Commercial Law Commons^™

Editorial Board

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

Wine Unwelcome: The Constitutional Contours Of Wine Regulation, Alexander Fallone

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

Wine retail shops face a dizzying labyrinth of state laws that severely restrict their ability to ship wine to out-of-state consumers. While the dormant Commerce Clause would normally strike down laws that impose restrictions on interstate commerce, wine (and alcoholic beverages) must contend with Section Two of the Twenty-first Amendment, which gives the states control over the importation and distribution of wine intending to be consumed within their borders. Court of Appeals cases interpreting Supreme Court precedent on the tension between the dormant Commerce Clause and Section Two have practically stripped the dormant Commerce Clause of any power. This Note …

Show Me The Money: Approaches To Anti-Money Laundering Compliance For Digital Assets, Mollie Rouan

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

The European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (“MiCA”) created a harmonized framework to regulate digital asset issuance and services that were not already covered by existing regulations. Notably, MiCA requires virtual asset providers to adhere to the Financial Action Task Force Recommendation 16 (“FATF”), also known as the Travel Rule. Though the Travel Rule has existed for almost 20 years, its application to crypto asset transfers is entirely new. The purpose of the Travel Rule is to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, but its application to cryptocurrency wallet transactions is criticized for being overly burdensome and invasive …

Who Owns Your Adventure? A Need For Legislative Clarity For Streamed Performances Of Video Games, Harrison Busalacchi

Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law

Video games contain copyrighted material that could easily be infringed upon by people streaming a performance of them playing the game. However, the streamers can protect themselves from infringement liability by transforming the content in some form or fashion such that their performance constitutes “fair use” of the copyrighted material. This is often accomplished by the streamer providing commentary while playing the game or adding a small video of themselves in the corner of the stream so that the viewers can see the streamers’ reactions to the content. With artificial intelligence seeing exponential growth in the past couple of years …

Superfluous Slot Machines: A Legal Analysis Of The Overly-Strict Rules Of Slot Machine Retail, Sean Jarchow

UNLV Gaming Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Law On Deposits In Singapore, Tiong Min Yeo

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

This article traces the development of the law of deposits in Singapore and reviews the restatement of the law in the 2024 landmark decision of the Court of Appeal in Li Jialin v Wingcrown Investments Pte Ltd, as well as some of the issues left open by the decision. It is argued that while the decision has clarified that deposits are not subject to the penalty rule but instead subject to the common law test of reasonableness—with the practical consequence that, with clear drafting, contracting parties can rely on the validity of reasonable deposit clauses without the complication of …

Revisiting Letters Of Credit And The Enforceability Of Sanctions Clauses: Case Comment: Kuvera Resources Pte Ltd V Jpmorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Bing Feng, Keith Law

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

This article is a case commentary on the recent Singapore Court of Appeal decision of Kuvera Resources Pte Ltd v JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. [2023] 2 SLR 389. It begins with a brief review of the structure of documentary credit transactions before setting out the judgments by the High Court and Court of Appeal. The commentary then examines how both courts rationalised letters of credit within the traditional framework of unilateral contracts, before scrutinising the current position of sanctions clauses within letters of credit. It disagrees with the Court of Appeal’s hesitance towards accepting such clauses, noting that the unilateral …

The New Framework For Directors’ Duty To Creditors And The Challenges Ahead – Foo Kian Beng V Op3 International Pte Ltd (In Liquidation) [2024] 1 Slr 361, Jonathan Ren Hao Cheong

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

In Foo Kian Beng v OP3 International Pte Ltd (in liquidation) [2024] 1 SLR 361, the Singapore Court of Appeal introduced a two-step, three-category framework for evaluating whether a director has breached his fiduciary duty to consider the interests of creditors. This decision not only affirms the traditional understanding of the duty in other common law jurisdictions but also provides directors with clearer guidance on managing the affairs of the company in times of financial distress. This article builds upon the discussion in Foo Kian Beng by evaluating the new framework established by the SGCA. It also identifies potential challenges …

"The Cake Is A Lie:" Locating Loot Boxes In Indian Gaming Framework, Aman Gupta, Samriddh Sharma

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

Lootboxes have become endemic in modern video games. These microtransactions allow users to purchase virtual containers without knowing their content, which is determined by chance. There have been increasing concerns about the negative impact of loot-box purchases on mental health and whether these amount to gambling under various laws. In response, several countries have started applying existing gambling laws or legislating new measures to regulate lootboxes. This raises questions about the present state of regulations in the Indian context and whether they are adequate in meeting the risks posed by lootboxes. In the present article, the authors explain the concept …

