The Unauthorised Agent

This book focuses on a highly significant issue in agency law: the legal situation created when an agent acts without authority.

The 2nd edition of this successful book provides a fully updated, succinct examination of the principles of agency law. The book explores the rules of attribution, the rights and obligations arising within the agency relationship, the impact of agency in the fields of contract and tort, and the termination of an agent's authority. Throughout the book, full consideration is given to the issues arising under the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993. The discussion is informed not only by common law authority that constantly nourishes the development of agency law principle, but also by international soft law instruments and the Restatement of the Law, Third: Agency.

The book provides rule-by-rule commentaries on European contract law (general contract law, consumer contract law, the law of sale and related services), dealing with its modern manifestations as well as its historical and comparative foundations. After the collapse of the European Commission's plans to codify European contract law it is timely to reflect on what has been achieved over the past three to four decades, and for an assessment of the current situation. In particular, the production of a bewildering number of reference texts has contributed to a complex picture of European contract laws rather than a European contract law. The present book adopts a broad perspective and an integrative approach. All relevant reference texts (from the CISG to the Draft Common European Sales Law) are critically examined and compared with each other. As far as the acquis commun (ie the traditional private law as laid down in the national codifications) is concerned, the Principles of European Contract Law have been chosen as a point of departure. The rules contained in that document have, however, been complemented with some chapters, sections, and individual provisions drawn from other sources, primarily in order to account for the quickly growing acquis communautaire in the field of consumer contract law. In addition, the book ties the discussion concerning the reference texts back to the pertinent historical and comparative background; and it thus investigates whether, and to what extent, these texts can be taken to be genuinely European in nature, ie to constitute a manifestation of a common core of European contract law. Where this is not the case, the question is asked whether, and for what reasons, they should be seen as points of departure for the further development of European contract law.

For well over a decade, this prized guide has served practitioners handling the legal ramifications of international contracting projects. The fifth edition expands on issues discussed in the earlier one, along with new topics that continue to redefine the researching, drafting, and execution of international contracts. All the invaluable features of earlier editions are of course still here, including analysis of key contract issues unique to various types of contracting, common contract clauses, contract checklists, insights gleaned from actual cases and arbitral proceedings, and clear explanation of the principles of good contract drafting. The major relevant international conventions, model laws, pertinent national laws, legal guides, and other documents and instruments are all covered, with primary texts provided in the appendices. Some of the new issues and topics covered include: new potential causes of force majeure and hardship (pandemics and BREXIT); review of Incoterms 2020; new clauses covered (anti-slavery, exclusion, interpretation, no-waiver, sub-contracting, sustainability clauses, among others); rise of new international commercial courts; legaltech, smart contracts, and artificial intelligence; ethics; implementation of technology in legal practice; enforceability of penalty clauses; Internet sales and agency contracts; long-term contracts and goodwill compensation; data protection and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); alliance, collaboration, and cooperation agreements; noncompete and nonsolicitation clauses; e-mail disclaimers; and separation and release agreements. The book acts as a single-volume reference in the negotiating and drafting of international contracts and offers expert insights regarding the reasonableness of many contract clauses and the likelihood of their enforcement in a foreign jurisdiction. An adroit combination of contract theory and contract practice, the book continues to provide guidance to law practitioners and students alike. “International Contracting is an excellent single volume reference that highlights the different issues relating to a variety of contracts. I recommend it to drafting attorneys writing domestic as well as transborder contracts.” – Christopher E. Howard (complex commercial transactions and development projects), Managing Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP, Portland, Maine “The latest edition of Professor DiMatteo's International Contracting constitutes a broad yet detailed coverage of international contract law and laws, as well as international practice. It drills down into the level of detail that supplies invaluable practical guidance of the sort not to be found in other publications.” – Professor Michael G. Bridge, London School of Economics “International Contracting is an ideal source for practitioners whether of the civil or common law. It also provides a concise review of international contracting issues and practices for the scholar and student interested in this area of law. I highly recommend it as a general resource on the topic.” – Michel Cannarsa, Dean & Professor, Lyon Catholic University

This text provides a comprehensive guide to the principles of European contract law. They have been drawn up by an independent body of experts from each Member State of the EU, under a project supported by the European Commission and many other organizations. The principles are stated in the form of articles, with a detailed commentary explaining the purpose and operation of each article and its relation to the remainder. Each article also has extensive comparative notes surveying the national laws and other international provisions on the topic.

Rev. ed. of: Law for estate management students. 4th ed. 1994.

The topic of harmonisation of European private law, and European contract law in particular, is rapidly gaining in importance. The topic is not only widely studied by academics and students all over Europe (and even beyond), it is also on the political agenda of the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council. The most important achievement in this field is no doubt the Principles of European Contract Law (PECL), drafted by the Commission on European Contract Law. The European Commission considers the PECL to be a serious option for further harmonisation of European contract law within the European Union. This publication is the first to provide a systematic overview of the PECL in comparison with Dutch contract law as a whole. The book is concise and because of its structure it is easily accessible. Amongst the contributors there are many highly distinguished contract law specialists. It may be used at universities in courses on Comparative Law, European Private Law, and European Contract Law. It may also be used by international practitioners, foreign students, and academics interested in Dutch contract law who do not have access to Dutch contract law because they have no knowledge of the Dutch language. Last but not least, the book will be of interest to all jurists interested in the harmonisation of the European Private Law.