This teaches the fundamentals and structure of business, finance and the legal services market by reference to UK-based international companies and legal services firms, with comparisons and references to other international businesses.

Overview
Key aspects of 21st century commerce and finance, the environment in which businesses operate and the strategies and tools a successful business may employ.

Highlights

Gain insights into key strategic and finance issues facing business leaders through analytical tasks.
Carry out a comparative study of company accounts.
Research and prepare a report on a major acquisition, including evaluating the attitudes of the key players and market reaction.
Learn analytical techniques used in business strategy such as SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces.
In-depth analysis of strategic development in professional services firms using techniques such as the RULES analysis and the McKinsey 7S model linking a firm’s strategy to day-to-day operations.

Key skills development:

Research, analysis, report writing, presentation.

IBA International intellectual property practice

Full-time and S-mode

This module teaches the fundamentals and structure of international intellectual property practice, and includes an introduction to the various intellectual property rights and the international agreements in place to cover them. It also makes a comparison of UK and international rules on the following: passing off, trade marks, copyright, database right, data protection, design rights, patents, confidentiality.

Overview

The fundamentals of intellectual property and how it can be used to protect and license ‘products of the mind’ using the rules of law around the world.

Highlights

Detailed examination of the main forms of intellectual property protection, including trade marks, passing off, design rights, copyright, patents, and confidentiality.
Become familiar with intellectual property rules in the UK and other major jurisdictions, such as the US, mainland Europe and the Far East.
Gain a truly international perspective by examining major worldwide conventions which harmonise intellectual property rules around the world.
Detailed case study on exploitation of intellectual property by way of licensing, including redrafting a patent licence to comply with European Union regulations.

Key skills development:

Understanding legal principles, practical exercises such as trade mark searches, patent searches, drafting copyright licences and writing letters of advice on alleged infringements.

IBA International competition/anti-trust law and practice

Full-time and S-mode

This teaches the fundamentals and structure of international anti-trust practice, and covers abuse of dominant or monopoly position, anti-competitive agreements, investigation and enforcement of competition law and merger control.

Overview

The main aspects of UK, EU and US competition law – and its impact on the commercial world.

Highlights

Examination of economic principles that underpin competition law, as well as the legal framework in the UK, EU and US.
Study the sources of competition law and where legislation, case law and guidance can be found.
Analysis of the main areas of competition law, including anti-competitive agreements, abuse of market position, mergers and the relationship between competition law and intellectual property.
Consideration of competition law in other countries, including Australia and South Africa.

Key skills development:

Commercial awareness, legal writing, presentation, research, analysis.

IBA International mergers and acquisitions practice

Full-time and S-mode

This module teaches the fundamentals and structure of international mergers and acquisitions practice. It includes types of acquisitions, preliminary documentation and the structure of a sale and purchase agreement.

Overview

Step-by-step examination of the process of acquiring a private company where the businesses or organisations involved are from different countries.

Highlights

Understand the different kinds of acquisition structure.
Study EU merger control, choice of law, risk allocation, requirements for cross-border signing and completion, plus protection for employees in European acquisitions.
Look at the impact on the process and documentation when the acquisition is funded through private equity.
Work with real documentation covering due diligence investigations, a sale and purchase agreement, disclosure processes and completion agendas.
Consider different approaches to mergers and acquisitions in other jurisdictions, including in common law and civil law jurisdictions and the impact of civil code concepts such as good faith through the various stages of an acquisition.

Key skills development:

Legal and commercial analysis, drafting documents, advising clients.

IBA International joint ventures

Full-time and S-mode

This module teaches the fundamentals and structure of international joint ventures. It covers an introduction to international joint ventures, capital and funding (of corporate joint ventures) and competition and regulatory controls.

Overview

Consideration of the legal and commercial implications of entering into an international joint venture.

Highlights

Examine the different kinds of joint venture (structural or contractual).
Understand the financing and documentation needed to establish a joint venture and ensure its successful operation.
Use actual joint venture documentation.
Consider options for leaving or terminating a joint venture.
Study how international competition laws and intellectual property rights affect joint ventures.
Look at different types of international joint venture around the world.

Key skills development:

Writing and drafting, research and analysis, understanding clients’ commercial needs.

IBA International arbitration practice

Full-time and S-mode

This teaches the fundamentals and structure of international arbitration practice. It covers the arbitration agreement, commencing proceedings, the arbitral tribunal, the award and the costs of the arbitration and recognition and enforcement of the award.

Overview

The procedures for, and benefits of, resolving commercial claims by arbitration – with an emphasis on client-focused commercial advice and practical problem solving.

Highlights

Thorough grounding in the principles of arbitration law, including the rules of major international arbitration institutions, such as the ICC, LMIA and UNCITRAL.
Examine key pieces of domestic arbitration law in England and Wales, such as the Arbitration Act 1996.
Understand the relationship between institutional rules and the substantive arbitration law of the seat of the arbitration.
Tackle real-life challenges of an international arbitration lawyer, such as advising on the suitability of arbitration, drafting an arbitration agreement, preparing evidence, advising on an appeal against an arbitration award, and advising on an application for enforcement of an arbitration award pursuant to the New York Convention.

Key skills development:

Advising a client, drafting agreements, preparing evidence.

S-mode only

IBA International capital markets and loans practice

S-mode only

Overview

The principles behind the two principal methods of raising company finance: bank borrowing and issuing debt securities.

Highlights

Practical tasks to illustrate the key stages of a European cross-border syndicated lending transaction, including the due diligence process, market standard precedent facility agreement and taking of security.
Look at the different ways in which companies can raise money from banks in accordance with the principles of Islamic finance.
Study how to raise debt on the capital markets by issuing debt securities such as bonds or notes.
Detailed examination of the European directives and regulations that govern such issues, notably the Prospectus Directive and the Prospectus Regulation.

