Out now: Issue 2 of RabelsZ 82 (2018)

The new issue of “Rabels Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht – The Rabels Journal of Comparative and International Private Law” (RabelsZ) has just been released. It contains the following articles: Read more

ERA Summer Courses: Cross-Border Insolvency Proceedings and Cross-Border Civil Litigation

ERA Summer course on cross-border insolvency proceedings

Trier, 11-13 June 2018

This intensive course on insolvency law will introduce lawyers to practical aspects of cross-border insolvency proceedings: different national insolvency laws, EU legislation and major CJEU case law will be presented.

The course will focus on the recast EU Regulation No 2015/848 on insolvency proceedings, including the following key topics:

  • Centre of main interest (COMI) and forum shopping
  • Coordination of proceedings
  • Insolvency, cross-border security and rights in rem

Following an introduction to different insolvency law systems within the EU, participants will discuss the recent proposal for a Directive on insolvency and post-Brexit implications for insolvency and restructuring. Participants will be able to deepen their knowledge through case studies and workshops.

Cross-border civil litigation: summer course

Trier, 2-6 July 2018

“How do I recover money owed to me by my business partner residing abroad?” This is a problem that many companies and individuals are facing nowadays. The ERA summer course will provide you with answers. Get to know Brussels Ia, Rome I, Rome II, the European Account Preservation Order, the European Enforcement Order, the European Payment Order, the Small Claims Regulation, the Regulation on service of documents and taking of evidence, and the EU framework on mediation, ADR & ODR – and find out which path best to take!

You will learn:

  • …which court is competent to hear your case
  • …how to serve a judicial document
  • …how to take evidence abroad
  • …to advice on how to enforce a judgment abroad
  • …to apply the recent CJEU case law in the field
  • …which way to choose to recover money owed to your client
  • …to provide guidance on how to efficiently freeze monies in foreign bank accounts
  • …how to best apply the Rome I & II Regulations
  • …what is the added value of ADR & mediation

 

This course will provide you with hands-on experience on cross-border civil litigation cases and the recent jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice. All relevant EU instruments will be presented and analysed, both by way of lectures and case studies. You will profit from daily workshops where active participation is encouraged.

 

 

Out Now: Arbitrability of Company Law Disputes in Central and Eastern Europe

The Societas – Central and Eastern European Company Law Research Network organised a comparative law conference on October 20, 2017 on the interesting and complex issue of arbitrability in company law disputes (see our previous post here). The geographical area covered was Central and Eastern Europe. The conference, part of a broader research project, was hosted by the Law Department of the Sapientia University, in the multicultural city of Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár, Klausenburg), Romania. At the conference, comparative and national reports were presented, which reflect very different attitudes towards arbitrability in the context of company law litigation. Now, the conference volume has just been released: Arbitrability of Company Law Disputes in Central and Eastern Europe, ed. by Em?d Veress; Cluj-Napoca, Forum Iuris, 2018; ISBN 978-606-94372-3-0. In addition, Professor Csongor István Nagy from the University of Szeged (Hungary) has published the introductory chapter authored by him on SSRN here.

China’s One Belt One Road Initiative and Private International Law

China's One Belt One Road Initiative and Private International Law (Hardback) book cover

A new book considering the private international law aspects of China’s One Belt One Road Initiative will be out in early June. The publisher’s blurb is below.

China’s One Belt One Road Initiative and Private International Law will soon be released by Routledge. It is available for pre-ordering now at https://www.routledge.com/Chinas-One-Belt-One-Road-Initiative-and-Private-International-Law/Sooksripaisarnkit-Garimella/p/book/9781138563827

Edited by Dr Poomintr Sooksripaisarnkit, of the Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania, and Dr Sai Ramani Garimella, of the South Asian University, the book explores possible challenges to the success of the OBOR arising from the situational interface of diversity of laws, with the focus primarily on issues associated with private international law. It shows the latest state of knowledge on the topic and will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students interested in private international law issues pertaining to the OBOR routes as well as private international law in general, Asian studies, and politics of international trade.

Contributors include:

  • Poomintr Sooksripaisarnkit – Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania
  • Yujun Guo and Pengyuan Fu – Wuhan University
  • Man Yip – Singapore Management University
  • Sai Ramani Garimella – South Asian University
  • Ivana Kunda – University of Rijeka
  • Zhengxin Huo – China University of Political Science and Law
  • Bruno Zeller – University of Western Australia
  • Kittiwat Chunchaemsai – Thammasat University
  • Thomas John – Hague Conference on Private International Law
  • Rishi Gulati – Victorian Bar, Australia
  • King Fung Tsang – The Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Beligh Elbati – Osaka University
  • Banu Bozkurt – Akdeniz University

Seminar International Business Courts 10 July: registration is open!

