A number of practical implications and issues can arise in the daily functioning of independent (first demand) guarantees and standby letters of credit. Bank Guarantees in International Trade provides a comprehensive, highly readable study of the legal and practical aspects and implications of these instruments, broadening the reader's understanding of the law on the subject. This work comprises all reported case law from the Netherlands, Germany, France, The United Kingdom, and Belgium and also takes into account the law in certain other European countries And The United States. it examines the governing law of bank guarantees in numerous regions, particularly within the Middle East and North Africa. The Appendix includes, among other materials, The text of the 1992 ICC Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees, The 1995 UNCITRAL Convention, and many sample texts. Its transnational perspective enhances the value of this work, making it useful in other jurisdictions. This second edition contains thoroughly revised, updated, and amended material which reflects new developments in the law and changing patterns in practice and accounts For The introduction of new techniques and problem areas. Bankers and lawyers in particular will find Bank Guarantees in International Trade an insightful and informative work.

Letters of credit and bank guarantees are the most important financial instruments in international exchange. Matti S. Kurkela, a leading expert in the field, presents an advanced, extensive study and guide to letters of credit. The author analyzes the material rules and principles applicable to them; conflict of laws as well as law merchant applied regardless of place of operation or nationality of the parties involved. Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees under International Trade Law is the only true guide whose focus is on international law and choice of applicable law, with comparisons of the UCP, the UCC and selected national laws. Bank attorneys, international bankers, commercial bankers, international trade and finance attorneys in law firms, in-house counsel, financial institutions, and academia will find this a clearly written, invaluable guide to the latest rules, case law and practice relating to these financial instruments. The new, expanded Second Edition includes: - Analysis and comparison of commercial and standby credits, bank guarantees and bonds in use in international exchange - Introduction to the various sets of rules in use in international operations and banking - Changes made to the UCC Article 5 and UCP 600 - New development and landmark decisions and case law since the publishing of the first edition - Guidance to and analysis of inter bank relationship, indemnity agreements and reference to sample documentation, and numerous sample clauses - Reference to statutory laws of lcs in various countries

This book is the first to provide an extensive analysis of the range of defences to payment under letters of credit and demand guarantees. It considers the extent to which different defences undermine the abstraction of these instruments. This is a fundamental issue, since letters of credit and demand guarantees are designed to be abstract, or autonomous, from the underlying contract that called for their use. The purpose of that abstraction is to provide certainty of payment, but the various defences diminish that certainty. The book examines the spectrum of defences that are frequently litigated and debated in international practice: fraud in the documents, nullity, fraud affecting deferred payment letters of credit, fraud as no honest belief, unconscionable conduct and illegality. Vitally, the book provides analysis of the relevant judicial decisions and offers clear practical guidance on which defences are most suitable for each instrument. As the instruments are heavily used in international trade, this work is particularly suited to financial and commercial law practitioners who draft agreements, as well as those who advise on disputes concerning these instruments. Accessible and engaging, the book is also relevant for academics and students.

For decades, this remarkable book – now in its updated fourth edition – has served practitioners in international trade and banking law as a thorough ‘codification’ of the law and practice of bank guarantees. The new edition has been thoroughly revised, updated, and amended in the light of new developments in the law and changing patterns in practice. Bertrams uses case law, arbitral decisions, and legal writing from five European jurisdictions – The Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium, and England – to build an analysis of how the practical applications of bank guarantees have established a pattern of law. The new edition takes into account all legal and arbitral decisions and relevant legal writing through 2012 from these countries, as well from other European countries and the United States. Written from a transnational perspective, Bank Guarantees in International Trade can be used in both civil and common law jurisdictions and it has been cited as an authoritative source of case law in several jurisdictions from each system. With reference throughout to the effect and significance of the Uniform Rules for Demand Guarantees (URDG) of the International Chamber of Commerce, International Standby Practices (ISP), and the UNCITRAL Convention on Independent Guarantees and Stand-by Letters of Credit, the author continuously elucidates the way guarantees function in actual practice and the numerous practical aspects and issues to which they give rise. The analysis covers the following subjects and much else: types of guarantee (tender, performance, maintenance, repayment, retention); payment mechanisms (first demand, third-party documents, arbitral or court decision); risks and negotiations, drafting and clauses; bank guarantees as a financial service, the bank’s perspective; direct and indirect guarantees, counter-guarantees; formation, enforceability of expiry dates, assignment and transfer; demand for payment and the rule of strict compliance; fraud and restraining orders; applicable law and jurisdiction; reference to URDG 2010 revision and ISP98 throughout the text. In addition to his thorough coverage of law and legal writing, the author has drawn on intensive contacts with the banking community, construction firms, export credit insurance companies, and local lawyers. His insight into ‘the daily life’ of the world of independent (first demand) guarantees and the practices, difficulties, and peculiarities in a great number of countries and regions, including the Middle East and North Africa, cannot be matched in any other source. Bank guarantees can present major difficulties, and this book is the lawyer’s best guide in any situation likely to arise. As a comprehensive study of the legal and practical aspects of bank guarantees and standby letters of credit, it offers practitioners in international trade law the most complete analysis of banking law in the field. In its wealth of practical detail, it is unlikely to be surpassed.

The book provides the commercial lawyer with a detailed analysis of the various statutory and contractual requirements relating to the law of guarantees. It also examines the guarantor's liability and right against both creditors and debtors. A thorough knowledge of the law and practice surrounding guarantees is essential for lawyers in all areas of commercial law, given the complex borrowing and finance requirements of modern industry and institutions. This is the 6th edition of the highly successful book on Guarantees by Geraldine Andrews QC and Richard Millett QC. The book is considered the pre-eminent treatise on the subject of guarantees in the UK.

This book explains various methods of payment in international trade and trade finance schemes for international trade. It also presents an overview of the concepts, purposes, features, and risks of international trade. A grasp of the features and risks of international trade facilitates a better understanding of the numerous methods of payment in international trade and the relevant trade finance schemes, which is essential to success in international trade transactions. In order to complete an international trade transaction, depending on the terms, both parties need access to funds. Compared with large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), frequently face difficulties in raising capital or funds, but financing an international trade transaction is often the key to its successful completion. As such, selecting an appropriate financing mechanism from the various options available is vital. This book offers a systematic overview of international trade and payment together with trade finance, providing instructive examples and illustrations of trade documents, each method of payment, and trade finance including export credit insurance or guarantee.