Written for international trade lawyers, practitioners and students from common and civil law countries, this casebook is an excellent starting point for learning about the CISG, providing an article-by-article analysis of the Convention. The commentary on each article is accompanied by extracts from cases and associated comparative materials, as well as references to important trade usages such as the INCOTERMS® 2010. The book features a selection of the most significant cases, each of which has been abridged to enable the reader to focus on its essential features and the relevant questions arising from it. The case extracts are accompanied by a comprehensive overview of parallel provisions in other international instruments, uniform projects and domestic laws. The analyses, cases, texts and questions are intended to aid readers in their comparative law and international sales law studies. They are designed to draw attention to the particular issues surrounding specific CISG provisions and to provoke careful consideration of possible solutions. The book is a reference work as well as an introduction to the individual problem areas. In particular, it acts as a preparatory work for the Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. The inclusion of sample questions and answers also makes it particularly helpful for self-study purposes.

Serving the needs of both students and experts, this book evaluates the CISG through economic theory and legal doctrine.

With the growing complexity of international trade, practitioners in commercial law increasingly need access to scholarly sources and foreign case law. A goal of the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods (CISG) has been the standard of a “global jurisconsultorium,” where judges and arbitrators would share resources and consult what has been done in foreign jurisdictions. However, without the prior work of material-collecting, proper translation into English, and organization of the resulting abundance of material, compliance with this goal would be impossible. The Practitioner’s Guide to the CISG is a direct answer to that need and a decisive step toward fulfilling that goal. Written by three scholars from six different countries, the book represents the best analyses of CISG cases available anywhere. The chapters that follow provide legal counsel with easy, organized access to key, legal case abstracts drawn from multiple jurisdictions and valuable, summary comments on each article of the CISG.

The rationale behind the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is that a uniform sales law will lead to improved efficiency of cross-border sales and promote international trade. However, although it continues to attract new Member States and now applies to more than 80% of global trade, commercial parties often exclude the CISG, questioning it as a desirable choice of law.

In force in 70 countries around the world and covering more than two thirds of world trade, the 1980 United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is considered to be the most successful convention promoting international trade. According to many commentators, this success is due, among others, to the fact that the Convention does not directly impact on the domestic law of the various legal systems, as it applies only to international - as opposed to purely domestic - contracts. The Convention, in other words, does not impose changes in the domestic law, which makes it easier for States to adopt the Convention. This does not mean, however, that the Convention does not have any impact on the domestic law at all. This book analyzes - through 24 country reports as well as a general report submitted to the 1st Intermediate Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law held in November 2008 in Mexico City - to what extent the Convention de facto influences domestic legal systems. In particular, the book examines the Convention's impact on the practice of law, the style of court decisions as well as the domestic legislation in the area of contract law.

"... there is a lack of a clear and simple exposition of the CISG for students and practitioners. That is the role of the current book, which it fills admirably. All of the issues that have been raised in the cases and the literature are considered, but without excessive detail. This is a book that will do much to make the CISG an easily understandable text for all users, student and pracitioner alike." Preface by Professor Eric E. Bergsten

"Written for the novice who may be encountering the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) for the first time or for the seasoned lawyer who is looking for a 'refresher course, ' this practical guide will help practitioners decipher and understand the complexities of this area of law. The authors conducted extensive research, analyzing all of the U.S. cases that have been decided under the CISG, as well as many decisions of international tribunals, as they crafted this valuable, user-friendly guide. Each chapter closes by posing questions built on basic facts in a hypothetical and directs you to portions of the chapter that address each question. The hypothetical is based on two leading CISG cases, as well as facts from a dispute under the UCC. In addition, this guide includes much of the text of the CISG as well as information on: the basics of the CISG, including how CISG concepts might affect a typical international business transaction; the use of common law to interpret the CISG; the purpose of the CISG and basic analysis of its application; opting out of the CISG; contract formation; interpretation of the convention; seller's basic obligations; obligations of the buyer; remedies; and more!"--Unedited summary from book cover.