Programme Structure – LLM in International Business Law

Elective Module: Global Finance Law

Global Finance Law provides interdisciplinary skills with a focus on the global financial system which includes banks, markets and investment funds, covering multi-level legalities. The two key international institutions of global finance are the IMF and the World Bank and this module will examine new forms of global finance law.

You will be introduced to the basics of the global financial system including the issues of systematic risk and the global nature of legal structuring and regulation of the global financial system and organisations. This module will require you to consider the pros and cons of global governance in the context of the global financial system and organisations.

Elective Module: International Intellectual Property Law

Intellectual Property refers to a number of distinct types of legal monopolies over creations of the mind, both artistic and commercial, and the corresponding fields of law. Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets in some jurisdictions.

You will review the global nature of Intellectual Property regimes and regulatory mechanisms, as well as describe each of the rights encompassed by the term intellectual property. With consideration on the main legal elements pertinent to each right, you will review the operation of intellectual property regimes through specific global industries, e.g. pharmaceuticals, media, information technology. You will place this study within the broader setting of economic policy and commercial application and consider the impact of new technology on these rights, considering international regulation in the context of a global information society.

Elective Module: Employment Law

Employment Law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organisations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees. There are two broad categories of labour law.

First, collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship between employee, employer and union.

Second, individual labour law concerns employees' rights at work and through the contract for work. Labour rights have been integral to social and economic development since the industrial revolution.

Through the employment law module, you will be provided with a comprehensive and critical understanding of the structure and content of the contract of employment and relevant common law and statute.

Elective Module: Commercial Contracting

A commercial contract refers to a legally binding agreement between parties in which they are obliged to do or not do certain things. Contracts may be written or verbal, and drawn up in a formal or informal way. Most businesses create contracts in writing to make the terms of agreement clear, often seeking legal counsel when drawing important contracts. Contracts may encompass all aspects of a business, including hiring, wages, employee safety, leases and loans.

A breach of contract occurs when one of the parties fails to live up to the agreements. In such a case, the law is required to provide a remedy, which in many cases involves the court system enforcing the contract or asking the party to compensate for any damage done by the breach.

This module will provide you with thorough and critical knowledge on the rules of contract law in its commercial sphere and will enable you to read and draft commercial contracts, as well as to appreciate how contract law works in the area of consumers.

Elective Module: Alternative Dispute Resolution

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) includes processes and techniques that fall outside of the government judicial process. Despite historic resistance by many popular parties and their advocates, ADR has gained widespread acceptance among both the general public and the legal profession in recent years. In fact, some courts now require some parties to resort to ADR of some type, usually mediation, before permitting the parties' cases to be tried.

The rising popularity of ADR can be explained by the increasing caseload of traditional courts, the perception that ADR imposes fewer costs than litigation, a preference for confidentiality, and the desire of some parties to have greater control over the selection of the individual or individuals who will decide their dispute.

This module will provide you with a detailed understanding and analysis of the various laws, regulations and systems applicable to the dispute resolution process.