Law Commons^™

Iraq, Secured Transactions, And The Promise Of Islamic Law, Mark J. Sundahl

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

When Iraq regains political stability, major reconstruction projects will have to be funded and local businesses will need financing in order to gain a foothold in the new economy. In order to attract the necessary capital, the Iraqi law of secured transactions must be reformed to allow for lenders to take security in the assets of their borrowers. However, the challenge of reforming Iraqi commercial law is complicated by the requirement under the new Iraqi Constitution that any new statutes enacted by the Iraqi legislature comply with the principles of Islamic law. This Article sets forth proposals for reform that …

Globalization Of Arbitral Procedure, Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Imagine attending hearings in three different arbitrations: one in Geneva, one in New York, and one in Hong Kong. All three hearings will likely involve the same hotel conference rooms, the same court reporters, the same language--English, the same types of oral submissions, witness examinations, expert presentations, and procedural arguments, and often even the same people. Does this mean that arbitral procedure is globalized '--that an arbitration is conducted in a uniform manner wherever it takes place, whatever national law governs? Does national law govern at all? This paper will discuss these issues.

The Culture Of Arbitration, Tom Ginsburg

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The relationship between "legal culture" and the practice of international arbitration has received increasing attention in recent years. Many see arbitration as a meeting point for different legal cultures, a place of convergence and interchange wherein practitioners from different backgrounds create new practices. Some have suggested that this process has led to an emergent "international arbitration culture" fusing together elements of the common law and civil law traditions. Others see arbitration as a locus of conflict among traditions or as competition among various players.

This comment contests the view that the current state of convergence in arbitration is properly considered …

Harmonizing The Battle Of The Forms: A Comparison Of The United States, Canada, And The United Nations Convention On Contracts For The International Sale Of Goods, Charles Sukurs

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

As trade between the United States and Canada continues to increase on the heels of the free trade agreements of the early 1990s, the question of which body of commercial law to apply to these transactions becomes increasingly important. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) serves as the default governing law for many of these transactions. In spite of its lack of use and the confusion it has brought to choice of law provisions as a self-executing treaty, many scholars have suggested that the CISG can continue to serve as a body of …

Commercial Norms, Commercial Codes, And International Commercial Arbitration, Christopher R. Drahozal

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article examines whether the incorporation of commercial norms into commercial codes is an appropriate law-making strategy. Most commercial codes, including the Uniform Commercial Code, regard common business practices as an important source for courts to consider when resolving contract disputes. Yet some scholars criticize this incorporation strategy, arguing that reliance on commercial norms is often inappropriate and may distort the true nature of the parties' agreement. Reliance on commercial norms does restrict the ability of contracting parties to allocate part of their agreement to extra-legal means of enforcement. Nevertheless, this Article asserts that those costs may be outweighed by …

U.S. Supreme Court Subordinates Enforcement Of Regulatory Statutes To Enforcement Of Arbitration Agreements, Christine L. Davitz

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Through a series of cases culminating with Vimar Seguros Y Reaseguros v. M/V Sky Reefer, the U.S. Supreme Court has developed a strong pro-arbitration stance regarding disputes arising out of international commercial contracts. This Note analyzes the Court's reasons for this stance and compares those reasons with the history and purposes of the Federal Arbitration Act and the New York Convention. The author concludes that the Court's reasons are at odds with the FAA and the New York Convention. The Note further articulates the dangers posed to U.S. public policies that are created by allowing arbitration of statutory claims. The …

Economic Globalization: The Challenge For Arbitrators, Ranee K.L. Panjabi

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

CHOICE OF LAW IN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION

By Okezie Chukwumerije

Westport, Connecticut: Quorum Books, 1994. Pp. 219.

Arbitration at the municipal level is becoming more frequently used because it is regarded as a more expeditious process for resolving disputes. In the realm of labor relations, for instance, arbitration is often the dispute resolution method of choice and is incorporated in numerous collective agreements. In an arbitration the two parties usually select an arbitrator and jointly pay the costs of the process. In the collective agreement or contract, the parties stipulate the terms of the procedure that generally bind the arbitrator, …

American Conflicts Scholarship And The New Law Merchant, Friedrich K. Juenger

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Professor Juenger argues that both the unilateralist and the multilateralist schools of thought share a fixation on the idea that law must emanate from the power of a sovereign state. The author points out that such a view of law is a historic; that, in the past, merchants relied on a substantive body of supranational rules that transcended national borders. This Article discusses the contemporary significance of the law merchant for law professors, law students, and practitioners.

