Multinational enterprises and the law

LWM40

This course explores the relationship between multinational enterprises or MNEs and the law. It does this from two perspectives, one is to think about the impact of the law on multinational enterprises, and the other is to think about the impact of multinational enterprises on the law. We will consider these two relationships from the perspectives of three different parties; governments, civil society actors and multinational enterprises themselves. Multinational enterprises take many forms, they can be in the form of companies or partnerships located in different countries but the important thing to remember is that they are linked together in various ways. Multinational Enterprises are the subject of deeply divided opinion, they play an important role in the economies, political structures and the cultures of countries around the world. This course seeks to cover all sorts of perspectives on this divisive subject.

Study as an individual course

Module A: Multinational enterprises in context

LWM40A

Globalisation and the rise of the multinational enterprise (MNE)
Company and international law
State-MNE-civil society relations
MNEs and the creation and convergence of law
‘Effective’ legal systems for investment
Culture, foreign investment and the law

Module B: National regulation of multinational enterprises

LWM40B

Keeping MNEs out, and drawing them in
Legislating over MNEs
Enforcing law against MNEs
Extending liability to MNEs groups and directors

Module C: International regulation and protection of multinational enterprises

LWM40C

Bilateral investment treaties
Multilateral standards for treatment and behaviour of MNEs
Renegotiation and expropriation
Settling disputes between states and MNEs

Module D: Fields of concern for multinational enterprises

LWM40D

Corporate governance, accounting and disclosure
Taxation and transfer pricing
Technology transfer and intellectual property rights
Labour standards and human rights
Corruption

Assessment

Each module will be assessed by a 45-minute unseen written examination.

Sequence

It is strongly recommended you attempt the modules in order.

How to apply

You can apply to study a module individually as a standalone unit or as part of a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master of Laws qualification. (In either scenario, they must be studied in order.)

These modules also contribute towards the following specialist pathways for Laws:

International Business Law

Apply via Postgraduate Laws.

Study Material

Study material: Multinational enterprises and the law

Dr Barnali Choudhury

Barnali Choudhury joined UCL in 2015, having previously taught at another London university and before that in Canada, the U.S and New Zealand. She is the author of Public Services and International Trade Liberalization: Human Rights and Gender Implications (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and a co-editor of Understanding the Modern Company: Corporate Governance and Theory (Cambridge University Press, 2016). Previously, she held visitorships at Cambridge University and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and Private Law. Barnali is a member of UCL’s Centre for Ethics and Centre for Commercial Law.