Researching globalisation

Professor Janet Dine (Director of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, London) writes of the anger which led to her book on "Companies, International Trade and Human Rights" (Cambridge, University Press, 2005). Article published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

¿Derecho al comercio o imposición del libre mercado?

Si bien existe un acuerdo considerable acerca de los efectos benéficos del libre comercio (siempre y cuando la libertad sea recíproca y no arreglada a favor de los poderosos), cada vez se dan más discusiones acerca de la pretensión de evitar cualquier regulación, como lo evidencia la oposición a que se introduzca el Acuerdo Multilateral sobre la Inversión y la inquietud con las Medidas de Inversión Relacionadas con el Comercio. En este contexto, los reclamos por un derecho al comercio deben ser analizados con cuidado para determinar sus parámetros. ¿Se trata solo de que las empresas transnacionales realicen sus negocios sin someterse al control del estado?ITESO, A.C

"The Three Shades of Tax Avoidance of Corporate Groups: Company Law, Ethics and the Multiplicity of Jurisdictions involved”.

In 2011 Apple’s Irish subsidiary had a profit of 16 billion Euros but only 50 million of them were charged as tax in Ireland. Apple ended up paying a tax rate of only 0.005% in 2014 on the profits of its Irish subsidiary down from an anyway low 1% in 2003. This is but one example of so-called “jurisdiction arbitrage” by which large companies avoid or evade liabilities. Company law provides the multinationals with the legal tools which enable tax avoidance. MNEs, which are a series of inter-linked companies formed in various national legal systems, incorporate subsidiaries in jurisdictions which provide them with legal yet unethical tax loopholes. Basic company law principles such as the principle of separate legal personality and limited liability have evolved into a veil which protects multinationals from external control on their tax affairs at multiple levels. Each member of the group is deemed as of independent from each other in most instances. Yet, taxing its profits within the jurisdiction where they were actually produced could prove impossible. The article argues that the principles of separate legal personality and limited liability in their current form are unfit for corporate groups when issues of taxation are at stake. They should be significantly reformed, so that each member of the group is viewed as established in the member state where it operates with its revenues shielded and – most importantly – taxed in that jurisdiction. When this proves to be too difficult or complicated, the corporate veil should be lifted altogether and the mother company of the group should be taxed for the entire set of profits made by all the members of the group in the EU

Panel 2: Corruption and the Private Sector: Is Money Laundering the New Corrupt Foreign Practices?

This roundtable of practitioners, regulators, and experts will consider the following issues:Does corruption matter in today’s globalized economy?Do current regulatory responses deter or contain corruption?How far should we “rethink” corruption

Company Law – The new draft thirteenth directive – Datafin and the DTI

Professor Janet Dine of the University of Essex describes the provisions of the proposed thirteenth directive on takeovers put forward by the European Commission (OJ 1997 C378/10, COM (97) 565 final – 96/0341 (COD)). Note published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and its Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

¿Derecho al comercio o imposición del libre mercado?

Si bien existe un acuerdo considerable acerca de los efectos benéficos del libre comercio (siempre y cuando la libertad sea recíproca y no arreglada a favor de los poderosos), cada vez se dan más discusiones acerca de la pretensión de evitar cualquier regulación, como lo evidencia la oposición a que se introduzca el Acuerdo Multilateral sobre la Inversión y la inquietud con las Medidas de Inversión Relacionadas con el Comercio. En este contexto, los reclamos por un derecho al comercio deben ser analizados con cuidado para determinar sus parámetros. ¿Se trata solo de que las empresas transnacionales realicen sus negocios sin someterse al control del estado

Company law

433 tr. ; 22 c

Companies,International Tran and Human Rights

xix,319hal.;21 c

Democratization: The Contribution of Fair Trade and Ethical Trading Movements

De-democratization and institutional corruption threaten equality among the expanding global market community. International treaties have been largely unsuccessful because they are designed to favor the more politically and economically advantaged players. In addition to meeting these challenges, there are many additional benefits to be gained from adopting the principles of the Fair Trade and Ethical Trading movements. Finally, international law has an obligation to integrate the principles of social and ethical trading movements to prevent the autonomous powers and transnational corporations from dominating the traditional, less powerful markets and so that welfare increases for all. Democracy and the Transnational Private Sector, Symposium. Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington, April 12-13, 2007