Steering Indian Financial Services Towards Digital Operational Resilience: A Cross-Sectoral Approach, Vaibhav Vijay Nishad, Smruti Kulkarni

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

In India, among the three financial regulators, RBI’s recent focus on creating a robust ICT risk management framework has been at the forefront of the country’s digital operational resilience strategy. The continuous cyber threats and recent digital operational failures have highlighted the need for further enhancements to strategies that establish strong ICT risk management. Addressing these cybersecurity vulnerabilities requires more than prescriptive rules; it demands holistic, flexible, adaptive, and coordinated regulatory approaches to strengthen digital operational resilience. This paper analyses the key issues that need resolution to advance these efforts. We identify the misalignment of economic incentives for compliance as …

Centring Marginalisation In The Development Of Digital Courts: Reflections From Argentina, India, Kenya, And Malaysia, Siddharth Peter De Souza, Varsha Aithala, Francisco Mignaquy, Mercy Muendo, Anisha Nadkarni

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

This paper presents a multi-jurisdictional analysis of digitalisation of justice and the perceived role of courts as public institutions upholding the rule of law and ensuring access to justice to all. Using selected examples from Argentina, India, Kenya and Malaysia, it examines the impact of digitalisation efforts of these countries on their citizens, marginalised populations, the State and private sector. We propose to design an approach to digital justice that centres people on the margins of digital transformation of courts. This includes three elements – first, engagement with people centered perspectives; second, focus on disadvantage and addressing socio-technical factors; and …

From ‘Gig Work’ To Algorithmically Mediated Work: Shifting The Focus To Technological Control In Work Regulation, Jasoon Chelat

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

Platform-based work is finding a place in legislative instruments in India in recent years, under the Code on Social Security, 2020, as well as state-level legislations. In this paper, I argue that these efforts to extend protections to gig or platform work are limited in their understanding of the way work is shaped by digital technologies both within and outside of platforms. Platform-based work regulation seems to have skipped a step: the regulatory discourse has moved on to a welfare-focused model present in informal work, without examining existing jurisprudence on worker rights relevant to digitally mediated work. These legislative instruments …

In The Pursuance Of A Robust Legal Framework To Address Deepfake Harms: An Analysis Of The Indian Legal Discourse, Jyothsna Gurumurthy

Indian Journal of Law and Technology

A common issue we face in the field of law and technology is the constant game of catch-up that the law is required to play to keep up with advances in technology. Deepfake Technology (primarily based on generative adversarial networks, as explored in this article) exemplifies this game of catch-up and provides a fertile ground for academics and regulators/law makers to explore and understand what it means for a technology regulating law or rule to be robust and enforceable. By examining the judicial handling of deepfake claims within a publicity rights discourse in India, this article suggests the adoption of …

Brief Of Amici Curiae Contract Law Scholars Mark Gergen, Gregory Klass, And Daniel Markovits In Support Of Plaintiffs-Appellants And Reversal, Vera Institute Of Justice V. Department Of Justice, No. 25-5248 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 19, 2025), Mark Gergen, Gregory Klass, Daniel Markovits

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In Vera Institute of Justice v. Department of Justice, as in a raft of other cases involving constitutional, statutory, and regulatory challenges to the rapid mass cancellation of federal grants or grant programs, the government has deployed jurisdictional arguments in an effort to restrict the judiciary’s ability to review the legality of executive actions. Specifically, the government has attempted to confine jurisdiction over the plaintiffs’ claims to the Federal Court of Claims, which is powerless to remedy the alleged violations. The arguments by which the government would deny judicial review of the plaintiffs’ claims conflate two distinct considerations: first, …

Chancery Court Applies Entire Fairness Standard Of Review In Assessing Actions Of Conflicted Fiduciaries Engaging In "Value-Destructive" Spac Transactions, Robert S. Reder, John Rand Dorney

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

In the Gig Cases, Vice Chancellor Will followed the line of analysis she first adopted in MultiPlan by applying traditional fiduciary principles to address conflicts inherent in the standard SPAC structure. First, the Vice Chancellor rejected application of the deferential business judgment rule in favor of the more exacting entire fairness standard, finding both a conflicted controller and a conflicted board. While maybe not outcome determinative, this standard of review places a heavy burden on fiduciary defendants that generally precludes pleading stage dismissal. Second, the Vice Chancellor closely parsed language in disclosures made to stockholders to support, at least at …