Key skills development:

Working as a team, understanding a wide range of legal sources, documentary analysis, report and letter writing.

IBA International business organisations

S-mode only

Overview

Learn the fundamentals and structure of business organisations and what drives company law.

Highlights

Examine and understand partnerships and company formation.
Consider company decision-making and directors’ duties.
Understand dealings in shares, debt finance and security.
Examine the fundamentals of company law in legal systems around the world, through consideration of the UK registered company.

Key skills development:

Commercial awareness, writing, presentation, analysis.

IBA International commercial legal practice

S-mode only

Overview

Considers the key aspects of the law relating to international sales, concentrating on issues common to the most important jurisdictions and the differences between them.

Highlights

Examine common rules and the most important conventions of international sales.

Understand the regulations governing the seller’s principal obligations in the UK, the US and other international conventions.
Learn what’s involved in excluding liability.
Look at vendor financing and differences in approach to retention of title under UK and German law.
Study international shipping terms, the financing of international sales and EU regulation of electronic commerce and commercial agency.

Key skills development:

Writing, presentation, research, analysis.

IBA International public companies practice

S-mode only

Overview

Examine the legal framework in which the world’s most powerful listed companies operate.

Highlights

Understand the different methods by which a public company becomes listed on a stock market by undertaking an Initial Public Offering.
Review the law and practice of the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market and other markets, and the role of financial services regulators.
Learn about the controls listed companies and their management are subject to.
Look at rules governing the buying and selling of a listed company’s shares.
Understand corporate governance and the key role of institutional shareholders.
Study equity finance for listed companies through secondary issues of shares such as rights issues and the role of underwriting.

Key skills development:

Analysis, interpretation drafting, presentation.

A-mode only

Acquisitions

A-mode only

This covers the key stages involved in the acquisitions process, from investigating the target and drafting the sale and purchase agreement through to the completion of the acquisition. It looks at particular considerations in the context of asset acquisitions, share acquisitions and transactions funded by private equity, as well as dealing with aspects of pre- and post-sale intra-group transfers.

Advanced Criminal Practice

A-mode only

This module explores advising a client at all stages of the criminal process, drafting relevant documents and the varied types of advocacy required from an advocate practising in the criminal courts. It covers topics such as defending a suspect at the police station, criminal evidence and specific techniques relevant to indictable-only offences.

Advanced Property Law and Practice

A-mode only

This introduces and explains all the main areas of commercial property practice in the context of a transaction, including all the issues which arise when considering site acquisition, and a detailed examination of planning issues and practice. It also covers negotiation and termination of a commercial lease, environmental liability, construction and professional team liability and tenant default.

Banking and Debt Finance

A-mode only

This module explains the fundamentals behind drafting loan facility agreements, examines the principles and practice of secured lending, and provides an introduction to capital market financing, including the process of issuing a stand-alone bond.

Commercial Dispute Resolution

A-mode only

This provides a practical examination of how litigation is conducted between commercial enterprises under the Civil Procedure Rules. It also gives practical guidance on conducting commercial litigation involving a foreign element and explores the use of ADR in commercial dispute resolution.

Commercial Law and Practice

A-mode only

This module covers four major elements of commercial law and practice. It begins with a thorough overview of commercial agreements, followed by study of the particular considerations involved in drafting international sales agreements. It also covers the protection and exploitation of intellectual property rights, and the general principles of competition law and how it may affect the drafting and operation of commercial agreements.

Employment Law and Practice

A-mode only

This covers the issues involved in the regulation of employees and their relations with their employers. It explores the framework governing contracts of employment, dismissal and its procedures, and redundancy. In addition, it covers the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE), discrimination law and family-friendly legislation.

Family Law and Practice

A-mode only

From this module, students will acquire a clear picture of the practical considerations which arise when advising in a divorce case. It covers divorce procedure, the financial implications of divorce, the principles governing the care and protection of children, the remedies available for domestic abuse and the public funding regime in family cases.

Housing Law and Practice

A-mode only

This module provides practical coverage of housing law and practice. It covers many key areas of law and practice, including the private rented sector and public housing.

Immigration Law and Practice

A-mode only

Summary of Immigration law: makes extensive use of realistic case studies and topics include: determining nationality and immigration status, the effect of immigration controls, establishing rights of residence under EU and/or ECHR Law, how EU law affects British citizens, the Immigration Rules and various immigration categories including visitors, Tier 4 students, Tiers 1 and 2 workers and business people, family re-union, human rights issues, making a claim for asylum, the deportation and removal of individuals and their family members, judicial review challenges to immigration decisions and appeals.

Insurance Law

A-mode only

This covers how the insurance market (including Lloyd’s of London) works and how it is regulated. It looks at how different contracts of insurance are written, including the role of brokers, insurance agents and underwriters.

Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Litigation

A-mode only

This provides practical coverage of the law on personal injury and clinical negligence litigation. It looks at the procedural law governing claims of this type (including duties of care, limitation and psychiatric illness) and covers how such claims are conducted under the Civil Procedure Rules, from the first interview to the quantification of damages.

Private Client : Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning

A-mode only

This module looks in detail at the legal and taxation implications arising from estate planning work within the private client department of a legal practice, such as tax and financial planning and the administration of trusts.

Public Companies and Equity Finance

A-mode only

This covers the legal and regulatory framework within which public companies operate. It examines all aspects of the “life” of a public company, including the IPO, the regulatory regime, corporate governance issues and listed company transactions.