On 10 July 2018, a seminar on the establishment of international business courts in five Member States. will be held in Rotterdam. It is jointly organized by Erasmus, the MPI Luxembourg and Utrecht University, will be held in Rotterdam We will discuss these initiatives, in particular the novelties in the court administration and the procedural rules, exchange views on the possible impact on international commercial and complex litigation, and reflect on the challenges ahead. Eminent speakers from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Belgium will shed their light on these new courts and existing practices. The seminar will bring together practitioners, academics, business representatives and policy makers from different countries.

The organizers warmly invite you to attend! Please find the link to the full outline, the program, and registration here. We look forward to welcoming you in Rotterdam and to exchange views with you.

The seminar is organised by Erasmus School of Law under the ERC project ‘Building EU Civil Justice’ (Erasmus University Rotterdam), the Max Planck Institute for Procedural Law Luxembourg (Burkhard Hess), and the Montaigne Centre for Rule of Law and Administration of Justice of Utrecht University (Eddy Bauw).

Diplomat Lawyer Vacancy at the Permanent Bureau of the HCCH

By the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)

DIPLOMAT LAWYER ((FIRST) SECRETARY) with the following qualifications:

  • Outstanding academic record and expertise in private international law (PIL);
  • Common-law trained, with good comparative law background, including in the field of PIL
  • Good knowledge of Hague Conventions (and other Hague instruments), including in the areas of Family Law and related Hague Children’s Conventions
  • Good knowledge of public international law including the law of treaties; experience in international negotiations is desirable;
  • Excellent drafting capabilities (dissertation and / or Ph.D., law review or other publication experience will be taken into account);
  • 13-15 years of relevant post-qualification experience in academia, law practice, domestic administration, and/or in an intergovernmental organisation;
  • Complete fluency both spoken and written, in at least one of the working languages of the Conference (French or English), with preference given to candidates who also have a strong working knowledge of the other official language;
  • Applications from qualified female candidates are particularly welcomed;
  • Candidates from outside Europe are especially encouraged to apply.

The selected candidate will reinforce the team at the Permanent Bureau; his or her portfolio will include several Conventions and may include ongoing legislative projects. He or she will be part of the senior management team and assure a good, co-operative working atmosphere, conducive to team work and efficient communications, both within the Permanent Bureau and in relations with representatives of States and Organisations (respect of the Permanent Bureau’s core values is essential). The selected candidate will represent the HCCH in dealings with Members as well as other stakeholders and interested parties. He or she will also be expected to assist with the administration of the Permanent Bureau.

The position requires frequent travel to both neighbouring and distant countries.

Type of appointment and duration: three-year contract (with a one-year probationary period), possibility for renewal (medical clearance required).

Grade (Co-ordinated Organisations scale for the Netherlands): +/- A4/A5 subject to relevant experience. Secretarial status granted according to the Statute of the Hague Conference and Diplomatic status, with the relevant privileges and immunities, according to the agreements of the Hague Conference with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Deadline for applications: 26 May 2018

Anticipated starting date: September/October 2018

Applications: written applications should be sent by e-mail, with Curriculum Vitae, letter of motivation and contact information for at least two references, to be addressed to the Secretary General, e-mail: applications@hcch.nl.

In view of the terms of the Statute of the HCCH according to which diversity of geographic representation and of legal expertise shall be taken into account, candidates should preferably not have (exclusively) Swiss, Canadian or Portuguese nationality.

The short-listed candidates whose applications are retained will be invited to an interview with a Selection Committee which will include the Chairman of the Netherlands Standing Government Committee, the Chairman of the Council on General Affairs and Policy, and Members of the Permanent Bureau. They may also be invited to take part in an external professional assessment.

The Permanent Bureau reserves the right not to make any appointment to this vacancy, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description.

The Foundation of Choice of Law: Choice and Equality

The Foundation of Choice of Law: Choice and Equality by Dr Sagi Peari has been published by OUP recently. Please find the abstract below:

This book focuses on the subject of choice of law as a whole and provides an analysis of its various rules, principles, doctrines and concepts. It offers a conceptual account of choice of law, called “choice equality foundation” (CEF), which aims to flesh out the normative basis of the subject. The author reveals that, despite the multiplicity of titles and labels within the myriad choice of law rules and practices of the U.S., Canadian, European, Australian, and other systems, many of them effectively confirm and crystallize CEF’s vision of the subject. This alignment signifies the necessarily intimate relationship between theory and practice by which the normative underpinnings of CEF are deeply embedded and reflected in actual practical reality. 

