Friday 15 February 2008 at 12:30
Comparative Law Discussion Group
Networks of Contracts in European and German Law
Speaker: Professor Dr Dr Stefan Grundmann, Humboldt University, Berlin
Venue: Institute of European and Comparative Law IECL and Seminar Room C
Privity of contract is one of the old core principles of contract law in most national legal systems. Nowadays, with specialisation and with the advance of non-cash payment, important contract law relationships in economy, if not the most important, are, however, grouped in chains, networks and the like. Production is impossible without them (supply chains, just-in-time contracts etc.), distribution as well (retail chains, franchising etc.), and the whole of the financial world is full of similar phenomena: ranging from credit transfers to syndicated loans or issuing of shares and bonds. The feature of networks is coupled with another phenomenon which is not so prominent in traditional contract law and this is long-term contracts. Taken together, these structures clearly can be seen as hybrids between contract and company. European law gives first important stimuli for a discussion of this issue and so does German law which is particularly rich in this respect.
For more information please contact: Jenny Dix
Organised by the Comparative Law Discussion Group in conjunction with Financial Law Discussion Group and Private and Commercial Law Discussion Group
