Networks: Legal Issues of Multilateral Co-operation (International Studies in the Theory of Private Law)

In the last 20 years, interest in network phenomena has grown immensely among anthropologists, psychologists, political scientists, economists, and lawyers. Empirical observation shows that network arrangements can be found in many branches of business. This is often linked to rapid changes in today's markets and technologies, but it is not the only reason. Legal institutions have been at the center of private law since the industrial revolution, but today contracts and corporations cannot cope with the risks and opportunities posed by networks. Legal practices need solutions which go beyond the classical traditions of thinking in the dichotomy of contract and corporation. This volume is the outcome of a conference held in Fribourg, Switzerland, which focused on the legal treatment of contractual networks, in particular, questions of network expectations, the fragility of network institutions, and the question of how law can minimize network specific risks towards third parties. Contributions are by many of the world's leading scholars in this field, including Roger Brownsword, Simon Deakin, Gunther Teubner, Hugh Collins, and Graf-Peter Calliess.