European Union Law
The U.S. and the European Union (which comprises 27 European states and 500 million people) have the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world. About 60% of the world's GDP is generated on the Transatlantic Marketplace. In recent years, this has tremendously heightened the need for a sound understanding of the legal system of the EU, especially for business and technology lawyers. Responding to this need, this course, first, examines the internationally unique legal system of the EU as such, as it is applicable to any field of substantive and procedural EU law. Thus, it looks at the legal nature and the different sources of EU law and its relationship with the national law of the EU Member States. The course covers the relevant EU law enforcement actions including state liability issues as well as the jurisdiction of both European Courts and relevant remedies in national courts. Secondly, it explores the legal framework of doing business in the EU, from the perspective of a business entity as an internationally operating actor in a European business environment. In this context, the class focuses on the most essential fields of EU business law, i.e.,(a) the four fundamental economic freedoms of the European Single Market for goods, services, capital and persons, (b) EU competition/antitrust law, as well as (c) EU e-commerce law. There is special emphasis on how EU business law can be used efficiently from private actors such as companies established outside the EU for their own advantage.