Contracts in English

More and more international contracts today are not only drafted in English, but also rely on the principles of Anglo-American common law. This book is intended to provide a general introduction to both the basic common law legal concepts as well as the language of common law contracts.

It is intended not only for lawyers and law students, but also business people, negotiators and managers who have to deal with English language contracts as part of their work.

Through the use of cases, examples, and by highlighting key differences between common law and civil law an overview is given of the typical contract pitfalls faced in negotiating, drafting, understanding and implementing cross-border contracts. In particular, there is a discussion of the specific translation traps of the English and German language in contracts, and possible solutions are suggested.



Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction, Purpose, Method
List of Statutes
List of Cases
Internet Resources
Abbreviations

1. Background: Anglo-American Contracts

2. What is a "Contract"?

3. Contract Formation

4. Extra-contractual Liability

5. Legal Language of Contracts

6. Liability for Breach

7. Contract Structure and Organisation

8. Typical Boilerplate Clauses

Appendix I: Bibliography
Appendix II: General Glossary of Terminology
Appendix III: Statutes and Other Legal Materials