Law Commons^™

The Uniform Commercial Code Survey: Introduction, Jennifer S. Martin, Colin P. Marks, Wayne Barnes

Faculty Articles

The survey that follows highlights the most important developments of 2020 dealing with domestic and international sales of goods, personal property leases, payments letters of credit, documents of title, investment securities, and secured transactions.

When Is A Warranty Not A Warranty?: Deconstructing The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act’S Narrow Definition Of “Warranty”, Colin P. Marks

Faculty Articles

Prior to the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”), warranties of goods required reliance on the affirmation or promise relating to the goods for liability to attach. The UCC changed this standard from a reliance standard to a “basis of the bargain” standard. This shift has caused much confusion as to whether the new standard was meant to completely eliminate reliance as a relevant factor, or if reliance still plays a primary role in warranty analysis. Adding to this area of law is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (“MMWA” or “the Act”), which was enacted to address concerns that sellers’ …

Fraud, Letters Of Credit, And The Uniform Commercial Code: It Is Time To Untether The Independence Principle, Richard Flint

Faculty Articles

The purpose of this Article is to evaluate the efficacy of the fraud exception to the independence principle in letters of credit law in the case of both commercial and standby letters of credit. In doing so, a primary focus will be to identify which of the various parties to a letter of credit transaction the present fraud exception "protects" and to evaluate the policy justifications for why these persons are viewed by the law to be eligible recipients of protection.

Turnover Actions And The “Floating Check” Controversy, David R. Hague

Faculty Articles

When a debtor files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, a Chapter 7 trustee is appointed and is charged with collecting and reducing to money the property of the bankruptcy estate. One of the most basic collection methods a trustee possesses is its turnover power under § 542(a) of the Bankruptcy Code. Pursuant to § 542(a), an entity in possession, custody, or control, during the bankruptcy case, of property that the trustee may use, sell, or lease, must deliver to the trustee, and account for, such property or the value of such property.

An interesting issue has arisen that is placing debtors …

Estudio Comparativo De La Formacion De Contratos Electronicos En El Derecho Estadounidense Con Referencia Al Derecho International Y Al Derecho Mexicano, Roberto Rosas

Faculty Articles

The author presents the underlying fundamental contractual principles in American law, and in this respect, tire Uniform Commercial Code, with particular emphasis in how electronic transactions are regulating, and therefore in the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act, the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. Concerning international law, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and concerning Mexican law, with reference to the Commerce Code and the Federal Civil Code.

Distinguishing The Concept Of Strict Liability In Tort From Strict Products Liability: Medusa Unveiled, Charles E. Cantú

Faculty Articles

The justifications for strict products liability and other cases of strict liability in torts are different and distinct. The United States judiciary has limited strict liability in tort law to seven distinct scenarios: (1) animals that are trespassing, are domesticated but vicious, or are wild by nature; (2) fact situations involving ultra-hazardous activities; (3) nuisance; (4) misrepresentation; (5) vicarious liability; (6) defamation; or (7) a workman’s compensation statute.

Strict liability is imposed for harm caused by animals capable of inflicting extensive harm. It also justifies liability for ultra-hazardous activities on the basis that an individual undertakes an activity that is …

Comparative Study Of The Formation Of Electronic Contracts In American Law With References To International And Mexican Law, Roberto Rosas

Faculty Articles

A comparative analysis of electronic contract formation law in the United States, Mexico, and the international arena is necessary to understand the evolution and future of electronic contracting. Using new communication technologies, such as developmental instruments of electronic commerce, has clear benefits, but also brings risks and uncertainties to electronic contracting. Although modern laws tend toward uniformity in modern transactions, certain aspects may still cause controversy. In purely electronic transactions, the most important legal determination concerns the establishment of an offer and an acceptance, memorialized through electronic messages absent written documentation and the human intervention of an automatic exchange. Consequently, …

Twenty-Five Years Of Strict Product Liability Law: The Transformation And Present Meaning Of Section 402a, Charles E. Cantú

Faculty Articles

Twenty-five years ago, the American Law Institute had just published Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts. As a consequence of this new and innovative rule, the theory of recovery in the area of defective products was expanded from a system based on principles of negligence and warranty to one that also included the doctrine of strict product liability. The promulgation of Section 402A marked the beginning of a growing revolution in the field of plaintiff-oriented litigation in which parties and courts frequently center their inquiry upon the defectiveness of the product and issues related thereto, rather than on …

Reflections On Section 402a Of The Restatement (Second) Of Torts: A Mirror Crack’D, Charles E. Cantú

Faculty Articles

Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts forever changed the means by which an individual would be held liable for placing defective products into the stream of commerce. Strict liability, which had previously been restricted to cases involving dangerous activities and wild animals, became a new cause of action in almost all product cases. As a result, this section of the Restatement has been a catalyst to a multitude of litigation. More causes of action have been brought alleging strict liability for injuries caused by a defective product than in any other area of tort law.

Now that almost …