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Please note, that the course materials are partly provided via the online learning platform "Moodle".
Law of Contracts
This course explores the German concepts and rules for the conclusion of contracts, mistake, pre-contractual duties and strategies for avoiding an unwanted contract. There will be a secondary focus on breach of contract and the system of remedies available in this case. The class will conclude with a discussion of special rules designed for the protection of consumers and electronic commerce.
Law of Property
This class is dedicated to analysing the general principles of property law – among them the principle of abstraction as one of the most characteristic principles of German law. We will also discuss the functions, protection, and rights associated with the possession and ownership of property as well as the requirements for the transfer of property, including acquisition in good faith. Finally, the class will also briefly explore limited real rights to movable and immovable property.
Intellectual Property Law
This course will introduce participants to German and European Intellectual Property Law. The course will combine theory and law. In the first session, the class will start with theoretical justifications of intellectual property and outline common principles thereof. In the later sessions, participants will gain an overview of the relevant black letter law in the three conventional IP subjects (patents, copyright, and trademark).
Constitutional Law
This course will impart basic knowledge of German governmental institutions, in particular constitutional review. This knowledge is necessary to understand German public law. The meaning and importance of fundamental rights will also be discussed.
International Trade Law
This course discusses the fundamental principles and legal framework of international trade law within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It examines the core principles and rules of global trade, as well as their prominent exceptions, including non-discrimination, market access, general exceptions, and dispute settlement. The course also explores how trade law interacts with emerging challenges such as climate change and environmental protection, and the role of regional trade agreements (RTAs) and regional blocs such as the European Union and Germany in shaping international trade governance and influencing WTO law and policy. Through selected WTO disputes, participants will gain a foundational understanding of how international trade law operates and how it responds to climate and environmental measures such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The last session of the course will give participants an opportunity for a five-minute presentation on a chosen RTA subject from their region.
Tax Law
The first part will give a short introduction into German tax law, covering the constitutional prerequisites for taxation as well as an overview of income tax law, corporation tax law, inheritance tax law and value added tax law. The second part will cover the basics of International and European tax law, including double taxation treaties.
European Union Law
The first part of the course on EU Law is designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of the institutional structure of the EU and of the fundamental features of the EU legal system. In the second part of the course, participants will review cases with the objective of understanding the application of EU law to economic transactions.
Corporate and Securities Law
This part of the course covers issues such as: forms of incorporation under German law; the stock corporation; the limited liability company; partnerships and companies; the law of corporate groups; takeovers, mergers and acquisitions; corporate restructuring; organization of the German securities market; the primary and secondary market. The material presented will focus not only on the relevant issues under German national law, but also under European Law (which is particularly influential in this area) as well as covering the underlying economic analysis and comparative aspects.
Competition Law
The course provides an introduction to EU and German competition law, focusing on the prohibition of cartels, abuse of market power, and merger control. Students will gain an understanding of the main legal principles, how competition law is enforced in practice, and will analyse case studies.