book is not only valuable but necessary. An adroit combination of contract theory and contract practice, the book continues to provide guidance to the law practitioner and student alike.