Choose a legal issue that was the subject of a lecture/ reading (for example, contracts, intellectual property, negligence, or private international law), and prepare a 750 word research paper that examines its practical impact on a multinational business (for example, an international contract law lawsuit; the valuation of the intellectual property portfolio of a pharma giant; an employment law dispute over workplace discrimination).
Ensure you include discussion of the following required elements:
Your thesis: introduce and close your paper with an insightful conclusion you have reached based on your research.
Legal context: state clearly which specific legal issue you will discuss (for example, contracts, workplace discrimination, trade law, or immigration).
Business relevance: the business context in which you will discuss this issue (for example, a specific lawsuit; a decision by a judicial body such as the World Trade Organization; or a legal campaign by a civil society group such as Human Rights Watch, Global March Against Child Labor, or the World Wide Fund for Nature).
Legal analysis: which laws were alleged to have been broken? In which country was the case heard? Which court(s) ruled on the case?
Business analysis of the legal issues involved: revenues affected, costs from the legal action and business outcome.
Other business issues: for example, public relations concerns, impact on employees, community impact in the places where the company operates, and any other issues you think relevant.
Continuing challenges: what ongoing issues does your chosen company face and what potential solutions can you identify?
Example research paper topics
You can write on any of these, or propose your own topic to me for approval:
Contracts
Corporate contract law dispute. For example, Baily, A. (2021, April 10). Walmart ordered to pay $115 million for breach of contract, stealing trade secrets. ArkansasTimes.com
Negligence
A negligence case. For example, Redden, E. (2021, March 19). Dream Derailed Leads to Lawsuit Against Berkeley: A former international student has filed suit claiming the university’s international student advising office misinformed him of a deadline to apply for authorization to work in the U.S. InsideHigherEd.com.
Negligence by an employer for not preventing workplace bullying: Deutsche Bank and Helen Green
Employment Law
Workplace sexual harassment. For example:
Reeves v. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.: 2008 U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision about daily exposure to offensive language and radio programming.
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White: 2006 U.S. Supreme Course decision about retaliation claims for workplace sexual harassment.
Investigation finds Utah County clerk/auditor sexually harassed employee, violating policy: 2021 Utah case about employer sexual harassment (additional report about the same case: Utah County clerk/auditor called employee her ‘gay democratic assistant,’ according to harassment investigation).
Defamation
The trial of the actor Johnny Depp, who brought a libel claim against the Sun newspaper in Depp v News Group Newspapers 2020. See for example Case Comment: Depp v NGN – an analysis of the judgment
Intellectual Property
Mattel’s 2008 lawsuit against MGA for copying Barbie dolls with its Bratz line: Mattel Inc. v. MGA Entertainment Inc. See Lepore, J. (2018, January 22). When Barbie Went to War with Bratz: How a legal battle over intellectual property exposed a cultural battle over sex, gender roles, and the workplace. NewYorker.com.
U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1994 finding that 2 Live Crew did not violate copyright with their song “Pretty Woman.” Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.
London court’s 2006 decision that The Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown did not violate the copyright of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (an earlier book on a related subject). Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh v. The Random House Group Limited. See The Guardian (2007, March 28): Authors lose appeal over Da Vinci Code plagiarism. TheGuardian.com.
U.S. court decision in 2008 that Napster violated record label copyrights, which forced the company to cease operations. A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster Inc.
Reuters (2021, April 6): Nike wins halt to sales of Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes.’CNBC.
Constitutional Law
A U.S. government action. For example, President Trump’s Executive Orderrequiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or have it banned from use in the United States, and its continuing repercussions.
Corporations
Incorporation in low tax jurisdictions. For example, Carden, D. (2020, July 16). To Pay for the Pandemic, Dry Out the Tax Havens: Corporations and the wealthy have stashed away as much as $36 trillion in untaxed money. It’s time to bring the hammer down. ForeignPolicy.
International Law
A global social justice campaign. For example, IKEA and Save the Children
Trade
A national trade dispute. For example, the EU’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese aluminium.
World Trade Organization matter. For example, negotiations over fishing subsidies
Consumer Protection
A consumer protection lawsuit. For example, Stop Lying’: Muslim Rights Group Sues Facebook Over Claims It Removes Hate Groups
Taxation
Global tax havens and banking secrecy. For example, the case of Bradley Birkenfeld. See Javers, E (2015, April 30): Why did the US pay this former Swiss banker $104M? CNBC.com
