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Rules And Institutions In Developing A Law Market: Views From The United States And Europe, Erin O'Hara O'Connor, Larry E. Ribstein

Scholarly Publications

Developments in European choice of law seem to offer the United States a tantalizing opportunity for escape from the chaos of state-by-state choice-of-law rules. Specifically, the Rome Regulations provide the sort of uniform choice-of-law rules that have eluded the United States. Also, decisions of the European Court of Justice that permit firms to adopt home-country rules in some situations seem to facilitate jurisdictional choice by private parties. This top-down ordering of choice-of-law rules contrasts with the seemingly chaotic and decentralized system that prevails in the United States. However, decentralized American-style federalism might have something to offer Europe because choice of …