Andrew Tettenborn joined the School in 2010 from the University of Exeter as Professor of Commercial Law. His interests lie in private, commercial and maritime law generally. He teaches widely at Swansea in those subjects, and most years also teaches aspects of contract law at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Andrew is a member of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law at Swansea University
Contemporary concerns originating in market and business failures sufficiently indicate the vital importance of business law for accountability and performance. Taking account of the rapid developments in this field, this module offers students an unique opportunity to explore business law on a broad spectrum. It allows for an investigation into new and dynamic issues pertinent to the operation of businesses in the international context, including intellectual assets management, international payment and transactions, the governance of businesses and aspects of insolvency and personal responsibility. Designed to accommodate both legal and commercial perspectives, it allows students to obtain an understanding of cutting edge developments in a number of discrete legal areas.
This module elaborates and analyses (a) the legal and commercial issues associated with international sale contracts; (b) the organization and content of such contracts; and (c) how parties can engineer satisfactory solutions through adjusting the terms of their agreement against a background of freedom of contract. The concentration will be on the rules of English law: but reference will be made where relevant to other regimes, including the Uniform Commercial Code and the 1980 Vienna Convention on the International Sale of Goods. We identify the principal categories of international sale and commodity contracts; in addition, we give extended attention to the main INCOTERMS (shipping-related and non-shipping-related) promulgated by the International Chamber of Commerce. Our examination of the legal relationship between international sellers and buyers includes questions of general sales law; of ownership, title and risk; of the commercial and legal significance of transport documentation and insurance; and of the question of remedies. We will make time available time to discuss contemporary issues as they arise, such as the harmonisation of international trade law, and problems associated with containerisation and multi-modal transport.
The availability of credit is a vital stimulant for entrepreneurial activities both within and across jurisdictions and most modern day businesses in the transport sector rely on external capital to finance their operations. This module focuses on the legal framework and policy concerns that underpin the provision of credit with particular emphasis on ship and other mobile assets, such as aircraft, both in the context of English law and from an international perspective. The module will inquire into the nature and functions of credit and other mechanisms for financing the acquisition of high-value assets, most notably leasing. The module will also examine legal principles governing the creation and operation of the most popular forms of financing mobile assets. The module will explore the manner in which the law seeks to regulate and balance the competing interests of different categories of creditors, lessors, lessees and other parties implicated in or affected by credit and leasing arrangements, with particular emphasis on the transport sector.
This module concerns a practical aspect of maritime law which was developed by the Admiralty Court of England and Wales and which has subsequently influenced many countries in the world. The aim of the module is to provide students with a practical and critical knowledge of those aspects of maritime law relating to the running of the ship. The module is in two parts. Part one deals with substantive areas of maritime law such as the law of collisions, harbour law, pilotage, salvage, general average, carriage of passengers and limitation of liability. Part two focuses on enforcement of maritime claims through the practice and procedure of the Admiralty Court, including arrest, jurisdiction and maritime liens. Also, contemporary public law issues that have a bearing on ship operations, such as ship registration and port state control, are also considered in this module.
This module is about money in international commerce. More specifically it concerns the legal nature of payment and the duty to pay money, and the different mechanisms that may be adopted to structure and discharge payment obligations of international buyers of goods and services. We also look at personal and bank security. The payment mechanisms examined include cash and open account, bills of exchange, documentary bills, bank transfers and documentary credits. In addition we look at methods that may be adopted to guarantee or secure payment, including personal security, promissory notes, standby credits and performance bonds. The emphasis is on international payments and the forms used worldwide, such as the URC522, the UCP600 and the URDG. We concentrate on analysis and comparison; on the identification of fundamental characteristics; and above all on practical and commercial considerations.
The aim of this module is to provide an account of the contractual framework governing the production, sale and distribution of oil and gas. It deals with many of the unique commercial and financial arrangements engaged. The module also addresses liability matters which are commonly associated with daily operational hazards of the joint venture, including environmental damage and personal injury.
