Economic Analysis Of Contract Law

This important volume presents a rich collection of ideas on and insights into the law and economics of contracts. It includes material relevant to a large number of legal fields. Many of the articles are classics that have, over the years, become focal points for continuing debate; others provide an easily accessible account of particular areas. The editor's comprehensive introduction provides an overview of law and economics scholarship in contracts over the past few decades and a portal into an evolving field. Topics include: the economics of contracting; efficient breach and renegotiation; expectation damages and its alternatives; default rules and mass markets.

This collection brings together some of the main contributions to an important area of this work, the economics of contract law.

This unique and timely book offers an up-to-date, clear and comprehensive review of the economic literature on contract law. The topical chapters written by leading international scholars include: precontractual liability, misrepresentation, duress, gratuitous promises, gifts, standard form contracts, interpretation, contract remedies, penalty clauses, impracticability and foreseeability. Option contracts, warranties, long-term contracts, marriage contracts, franchise contracts, quasi-contracts, behavioral approaches, and civil contract law are also discussed. This excellent resource on contract law and economics will be particularly suited to contract law scholars, law teachers, policy makers, and judges. For experts in and practitioners of contract law this will be a key book to buy.

This book examines the main issues arising in economic analysis of contract law with special attention given to the incomplete contracts. It discusses both the main features of contract law as they relate to the problem of economic exchange, and how the relevant legal rules and the institutions can be analysed from an economic perspective. Evaluate the welfare impacts, analyses the effects and the desirability of different breach remedies and examines the optimal incentive structure of party-designed liquidated damages under the different dimensions of informational asymmetry. Overall the book aims to contribute to the legal debate over the adoption of the specific breach remedies when the breach victim’s expectation interest is difficult to assess, and to the debate over courts' reluctance to implement large penalties in the event of breach of contracts.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Economic Impact Group (EIG) was created to support the work on the DCFR with insights from law and economics. It brings together a number of leading European law and economics scholars. The Group looked at the main elements of the DCFR with two questions in mind: from an economic perspective, is it sensible to harmonize private law across Europe for this specific element, and is the solution chosen in the DCFR optimal? This book presents the outcome of the work of the EIG. It deals with key issues such as the function of contract law, contract formation, good faith, non-discrimination, specific performance versus damages, standard contractual terms and consumer protection in contract law. The EIG complements the work of the drafters of the DCFR with insightful and critical assessments, based on the well-established law and economics literature.

Surveys tort, property, and contract law, focusing on the works of economists in these areas.