Dublin Conference on Rome I and Brussels I Regulations

The Commercial Law Centre at University College Dublin has arranged a morning conference next Thursday (17 September 2009, 8:45am-1pm) dealing with the Rome I and Brussels I Regulations.

According to the conference materials on the CLC’s website:

The Rome I Regulation on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations, replacing the Rome Convention comes into effect on 17th December 2009.

A thorough familiarity with this Regulation is essential for all professionals engaged in drafting, reviewing and litigating international commercial agreements.

At this seminar, a panel of distinguished experts will review some key elements in the Regulation:

1. What limitations does the Regulation place on the freedom of parties to an international contract to choose the governing law?
2. Where the parties fail to select a governing law, how do courts and practitioners determine the relevant law?
3. How does Rome I apply to the difficult issue of contracts on financial instruments?

The remainder of the seminar will focus on some key issues under Brussels I Regulation:

• How do practitioners ensure effective choice of court agreements under Brussels I?
• How will the Hague Choice of Court Convention, recently signed by the European Community and which seeks to establish a global choice of court regime, interact with Brussels I.
• How effective are dispute resolution agreements which embody both litigation and arbitration options?

As a consequence of increasing globalisation, the problem of concurrent international procedures is becoming more frequent. The seminar will consider the vexed question, discussed recently in Ireland in GOSHAWK DEDICATED, of whether a Brussels Regulation court as the domiciliary court of the defendant, can stay proceedings in favour of earlier proceedings begun in a non-member state court.

This seminar will provide a unique opportunity for practitioners involved in international litigation to learn about the new developments and to engage in discussion with an international panel of speakers.

As well as the author of this post, the speakers include Michael Collins SC (Chairman, Bar Council of Ireland), Michael Wilderspin (Legal Services, Commission), Dr Joanna Perkins (Financial Markets Law Committee), Geraldine Andrews QC (Essex Court Chambers) and Liam Kennedy (A&L Goodbody).