We live in a world where every serious business is, by definition, international – if only because it relies on global platforms, cloud solutions, and networks of foreign service providers. In such an environment, a single unfortunate force majeure clause or a vague reference to ESG can decide the fate of a multi-million contract. It is precisely at the intersection of these very concrete business risks and the doctrine of contract law that Contract Law and International Trade Regulation. Contemporary Issues and Challenges was written, authored by Professor Dr Pierre de Gioia-Carabellese and Dr Camilla Della Giustina, and published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
At first glance, the title might suggest a traditional textbook on the law of obligations. This is a book that deliberately goes beyond the simple divide between “contract law” and “international trade law.” It shows how these two areas interact in practice – from the very formation of a contract, through contractual liability, all the way to trade finance and the regulation of global commerce.
The starting point is a solid analysis of contract law in England and Wales, with comparisons to Scots law and to international sale of goods. Well-known concepts and structures of contract law are revisited – offer and acceptance, mistake, misrepresentation, duress, and frustration – but they are discussed from the perspective of twenty-first-century realities. The focus is no longer only on how a clause is drafted, but on what happens to a contract when it is exposed to global crises, sudden regulatory change, or rapid technological development.
The book also opens up some of the most current debates: from smart ports and autonomous vessels (MASS) reshaping maritime transport, to e-commerce transactions and the protection of the e-consumer. Contract law is no longer presented as a closed, purely doctrinal system; it becomes a living tool for responding to technological innovation and new business models.
Between common law and EU law: a comparative laboratory
One of the strongest elements of the book is its comparison between the common law tradition and the legal framework of the European Union. English common law – often described as the informal language of international business – serves as a constant reference point for discussing EU regulations and the Europeanisation of contract law.
The focus is clearly on practice. The authors explore how different legal traditions influence the way contracts are structured, how risks are allocated, how good faith is understood, how clauses are interpreted and how disputes are resolved. Brexit appears not only as a political event, but as a real-life stress test for contracts and trade regulation faced with abrupt changes in the legal environment.
In this sense, the book becomes a kind of comparative laboratory. The same problem – for example, liability for disrupted supply chains – may be approached and solved differently in a common law setting than within the EU legal order. For students and young lawyers preparing to work in a cross-border context, this perspective is particularly valuable.
International trade law: where tax, finance, and the environment meet
The second part of the book shifts the focus more decisively towards international trade regulation. Key building blocks of the global trade regime are discussed – GATT, the WTO, trade in goods and services, documentary credits, marine insurance – but always against the backdrop of today’s economic and political challenges.
International trade law is not treated as an isolated “island.” Instead, it is shown in close connection with tax law, contract law, commercial law, finance, and environmental protection. A contract for the international sale of goods is no longer merely a document spelling out “who sells what, to whom, and at what price.” It becomes a vehicle for clauses on climate responsibility, supply-chain due diligence, non-financial reporting and the expectations of institutional investors and financial institutions.
This reflects a broader shift in modern business law: away from a purely transactional mindset, towards a view in which the contract is a central instrument for managing legal, financial, and reputational risk – and at the same time a key tool for delivering on ESG commitments.
From textbook to a story about today’s legal challenges
Contract Law and International Trade Regulation. Contemporary Issues and Challenges is a research-based book, but one that consistently connects academic rigor with real-world dilemmas. The discussion of case law and legislation is accompanied by a critical look at whether the law keeps pace with globalization, digitalization, pandemics, climate change and shifting geopolitics.
For this reason, the book is not only useful for those studying contract law and international trade, but also for practitioners involved in negotiating contracts, cross-border transactions, compliance, trade finance, or responsible business. It also contributes to a broader debate on what modern legal education should look like: one that teaches not only the black-letter rules, but how to understand their function in a fast-changing world.
The authors: experience across systems and continents
Behind the book stand academic careers that themselves embody the international nature of today’s legal profession. Professor Dr de Gioia-Carabellese, currently Kozminski Professor of Business Law at Kozminski University, has developed his academic and professional path across several jurisdictions – including Italy, Scotland, England, and China – combining the perspective of a scholar with that of a practicing business lawyer. Dr Camilla Della Giustina specializes in business law, drone law, and cryonics – fields that particularly clearly show how law intersects with emerging technologies and new ethical questions.
For students of law, economics and business programs, this book offers an opportunity to see how the debate on contracts and international trade unfolds at the intersection of common law, civil law, and EU law. For practitioners, it provides a chance to test their own experience against the perspective of lawyers who have been working across legal systems and jurisdictions for many years.
In a world where a supposedly “local” IT contract can, in a single sentence, refer to Polish law, EU data-protection standards, an English-law contract model and the expectations of a global investor, such a multi-layered view of contract and trade regulation is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity.