The Legal Regulation Of E-Commerce In Lebanon, Dolly Abouchakra

BAU Journal - Journal of Legal Studies - مجلة الدراسات القانونية

In the digital age, the economy and commerce sectors in Lebanon, as well as globally, have embraced advancements, leading to the emergence of e-commerce with its multifaceted models, thereby establishing the electronic commercial entity. These advancements necessitate a profound technological transformation, which, in turn, introduces critical legal challenges. These challenges threaten the stability and growth of such entities within traditional legal frameworks that are insufficiently equipped to address the complexities of the digital environment and the noticeable absence of specialized regulations. This study highlights the inadequacy and disjointed nature of the Lebanese legal framework governing electronic commercial entities. The current …

Volume 48 Masthead

Seattle University Law Review

Volume 48 Masthead

Keynote Address: Community Over Constitution, Riddhi Mukhopadhyay

Seattle University Law Review

In this keynote address, Riddhi Mukhopadhyay challenges the veneration of the U.S. Constitution by highlighting its origins in exclusion and its continued failure to protect marginalized communities. Drawing from her experience in civil legal aid and gender justice, she argues that the Constitution was drafted to consolidate power among white, wealthy men and continues to reflect that legacy through racial, gender, and class-based inequities. While acknowledging the significance of constitutional amendments and landmark cases, Mukhopadhyay emphasizes that meaningful change has always come from community-led action, not top-down reform. Additionally, Mukhopadhyay calls on lawyers and legal advocates to center community, practice …

The Lost Child: A Critique On Transracial Adoption Rhetoric, Hallie Conyers-Tucker

Seattle University Law Review

Transracial adoption in the United States reflects a deeply rooted history of colonialism, cultural assimilation, and racial hierarchy, masked by rhetoric focused on the “best interest of the child.” The author critiques that rhetoric and traces how adoption practices and policies, both domestic and international, have evolved to reinforce systemic inequities. Through historical analysis of the forced adoption of Native American, Black, and Asian children, it reveals how the best interest standard has been wielded not to protect children but to uphold political and racial ideologies. The author argues that the prevailing adoption framework relies on child-saving and color-blind narratives …

A Global Reconstruction: Black Internationalism And The Human Rights Regime, Britta Redwood

Seattle University Law Review

Black American advocates for civil, political, and economic rights have long taken an internationalist approach and fostered connections with international organizations and transnational movements. This engagement has also been a generative force and played role in shaping international law. Beginning in the early years of the twentieth century, Black intellectuals and leaders, spearheaded by the NAACP and the UNIA, focused on human rights as a means for addressing and repairing the harms wrought by slavery, Jim Crow, and racism. From the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Genocide Convention, and the drafting of …

The Gap: Addressing The Missing Piece In HawaiʻI’S Anti-Discrimination Laws On Credit And Lending, Wendy Mun

Seattle University Law Review

This author addresses the significant gap in Hawaiʻi’s anti-discrimination laws, specifically the lack of explicit protections for LGBTQ+ individuals against credit and lending discrimination. Although federal laws like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and recent interpretations by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) extend some protections, they remain vulnerable to shifting federal priorities and interpretations. The author explores how other states, particularly California and Washington, have enacted robust statutory protections that clearly prohibit credit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. They argue that Hawaiʻi, despite its large LGBTQ+ population, must amend its credit protection laws to reflect …

The U.S. Drug Policy Hamster Wheel: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Seattle’S New Drug Ordinance, Hallie Conyers-Tucker

Seattle University Law Review

The author critically examines Seattle’s new drug ordinance using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to reveal how legislative language influences the policy's actual effect. Although the ordinance claims to prioritize diversion and community health, the use of permissive language such as “may” and “shall” grants broad discretionary power to law enforcement and undermines the stated intent. The author situates the ordinance within a broader historical context, highlighting how drug policy in the United States has consistently been shaped by racialized and stigmatizing narratives. Additionally, the author argues that meaningful reform requires reframing the discourse around substance use to support public health …

Something Concrete: How Labor Advocates Can Best Respond To The Ambiguity Of Glacier Northwest, Ateş Serifsoy

