The PhD research will analyse current Private international law (the ‘PIL’) and arbitration rules in force in the UK, and the corresponding practices of businesses in the East Midlands (the ‘EM’) pertaining to their contract arrangements with the cross-border partners concerning any potential disputes and dispute resolution.

Further, the research will examine the possible impact of the UK leaving the EU (the ‘BREXIT’) through identifying the disadvantages in case of the removal of the EU PIL regime on EM businesses. 

The project will also investigate the preferable future options of EM businesses as to the arrangement in their contracts concerning disputes and dispute resolution.

Finally, the research will identify the most reliable and certain modes of protection which EM businesses can utilise.

The research aims to identify possible ways for EM businesses to proceed with the legal arrangements in their contracts in cross-border trade, based on theoretical knowledge as well as on their preferred practise. The project will contribute to the facilitation of changes that BREXIT may bring and to help maintain sound trade to the greatest possible extent. The better EM businesses are prepared, the better relationships they create with their trading partners having a positive impact on the end customers.