The International Business Law program begins with a two-week introductory course, the first week of which may be taken jointly by students in both programs. Classes in the IBL program then focus on public international law governing international trade and investment, and provide an overview of the fields of activity of the World Trade Organization (WTO), with a focus on multilateral trade negotiations and dispute settlement. Students learn about the law governing international business transactions as well as the different forms of dispute resolution that are open to the parties in such transactions.

Courses 

  • Introduction to International Business Law (3 credits)
  • International Economic Law (3 credits)
  • International Commercial Law (3 credits)

Course Descriptions

Typical Field Study Destinations 

  • Law firms in Berlin, Paris, and Geneva
  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (Paris)
  • World Trade Organization and Canadian Mission (Geneva)
  • Advisory Centre on WTO Law (Geneva)
  • International Trade Centre (Geneva)
  • World Intellectual Property Organization (Geneva)

2023 Instructors (Full Bios)

Ambassador Hugh Adsett Ambassador Hugh Adsett is the Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organization of American States in Washington, DC. He has worked for Global Affairs Canada since 1995, including as the Legal Adviser and Director General of the Legal Affairs Bureau in Ottawa and with several postings abroad. 
Professor Andrea Bjorklund

Professor Andrea Bjorklund is a Full Professor and the L. Yves Fortier Chair in International Arbitration and International Commercial Law, and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at McGill University Faculty of Law. In 2017, she was named one of McGill’s Norton Rose Fulbright Scholars in International Arbitration and International Commercial Law.

Mr. Paul Blustein

Mr. Paul Blustein is an author and journalist specializing in economic issues, and he is currently a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ontario. He spent much of his career reporting for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, and he has authored six books focusing mainly on financial crises and global trade. 

Professor Joshua Karton Professor Joshua Karton is an Associate Professor at Queen’s Law. His research interests are in international dispute resolution, international and comparative contract law, conflict of laws, and sociology of law. 
Professor Nicolas Lamp Professor Nicolas Lamp is an Assistant Professor at Queen’s Law and the Associate Academic Director of the International Law Programs. Before joining Queen’s, he was a Dispute Settlement Lawyer at the Appellate Body Secretariat of the World Trade Organization.
Dr. Matthew Secomb Dr. Matthew Secomb is a partner in White & Case's International Arbitration Group in Singapore and specializes in international commercial arbitration with a focus on construction and energy-related disputes.

 

Learn more about the course International Commercial Law

 

Learn more about the course International Economic Law