The author explains how the practices of contemporary transnational commercial enterprises, as well as the opinions of contemporary scholars , support the idea …

The Reintegration Of Hong Kong Into The People's Republic Of China, John H. Henderson

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

On June 30, 1997, the United Kingdom will cede administrative control of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong achieved great prosperity under British rule, but the affect of China's influence on Hong Kong's future economic success is an issue of much concern as the 1997 transfer of sovereignty nears. This Note analyzes the transfer of sovereignty and what it will mean to Hong Kong's economic future. The author outlines the history of Hong Kong and discusses the British role in creating the prosperous colony. The author then analyzes the Joint Declaration, the document which governs the …

Extraterritorial Application Of Title Vii: The Foreign Compulsion Defense And Principles Of International Comity, Mary C. St. John

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

With an increasing number of United States corporations locating and affiliating overseas and United States citizens seeking employment with multinational corporations, the debate over the extraterritorial application of United States discrimination laws has attracted greater international attention. The 1991 amendment to Title VI1 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin, specifically provides for extraterritorial application of Title Vii. The foreign compulsion defense, however, limits the scope of Title VII's application abroad and raises the issue of whether U.S. corporations can claim this defense when foreign …

The Commercial Real Estate Laws Of The People's Republic Of China And Shenzhen: An Overview, David S. Kerzner

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article surveys the changes in real estate laws that have occurred in China since 1980. It provides a comprehensive and specific overview of the foreign investment process, which should prove particularly useful to United States investors. The Article first provides general background on the evolution of Chinese real estate law, focusing on the granting and subsequent alienation of land use rights, as well as the recent development in the area of large parcels of land. The Article then examines the current state of real estate law in Guangdong Province, specifically in Shenzhen, and explains details such as transfer and …

International Monetary Law: The Next Twenty-Five Years, Richard W. Edwards, Jr.

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, Professor Edwards considers possible developments in international monetary law over the next twenty-five years. The author begins by discussing some formative events for international monetary law throughout the last twenty-five years, and he notes that unforeseen political developments can have a dramatic effect on monetary policy, and, therefore; make predicting future policy risky. The author does suggest, however, some policy changes that respond to current issues such as the trend toward currency consolidation, the need to improve public confidence in monetary processes, the need to stabilize the currencies of the states of the former Soviet Union, and …

Considering Business Opportunities In The Soviet Union In The 1990s, Richard N. Dean

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The purpose of this Essay has been to provide, in somewhat summary fashion, basic background and guidelines to assist Western companies that are considering commercial transactions in the Soviet Union. It was not intended to be an exhaustive analysis of all factors that may affect the negotiation, completion and implementation of commercial transactions in the Soviet Union. Rather, we have drawn from our experience in assisting our clients over the last three years in the USSR and have attempted to provide an appropriate context for the consideration of potential business opportunities.

In our experience, the most effective perspective to adopt …

The Marine Mammal Protection Act And International Protection Of Cetaceans: A Unilateral Attempt To Effectuate Transnational Conservation, Laura L. Lones

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Note examines how the United States has used the Marine Mammal Protection Act to further international protection of cetaceans--dolphins, porpoises, and whales. The author first reviews the manifold reasons for protecting cetaceans. The author next describes the international operation of the Act as amended in 1984 by surveying those sections that have an impact on United States relations with other states and the regulations and cases that implement those sections. The author concludes that these restrictions have produced a decline in porpoise mortality, although more can be done. The author next describes the successes of the Act's treaty program. …

Case Digest, Law Review Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Secretary of Transportation's Order Issued Pursuant to Anti-Apartheid Act, which immediately revoked South-African airways right to serve United States Airports, Upheld Notwithstanding possible violation of prior Executive Agreement--South African Airways v. Dole, 817 F.2d 119 (D.C.Cir. 1987).

IN TRANSNATIONAL LITIGATION, HAGUE EVIDENCE CONVENTION IS NOT MANDATORY, EXCLUSIVE, OR PROCEDURE OF FIRST RESORT, BUT UNITED STATES COURT MAY RESORT TO CONVENTION'S DISCOVERY PROCEDURES To SUPPLEMENT FEDERAL DISCOVERY RULES WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT --Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale v. United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, 107 S. Ct. 2542 (1987).

