Business Law International (BLI)
About Business Law International
Published by the IBA’s Legal Practice Division, Business Law International covers the latest developments in all areas of business law across the globe, from M&A to employment, competition to tax, offering rigorous comparative analysis of how the law affects business in different jurisdictions and across borders.
Business Law International is edited by Jennifer Wheater, international counsel in Tax at Debevoise, and Peter Alexiadis, visiting professor at King’s College London. Jennifer and Peter are assisted by an editorial board of experts in international business law. Business Law International reaches approximately 16,000 leading practitioners around the world.
Articles aim to reflect and analyse current developments in all area of business law. You can find out more by reading our guidelines for contributors. If you would like to contribute to Business Law International, please email the Managing Editor at editor@int-bar.org.
If you are not a member of the IBA, you can find out more about how to join here.
Members of the Legal Practice Division receive Business Law International as part of their membership. PDF-only subscriptions are also available to non-members. Please email editor@int-bar.org to order.
ISSN 1467 632X
Pricing: £108 per issue
£292 per year, three issues per year
Five per cent agency discount available on annual subscription
Latest Issue - Volume 25 Number 3, September 2024
As the world grapples with the escalating impacts of climate breakdown and the urgent need to transition to sustainable energy sources, various industrial sectors find themselves at a crossroads. The shifting climate is not only an environmental challenge but also a formidable business risk, altering market dynamics, regulatory landscapes and operational conditions globally. Industries must navigate a complex array of threats, from physical damage due to extreme weather events to economic pressures arising from stringent emission regulations and volatile energy markets.
This article delves into the specific dispute risks posed by the climate crisis and the energy transition affecting several key industry sectors, exploring the profound implications for their operations and outlining strategies for resilience and adaptation in a rapidly evolving global context. It also looks at how these dispute risks can be mitigated and, in particular, how conflicts arising from climate breakdown can be managed. Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms will, in many cases, not be adequate to deal with these new forms of conflict. Thought leadership is needed to address situations where dialogue and consensus will form the basis for better and lasting solutions as opposed to adversarial processes. Novel dispute resolution tools will have to be developed and current tools modified to meet this need. Business has not yet taken adequate steps to recognise and assess climate dispute risk, and this article aims to highlight this and suggest means to mitigate it.
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Inspired by other initiatives of ex ante regulation in digital markets, the Brazilian Bill 2.768/22 targets digital service providers that control essential access to certain services. If the bill is approved by Congress, it will cover various digital platforms, such as social networks, messaging services and search engines, imposing obligations related to transparency, fair service provision, data handling and access for professional users. Enforcement mechanisms include fines, operational restrictions and the creation of the Digital Platforms Oversight Fund to support regulatory activities. This article critically examines Bill 2.768/22, comparing it to the European Union Digital Markets Act and similar statutory provisions from other jurisdictions, most notably Article 19a of the German Competition Act and the United Kingdom's recently approved Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. The article highlights shortcomings of the Brazilian Bill under discussion that would need to be addressed in order to avoid potential negative impacts in innovation and other distortions in Brazilian digital markets.
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This article assesses the feasibility and implications of resource exploration and exploitation in Antarctica. It discusses mineral and freshwater exploration in the light of the continent’s geological features and improved accessibility owing to the melting ice caps. Analysis of legal frameworks, such as the Antarctic Treaty System and conservation conventions, reveals challenges in regulating exploitation. Geopolitical dynamics surrounding resource exploitation are addressed, identifying interests and conflicts among stakeholders. By integrating these aspects, the article offers initial insights into the opportunities and obstacles of resource exploitation in Antarctica, aiming to facilitate decision-making and policy formulation in this unique and delicate environment.
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In an increasingly connected world where remote working is the norm, the speed and demand for instant access to information has followed the trajectory of Moore’s law. Our services in the knowledge economy are available – and accessible – instantaneously through digital communications and videoconferencing anywhere in the world, at any time. Locks and cameras have been replaced by firewalls, compliance protocols and data monitoring, and we are more reliant on third-party security and cloud storage for business efficiency. Our papers have been replaced by mobile devices, the sensitive material by digital data on proprietary software and systems, communications through apps and Wi-Fi networks. Our personal lives merge imperceptibly but progressively with professional demands in this 24/7 solutions-orientated work environment.