Among other things, this book provides a justification of the nature and limits of such popular principles as party autonomy, most significant relationship, and closest connection. It also discusses such topics as the actual operation of public policy doctrine in domestic courts, and the relation between the notion of international human rights and international commercial dealings, and makes some suggestions about the ability of traditional rules to cope with the advancing challenges of the digital age and the Interne
t.

Please click to download the Flyer.

International Law Association: Biennial Conference in Sydney and Annual Meeting of the German Branch

In 2018, the Australian Branch of the International Law Association (ILA) will be hosting the biennial ILA conference. The conference, which is being held in Sydney, Australia, from 19-24 August 2018, is a major international event that will bring together hundreds of judges, academics, practitioners and officials of governments and international organisations from all around the globe. To register please follow this link. Please note that he early bird rate is available until 31 May 2018. The draft conference programme is now available on the ILA website here.

The German branch of the ILA will hold its annual meeting on 22 June, 2018, in Frankfurt (Main). This year’s topic is „International Dispute Resolution in Times of Crisis”. The list of distinguished speakers will include the Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, Professor Dr. Angelika Nußberger (Strasbourg/Cologne), Professor Dr. Giesela Rühl (University of Jena), and Professor Dr. Stephan Schill (University of Amsterdam). You may find the full programme and further information here.

The ILA was founded in Brussels in 1873. Its objectives, under its Constitution, are “the study, clarification and development of international law, both public and private, and the furtherance of international understanding and respect for international law”. The ILA has consultative status, as an international non-governmental organisation, with a number of the United Nations specialised agencies. For further information and a welcome address from ILA chairman Lord Mance, please click here.

The Hague Judgments Project & The EU: public hearing (24 April 2018)

The European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs will hold a public hearing on «The Hague Judgments Convention» in Brussels, on 24 April 2018, from 15.00-16.30. The hearing is aimed at bringing together Members of the European Parliament, Commission representatives, the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference and stakeholders with a view to discussing the ongoing negotiations on a world-wide Convention on the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters.

Since the recognition and enforcement of judgments is a matter of EU exclusive competence, the Commission represents all Member States (except Denmark) on the basis of the negotiating directives adopted by the Council in 2016. A third Special Commission was held in November 2017, which focused on intellectual property matters and general and final clauses, whereas the fourth and final Special Commission Meeting will take place in May 2018. This hearing will therefore provide the opportunity to get up to speed with the results of the three meetings of the Special Commission as well as with the next steps and future stages of the project.

Announcement: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/events-hearings.html?id=20180403CHE03681

Draft Programme: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/141460/juri-committee-hearing-hague-judgments-project.pdf

April 2018 JURI Study: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2018/604954/IPOL_STU(2018)604954_EN.pdf

Université de Lausanne/BIICL Conference on ‘The UK, Switzerland, Norway and the EU: Cross-border Business Relations after Brexit’

On 17 May, the Centre de droit comparé, européen et international of the University of Lausanne will host a joint conference with the British Institute of International and Comparative Law on ‘The UK, Switzerland, Norway and the EU: Cross-border Business Relations after Brexit’. The flyer can be found here. The conference, organised by Professor Eva Lein, intends to provide a forum to discuss the legal uncertainties arising from Brexit with regard to cross-border commercial relations between British, EU, Norwegian and Swiss companies companies.

It will feature the following panels:

Welcome: Eva Lein (UNIL / BIICL)

Panel 1: Trade and Services
Chair: Spyros Maniatis (BIICL / Queen Mary University of London)

  • Andreas Ziegler (UNIL)
  • Thomas Sebastian (Monckton Chambers)
  • Kaja Sandvig (DLA Piper, Oslo)
  • Federico Ortino (King’s College London / Clifford Chance)

Panel 2: Company Law and Insolvencies
Chair: Adam Johnson QC (Herbert Smith Freehills)

  • Stefania Bariatti (University of Milan)
  • Rodrigo Rodriguez (University of Lucerne)
  • John Whiteoak (Herbert Smith Freehills, London)
  • Kern Alexander (University of Zurich)

Panel 3: Dispute Resolution
Chair: Andrea Bonomi (UNIL)

  • Diana Wallis (former vice-President of the European Parliament / ELI)
  • Trevor Hartley (London School of Economics)
  • Benoît Arthur Mauron (Lalive)
  • Peter Arnt Nielsen (Copenhagen Business School)
  • Eva Lein (UNIL / BIICL)