Download Schedule Download Syllabus
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.
Law of Torts
Tortious liability is a part of general civil law, but is also inextricably intertwined with the insurance systems, social security schemes and general questions of risk allocation. This course will illustrate the basic structure of German tort law and will focus on some of its essential problems.
Tax Law
These lectures will give a short introduction into German tax law, covering the constitutional prerequisites for taxation, an overview of income tax law, corporate tax law, inheritance tax law and value added tax. 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 discusses the control of private economic power through the competition laws in the EU and in Germany. In particular, it will provide insights into the assessment of anticompetitive agreements, unilateral behavior of dominant firms as well as into the subject of merger control.