About

This course is about how to advise clients on the strategic issues arising from engaging in global business deals. It is supported by Goethe University's International Campus Program. 

You will develop the skills of transnational commercial lawyering to provide sophisticated advice to multi-national corporations seeking to transact or invest in the Japanese market. 

Throughout this module, you will be assisting a corporate client interested in a Japanese IT start-up. On behalf of the client, you will: 

• assess the current state of the foreign market and its current risks and opportunities; 

• negotiate potential business collaboration; 

• draft a contract to set out the terms of the deal; 

• arrange the logistics for conducting the transborder deal, such as shipping, insurance and secured payments; 

• expand the scope of the deal by licensing intellectual property to produce goods locally using foreign knowhow; 

• create a business presence in the Japanese market by incorporating a company and filing necessary permissions with Japanese regulators; and

• set up internal systems and policies for the Japanese company to satisfy local laws and meet corporate governance expectations. 

Click here for the Schedule of Classes

This course will involve a mix of Zoom class discussions, an intensive block of face-to-face classes, and a final pre-recorded, on-demand class. 

• The course will begin with online interactive lectures overviewing the key international business law concepts (Tuesdays, 15 October, 12 November and 17 December). 

• The heart of the course is a three-day intensive running from Friday-Sunday, 17-19 January 2025 at Goethe University. This three-day intensive will mostly feature an extended role play where students will advise a hypothetical client based on the material covered in the on-demand lectures and assigned reading materials. 

• The course will conclude with a pre-recorded, on-demand video lecture reflecting on the role play activity; and identifying the issues, controversies and complexities involved in advising clients on global business deals. 

For more details, see the Schedule of Classes. 

At the completion of these modules, you will be able to:

• identify the merits and risks of investing in foreign markets (in this case study, the post-bubble Japanese economy);

• engage in practical skills of cross-cultural negotiations and contract drafting;

• resolve the logistical issues involved in engaging with export-import transactions with Japanese partners; and

• design solutions to the cultural, socio-political and institutional challenges facing foreign investors seeking to invest directly in the Japanese market.

About Reflective Papers

For assistance with writing a reflective paper, see a sample here.  

How to Submit

Please email your reflective papers to both the guest lecturer, Professor Leon Wolff (leon.wolff@r.hit-u.ac.jp), and host professor, Professor Moritz Bälz (baelz@jur.uni-frankfurt.de). 

Due Dates

You are encouraged to submit your reflective papers as early as possible to receive timely feedback. The deadlines are: 

• Reflective Paper #1 => 20 December 2024

• Reflective Paper #2 => 31 January 2025

• Reflective Papers #3 => 14 February 2025.