Course overview
This 5-day training course is specifically for legal professionals seeking the knowledge, strategies and tools to confidently draft, negotiate and manage international contracts across common and civil law systems.
In today’s globally connected marketplace, international commercial contracts are more complex, high-stakes, and more scrutinised than ever. Legal professionals advising or managing cross-border agreements must navigate intricate legal frameworks, multiple jurisdictions and cultural nuances - while safeguarding commercial interests and managing risk.
This intensive training course has been expertly designed to equip lawyers with the essential knowledge, advanced skills and practical strategies needed to draft, negotiate and manage international contracts with precision and confidence. Each training module delivers a deep dive into a critical area of legal practice for cross-border agreements, blending legal theory with real-world application and interactive learning.
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your drafting expertise, enhance your negotiation capability, or strengthen your approach to risk allocation, this training course provides the tools to operate at the highest level in international contracting.
Presented by an international specialist in the field, attending this course will enable participants to effectively draft and negotiate contracts with knowledge and confidence.
The programme is split into four comprehensive modules:
Module One - Business and Contract Law for International Commercial Contracts
Gain a firm grasp of the legal foundations underpinning international agreements. You’ll explore the lifecycle of a commercial contract - from formation through to enforcement - and delve into essential drafting techniques, pre-contract documentation and the construction of key clauses for maximum clarity and protection.
Module Two - International Contract Negotiation
Learn how to approach high-value, cross-border negotiations with confidence. This module focuses on developing strategic preparation, understanding cultural and organisational negotiation styles, managing stakeholder objectives and achieving commercially sound outcomes.
Module Three - Liabilities and Damages in International Commercial Agreements
Understand how to identify, assess and mitigate key areas of legal risk in international contracts. You’ll cover exclusions and limitations of liability, indemnities, damages and best practices for reducing exposure without sacrificing deal value.
Module Four - Facilitative trainers unique 10 step code to analyse and draft any contract
This premium training experience offers insight and guidance from an expert practitioner, combining legal rigour with practical tools you can take back to your workplace and use immediately. Engage in case studies, peer discussions and negotiation exercises to build capability and confidence in every aspect of international contracting.
Please note, each day will include breaks at approximately 11:00 (15 mins), 1pm (1 hour), and 3pm (15 mins).
CPD Hours: 30
Course Content
- Day 1
- Module One: Business and Contract Law for International Commercial Contracts
- Formation of a business contract
- Pre-contract documents - sample agreement and checklist
- Confidentiality and NDA agreements - sample document and checklist
- Practical drafting workshop: Pre-contract documents and enforceability
- Getting to grips with how the law changes and what you thought you had agreed to
- Practical workshop: understanding and effecting drafting payment obligations
- Constructive performance obligations
- Practical drafting exercise: Drafting contract terms
- Day 2
- Key clauses and how they are interpreted in different countries
- Managing the contract
- Termination and variation - understanding how and when contracts end
- Limit contractual risk for your organisation
- Some typical agreements
- Practical workshop: drafting and understanding boilerplate clauses with sample clauses and pointers
- Day 3
- Module Two: International Contract Negotiation
- Essentials of negotiations
- Preparing for negotiations - setting objectives and selecting strategy
- Negotiating across national and organisational cultures
- Negotiating styles
- Practical workshop: negotiation of legal and commercial clauses
- Communication skills
- Situation tactics or ploys and counterploys
- Negotiation clinic: discuss recent challenges you have faced
- Personal action plans
- Day 4
- Module Three: Liabilities and Damages in International Commercial Agreements
- Identifying the areas of risk
- Warranties, representations, guarantees and indemnities
- Exclusions and limitations of liabilities
- Liquidated damages and penalties defined - comparative analysis
- Workshop: Exclusion and liquidated and ascertained damages clauses
- Force majeure, frustration and economic hardship
- Workshop session: drafting exercises
- Day 5
- Direct, indirect and consequential damages
- Choice of law governing the contract
- Litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution
Speakers
Arun Singh OBE
Arun Singh (Prof) OBE, FRSA is an international lawyer and consultant to an international law firm. He was formerly a partner and head of commercial law at KPMG Legal and partner at Masons (now Pinsent Masons).
Arun has advised on disputes and collaborations in a wide range of jurisdictions including Europe, countries in West and East Africa, India, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Libya, Jordan, Syria, the US, Caribbean, Russia, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Thailand and Singapore. Arun is cited and ranked in the Chambers Guide to the world’s leading lawyers. He concentrates on international investment, joint ventures, licensing of technology, research and development, M&A, energy, outsourcing and corporate governance in developed and emerging markets; he also handles international legal risk management matters. Arun advises a range of international organisations and is a visiting professor in International Business, Leadership and Negotiations at Salford University Business School, senior associate at Oxford University’s Institute of Legal Practice and teaches international leadership and negotiations at the University of Cambridge. He has facilitated programmes in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the US.
He is a recognised corporate educator and a non-executive director of two international investment companies - one of which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, chairing the Audit Committee and Investment Committee.
He was appointed an OBE by HM the Queen in January 1999 for services to international trade, investment and intercultural management. Arun is an editor and contributor to a number of publications including Business and Contract Law (a Thorogood Special Report) and How to Lead Smart People - Leadership for Professionals (Profile Books) (recommended reading in the big four corporate advisory firms and basis for the popular international Coursera MOOC, University of London course 'Stepping Up: Leading Others').He is also a facilitator for company programmes and an experienced speaker at international corporate conferences.