Two YEAR PROCESSING DELAY OF APPLICATION FOR ADJUSTMENT OF IMMIGRATION …

Attribution Of A Multinational Corporation's Net Income: The Position Of Unitary States Regarding Combined Reporting, William D. Dexter

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

A complex and controversial aspect of state taxation of business income involves the attribution of a multinational corporation's (MNC's) net income. This Article examines the nature and scope of the controversy that stems from the conflicting views of states that promote a unitary taxation system, and MNCs as well as the Department of Treasury (Treasury) that oppose this position. Section IV illustrates why the unitary business principle is currently the only viable, fair, and feasible method available to the states for the geographical assignment of an MNC's net income. Section V analyzes the MNCs' arguments both against worldwide combined reporting …

Recent Decisions, Jonathan F. Mack, Jesse T. Wilkins, Joseph A. Dijulio

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Constitutional Law--Grandfather Clause in International Emergency Economic Powers Act Permits the President to Ban Travel to Cuba without Declaring an Emergency Regan v. Wald, 104 S. Ct. 3026 (1984)

Jurisdiction--Bank may not Assert Act of State Doctrine as Defense in Action on Certificate of Deposit Garcia v. Chase Manhattan Bank, N.A., 735 F.2d 645 (2d Cir. 1984).

Jurisdiction--Commercial Activity as Applied to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the Act of State Doctrine Braka v. Bancomer, S.A., 589 F. Supp. 1465 (S.D.N.Y. 1984)

The Need To Utilize International Arbitration, Gerald Aksen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

I have been asked to discuss how to convince United States businessmen of the need for utilizing international arbitration. Basically, however, there is a realistic need for this well recognized form of alternative dispute settlement. Primarily, international arbitration affords companies the ability to avoid the uncertainties and complexities of foreign litigation. I found it interesting that Professor Vagts used the word "paradox" in referring to the existence of both the lack of effective treaties on the enforcement of foreign judgments and the host of treaties on the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. Why is it a paradox? International arbitration was …

The European Community, The United States, And Ireland: An Intermesh Of Statutory Provisions, Finbarr Murphy

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article will outline the effects that Ireland's membership in the European Community has had on direct investment by United States corporations in Ireland. The Article begins with a survey of the diplomatic, commercial, and economic links between the United States and Ireland, and then examines the relationship between the United States and the European Community. The third section reviews the legal and constitutional aspects of Irish membership in the European Community and outlines the new legal and economic order of which Ireland has become a member. Last, the Article examines the effect that Ireland's membership in the European Community …

Irish Tax Law And The Foreign Investor, Conor Crowley, Paul Mcgowan

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

For over twenty-five years, successive Irish Governments have actively sought and encouraged foreign investment in Ireland. With the exception of the insurance industry, Irish statutes grant foreigners the same rights as citizens of Ireland to establish whatever type of business they desire. A minimum native Irish interest in any business is required only for the issue or transfer of shares to, or the establishment of, a business branch operation by nonresidents. Although these transactions require Exchange Control approval, that approval is usually a formality for investments expected to bring an economic benefit to Ireland.

Special Project -- Legal Issues Arising From The Mexican Economic Crisis, Robert L. Morgan -- Special Projects Editor, J. Robert Paulson, Jr., Fred A. Frost, Terrence L. Dugan, Cynthia L. Wells, G. Wilson Horde, Iii, Judith B. Anderson

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The economic crisis in Mexico, which profoundly altered the financial and political course of that nation, has also had a significant impact on persons and corporations having business ties to Mexico. Foreign investors and businesses now are required to follow new Mexican rules that often differ dramatically from those previously in effect. The impact of the crisis has not been confined to changes in Mexican law. A substantial number of issues have arisen that will have significant bearing on United States and international law.

The Special Project discusses the changes in the legal environment following the crisis, with its focus …

Book Review: The Winding-Up Of Insolvent Companies In England And France, Keith M. Lundin

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Livadas provides an especially adept analysis and comparison of the treatment of employees of insolvent companies in the two countries. The author convincingly demonstrates that a French "liquidation des biens" protects employee wages, benefits, and claims more extensively than an English winding-up proceeding. The French requirement of compulsory insurance to protect the wages of employees and the special privilege afforded employees against the immovable assets of a French company are without analogy in English winding-up law. Livadas punctuates the chapters on the liabilities of officers and directors, which are generally more strict in France than in England, and the priorities …

Letters Of Credit In East-West Trade: Soviet Reception Of Capitalist Custom, George M. Armstrong, Jr.

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article examines the Soviet system for financing the purchase and sale of goods by a Soviet enterprise from a Western merchant. This Article is organized chronologically, commencing with the initial contact between a Western merchant and an FTO, the merchant's liaison with Soviet industrial enterprises.

