International Contract Law (ENG)
Dr. Massimiliano Pastore, M.A.
ID: EN-LAW-25-13-434
Module Annotation
The International Contract Law module provides students with a deeper understanding of the structure of contracts in an international context and their interaction with different legal systems. The module examines standard terms and clauses commonly included in international contracts and standardized forms. The instructional video serves as a structured guide to the key concepts of each part of the module, while consultations focus on practical issues derived from hypothetical cases and established case law.
Upon successful completion of the module, students will have a solid command of business contract terminology and a basic understanding of the most common issues arising in contracts operating in a cross-border, multi-jurisdictional environment.
Course Objectives and Methodology
Upon completion of the module, students should be able to:
- Understand the structure and key clauses of international contracts.
- Identify and analyze the interaction between contracts and different legal systems.
- Apply relevant legal principles to hypothetical and real contractual issues.
- Use business contract terminology accurately and effectively in an international context.
The course combines lectures, case studies, and consultations with practical exercises, enabling students to connect legal theory with practice.
Course Focus and Modules
- Governing Contracts – conflict of laws; UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts; United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG).
- Concluding Contracts – offer; acceptance; termination of offer; certainty; venire contra factum proprium; estoppel; letters of intent; misrepresentation.
- The Heart of the Contract – implied terms; representations and warranties; boilerplate clauses; standards of performance.
- Special Clauses – exemption clauses; assignment clauses; force majeure; jurisdiction agreements; arbitration clauses.
Readings
- Kim, Nancy. The Fundamentals of Contract Law and Clauses: A Practical Approach. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, 2016.
- Zimmermann, Reinhard. The Law of Obligations – Roman Foundations of the Civilian Tradition. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996: Chapters 1, 2, 18–25.
- EU Rome I Regulation: link
- United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG): link
Resources
- Max Planck Encyclopædia of European Private Law: link
- PECL – Principles of European Contract Law: link
- CFR – Common Frame of Reference: link
- TransLex Principles of Transnational Law: link
- UNIDROIT Principles 2016: link