Seattle University Law Review

The Supreme Court’s much-anticipated decision in Glacier North-west, Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local No. 174 (Glacier) marked a critical moment for workers’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the longstanding practice of Garmon preemption. Yet, initial fears of a significant rollback of workers’ rights, driven by sensational headlines, were met with an unexpectedly narrow Court opinion. This Comment examines Glacier’s implications for Gar-mon preemption and the right to strike. It offers the historical background of the doctrine of labor law preemption before Glacier; presents a detailed analysis of Glacier itself, including its …

A New Exclusionary Rule To Protect Bodily Integrity And Discourage Pretext Stops, Josephine Ross

Seattle University Law Review

The author proposes a novel state-level exclusionary rule to reduce racial profiling and protect bodily autonomy during police encounters. The current Fourth Amendment jurisprudence fails to deter pretextual stops and frisks because the exclusionary rule often turns on officer fault and "good faith," allowing racially motivated practices to go unchecked. As federal rollbacks on diversity and data collection hinder efforts to track racial bias, the author argues for a statutory evidentiary rule that automatically excludes drug evidence found during (1) traffic stops, (2) pat-downs for weapons, and (3) consent searches, regardless of an officer’s intent or the legality of the …

Navahine V. HawaiʻI Dept. Of Transportation: The Keiki Will Lead Us, Catherine Smith

Seattle University Law Review

The author analyzes the landmark case Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, which culminated in the world’s first constitutional climate settlement. Catherine Smith, serving as an expert for the youth plaintiffs, situates the case within Hawaiʻi’s legal tradition of prioritizing children’s rights and intergenerational equity. She explores the evolution of children’s constitutional protections, contrasting Hawaiʻi’s progressive jurisprudence with the dominant adult-centric legal framework on the mainland. She critiques four recurring analytical missteps in U.S. courts that marginalize children’s interests and highlights Hawaiʻi’s public trust doctrine and cultural values, such as the Aloha Spirit, as models for addressing climate-related harms. …

Constitutional Futurism As Pedagogy, Jeremiah Chin

Seattle University Law Review

Constitutional Law has transformed from a course on history to a discussion of current events. Cases like Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo reveal that the study of constitutional law is not a static, or even linear, discussion of constitutional text and history. Law is a shifting, changing enterprise that reflects social constructions of power, authority, and identity. How do we teach, learn, and understand constitutional law that is so laden with history, riddled with theories of consistency and adherence to precedent, but ultimately subject …

Table Of Contents

Seattle University Law Review

Table of Contents

Can The Law Protect My Craft? How Gaps In Copyright Of Knitting Patterns Symbolize A Greater Struggle For Protecting Traditionally Feminine Forms Of Intellectual Property, Kysa Walzer

Seattle University Law Review

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the application of intel-lectual property rights within the context of copyright protection of knit-ting patterns. The article will discuss the underutilization of copyright pro-tection for knitters and crafters and its larger impact upon craft and indus-try traditionally comprised of women. Part I introduces knitting patterns and a short history of copyright protections. Part II discusses the specific areas within knitting patterns and the knitting community which give rise to legal grey areas for copyright protection. Part III discusses the larger implications of copyright and intellectual property in spaces where women traditionally make …

Unmasking A New Dialect Of Deception: Leveraging The Federal Trade Commission To Combat Deceptive And Exploitative Corporate Policies, Hani Baltagi

Cleveland State Law Review

Corporate social responsibility initiatives have transformed fair labor policies into powerful marketing tools, but the gap between the public promise to embrace ethical labor practices and actual corporate compliance with such practices has widened. This has the effect of not only impeding the average consumer’s purchasing decision, but perpetuating—if not catalyzing—labor exploitation across the world. The existence of this paradigm thus necessitates additional, heightened intervention by none other than Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC’s three-pronged test for deception—previously created to combat other forms of deceptive practices—provides an accountability framework for deceptive marketing claims that utilize unfollowed, self-adopted corporate fair …

Patients V. Profits: Addressing Private Equity’S Incursion On Healthcare, Michael Mccarthy

Washington and Lee Law Review

Between 2013 and 2023, private-equity-sponsored investment funds spent one trillion dollars on healthcare acquisitions, targeting hospitals, physician practices, and specialty providers. This Note examines the growing role of private equity in the US healthcare system and its implications for cost, quality, and competition.

ring struggling hospitals and medical practices much-needed capital and managerial expertise. In practice, however, prevalent private equity practices often create moral hazards by prioritizing short-term financial gains over long-term community health. Their reliance on debt, short investment horizons, and consolidation strategies can translate into higher prices, compromised care, and anticompetitive behavior. Mounting empirical studies reinforce these concerns, …