The Article examines the role of the FTO in mediating relations between Soviet enterprises and their Western contracting partners. It then examines the procedures employed by the Bank for Foreign Trade to establish the credit, to handle the documentary transaction, and to determine whether to honor the seller's demand for payment. The Article finally …

Extraterritorial Effects Of United States Commercial And Antitrust Legislation: A View From "Down Under", Warren Pengilley

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

British Commonwealth lawyers, in general, and Australian lawyers, in particular, traditionally maintain a conservative view of the extraterritorial reach of commercial legislation. As a result of the Alcoa decision in 1945, if not earlier decisions, the United States courts have espoused fairly grand ideas on the stretch of their judicial writ. In fact, the "effects" doctrine was first proclaimed in 1909 by the United States Supreme Court in American Banana Co. v. United Fruit Co. In this case, the Court proclaimed that the United States has the power to punish "acts done outside [the] jurisdiction but intended to produce and …

Draft International Anticounterfeiting Code: Neo-Realism As A Vehicle For Analyzing The Effect Of Nonsignatories' Perceptions On The Development Of An Anticounterfeiting Norm, Shari D. Olenick

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

NOTE -

The United States, the European Common Market (EEC), Canada, and Japan are currently considering a draft convention entitled "Agreement on Measures to Discourage the Importation of Counterfeit Goods' (hereinafter referred to as the Anticounterfeiting Code or Code) which is designed to minimize the international problem posed by counterfeit merchandise. This Note highlights the international legal significance of the counterfeiting problem. Previous attempts to confront the problem provide the backdrop for a tripartite analysis which treats the following issues in the proposed Code: workability questions evident from an initial examination of the Code; the Code as a norm-creating vehicle; …

Recent Development: Procedure--Right To A Jury Trial In Actions Against Corporations Owned By Foreign Governments, William A. Zan Blue

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Three federal circuit courts of appeals recently have held that United States citizens are not entitled to a jury trial in an action against a commercial corporation owned by a foreign government. The Second, Third, and Fourth Circuit Courts of Appeals agree that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), the sole basis for federal subject matter jurisdiction, provides only for nonjury trials in legal actions against commercial corporations owned by a foreign government. These courts also agree that this statutory denial of a jury trial does not abridge a citizen's seventh amendment right. These decisions are important because of the …

Case Digest, Journal Staff

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Case Digest--

Spouse of Injured Seaman May Recover Damages for Loss of Society under Maritime Common Law

Federal District Court Lacks Jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1350 over Fraud Action Brought by Alien when Claim Fails to Implicate a Treaty or Body of Rules Governing Relations between Foreign States

Jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act Requires at Least a Finding of International Shoe "Minimum Contacts"

Appellate Court will not Review the Post-Settlement Appeal of a Pre-Settlement Provisional Remedy without District Court Consideration of the Intervening Events

Foreign States are Subject to Liability for Non-Commercial Torts arising from the Commercial …

The Establishment Of Foreign Bank Agencies And Branches In New York, Clifford D. Harmon

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In recent years foreign banking associations have played an increasingly important role in the United States money market. While foreign banks have been operating in the United States since the 1870's, no substantial foreign banking existed in this country until the early 1970's. Since that time, however, there has been rapid expansion, and by 1978 there were 210 foreign bank facilities controlling $66 billion in assets in the United States. Most of this activity is confined to New York, Illinois, and California.

New York alone accounts for three quarters of all foreign bank assets in this country. Although this concentration …

Commercial Hardship And The Discharge Of Contractual Obligations Under American And British Law, John J. Gorman

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

There are several doctrines under which contractual obligations have been judicially discharged. This Note will examine the United States doctrine of commercial impracticability or commercial impossibility and the English doctrine of frustration of contract or frustration of the commercial objective. The focus of this Note therefore is on those situations in which discharge from contractual obligations is sought because of supervening economic hardship. Part II provides a brief historical account of the development of the English common law doctrine of impossibility. Part III traces the development of the United States concept of commercial impossibility and commercial impracticability from the early …

The Troublesome Workings Of The Judgments Convention Of The European Economic Community, Errol P. Mendes

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The problems involved in the jurisdiction by consent provisions in article seventeen and the special rules for insurance claims in articles seven through fifteen have to some extent been dealt with by the provisions of the Judgments Accession Convention as have the problems arising under the hire purchase and credit sale transactions. Nevertheless, a comprehensive definition of the term "consumer sale" is needed from the European Court.

There can be little doubt that both lawyers and litigants who are affected by the Convention, would prefer to operate under the conflict of laws rules of their own nations which, although complex, …