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Reappreciating the Composite Approach with Anupam Mittal v Westbridge II
Written by: Aditya Singh, BA.LL.B. (Hons) student at the National Law School of India University(NLSIU), Bengaluru and line editor at the National Law School Business Law Review (NLSBLR)
I. INTRODUCTION
The debate surrounding the composite approach i.e., the approach of accommodating the application of both the law applicable to the substantive contract and the Lex Fori to the arbitration clause has recently resurfaced with Anupam Mittal v Westbridge Ventures II (“Westbridge”). In this case, the Singapore Court of Appeal paved way for application of both the law governing substantive contract and the Lex Fori to determine the arbitrability of the concerned oppression and mismanagement dispute. The same was based on principle of comity, past precedents and s 11 of the International Arbitration Act. The text of s 11 (governing arbitrability) does not specify and hence limit the law determining public policy to Lex Fori. In any event, the composite approach regardless of any provision, majorly stems from basic contractual interpretation that extends the law governing substantive contract to the arbitration clause unless the presumption is rebuttable. For instance, in the instant case, the dispute would have been rendered in-arbitrable with the application of Indian law (law governing substantive contract) and hence the Singapore law was inferred to be the implied choice.[1] Read more
Measure twice, cut once: Dutch case Presta v VLEP on choice of law in employment contracts
Presta v VLEP (23 june 2023) illustrates the application of the CEJU’s Gruber Logistics (Case C-152/20, 15 July 2021) by the Dutch Supreme Court. In order to determine the law applicable to an individual employment contract under article 8 Rome I, one must compare the level of protection that would have existed in the absence of a choice of law (in this case, Dutch law) with the level of protection offered by the law chosen by the parties in the contract (in this case, the laws of Luxembourg), thereafter, the law of the country offering the highest level of employee protection should be applied.
U.S. Supreme Court Renders Personal Jurisdiction Decision
This post is by Maggie Gardner, a professor of law at Cornell Law School. It is cross-posted at Transnational Litigation Blog.
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday upheld the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s corporate registration statute, even though it requires out-of-state corporations registering to do business within the state to consent to all-purpose (general) personal jurisdiction. The result in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway Co. re-opens the door to suing foreign companies in U.S. courts over disputes that arise in other countries. It may also have significant repercussions for personal jurisdiction doctrine more broadly. Read more
News
EAPIL Winter School on Multistate Torts
The second edition of the EAPIL Winter School held annually in Como, Italy, will focus on Multistate Torts.
The event is organized by the University of Insubria in cooperation with the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and the University of Murcia and will feature English classes from about 20 international experts. It is aimed primarily at law graduates, law practitioners and PhD candidates with an interest in private international law, EU law and human rights law.
An online teaser seminar presenting the Winter School will take place on 2 December 2024, 6 p.m. CET. Those interested in participating in the online seminar are invited to send an email to eapilws@gmail.com in order to receive the link to the meeting.
In order to apply, interested candidates need to fill out this form.
The full programme can be found here, more information is also available here.
Four Tenure-Track Assistant Professorships at IE Law School in Madrid
IE Law School in Madrid, Spain, is currently advertising four tenure-track assistant professorships, preferably in private law, commercial & corporate law, IP law, or digital & tech law, among others.
More information can be found here.
Out now: Private International Law in Türkiye by Emre Esen and Melis Avsar
Private International Law in Türkiye is now available and free to access, offering a comprehensive English-language resource on Turkish Private International Law. Written by Emre Esen and Melis Avsar, the book fills a significant gap for students, practitioners, and scholars alike. Drawing on extensive teaching experience, the authors provide practical guidance for cross-border disputes in Türkiye while addressing key discussions from Turkish legal literature. In addition, the book includes Turkish court decisions and applications, making it an invaluable tool for legal professionals.