All these touchpoints give rise to increasing vulnerability in organisations: cyber risk management and security has never been more important. This article seeks to: explore those risks by examining cybersecurity at a macro level; address the ways to build resilience; and discuss the stumbling blocks for obtaining global cybersecurity.
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On 24 May 2024, in one of the last official legislative actions of the UK’s government prior to the July general election, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (the ‘DMCC Act’) was passed by the UK Parliament, thereby making the UK the fourth jurisdiction in the world to introduce a specific regime for the regulation of digital platforms alongside the European Union, Germany and Japan. It appears that countries such as Australia, Brazil, India and Turkey will be following suit with their own dedicated digital platform regulatory regimes.
In overt statements of self-affirmation, UK authorities and commentators have been at pains to describe their digital platforms regime as more ‘flexible’, ‘bespoke’ and ‘targeted’ than their EU counterpart, whose regulatory regime they describe variously as ‘blunt’ and applying ‘blanket rules’ on companies that run the risk of creating ‘unnecessary burdens on business’.
While the heart of the new legislation focuses on the creation of a regime for the imposition of obligations on digital platforms, the DMCC Act also introduces important provisions that change existing competition law practice and the enforcement of consumer protection rules.
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On 5 June 2024, the General Court ruled on a long-running trademark dispute between Supermac (Holdings) Ltd (‘Supermac’) and McDonald’s International Property Company, Ltd concerning a trademark registration for what may be considered the latter’s most famous menu item, the Big Mac.
Supermac’s success in the case provides a salient reminder to rights holders that, even for marks as established and well known as ‘BIG MAC’, they face partial or even full revocation of their registered rights if they cannot provide sufficient evidence of use of the mark across all goods and services for which they are registered.
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- Volume 25 Number 2, May 2024
- Volume 25 Number 1, January 2024
- Volume 24 Number 3, September 2023
- Volume 24 Number 2, May 2023
- Volume 24 Number 1, January 2023
- Volume 23 Number 3, September 2022
- Volume 23 Number 2, May 2022
- Volume 23 Number 1, January 2022
- Volume 22 Number 3, September 2021
- Volume 22 Number 2, May 2021
- Volume 22 Number 1, January 2021
- Volume 21 Number 3, September 2020
- Volume 21 Number 2, May 2020
- Volume 21 Number 1, January 2020
- Volume 20 Number 3, September 2019
- Volume 20 Number 2, May 2019
- Volume 20 Number 1, January 2019
Business Law International Podcasts
Assessing the UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act
In this, the first Business Law International (BLI) podcast, Melissa Stock, Member of the BLI Editorial Board and a barrister at Millennium Chambers in London, invites a panel of experts to analyse the UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which became law in October 2023. The panel discuss the background to the legislation and its implications, including in respect of failure to prevent obligations and corporate liability.
Joining Melissa are:
- Tim Harris, Podcast Officer for the IBA Anti-Corruption Committee and counsel at Cohen & Gresser in London, whose practice focuses on white collar criminal defence, including internal and regulatory investigations, regulatory enforcement, and financial crime compliance;
- Alex Swan, Website Officer on the IBA Business Crime Committee and of counsel in the London White Collar Defence & Investigations practice at Greenberg Traurig; and
- Shaul Brazil, Conference Coordinator on the IBA Criminal Law Committee and a partner at BCL in London, specialising in business crime and regulatory enforcement.
(Editor’s notes: This podcast was recorded in mid-December 2023. The podcast makes reference to the case brought by the SFO against former Barclays executives in 2019. All of those charged in the case pleaded not guilty.)
How to order the journal
Member of the Legal Practice Division receive Business Law International as part of their membership. PDF-only subscriptions are also available to non-members. Please email editor@int-bar.org to order.
ISSN 1467 632X
Pricing: £108 per issue
£292 per year, three issues per year
Five per cent agency discount available on annual subscription
Books for review
Please send details of books for review to editor@int-bar.org.
Guidelines for authors
Prospective authors should read the Guidelines for Authors and IBA Style Guide documents before submitting their paper for review.
Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright: The IBA holds copyright in all articles, newsletters and papers published by them. If you wish to reproduce or distribute any IBA publication or any part of an IBA publication, permission must be requested in writing from the Managing Editor at editor@int-bar.org, and due acknowledgment given.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in journals, newsletters and papers are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the International Bar Association