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Business Law

Research in business law contributes to the theoretical framework and understanding of legal issues pertaining to domains and markets of particular importance for social welfare, such as business, innovation, entrepreneurship, labour, taxes and contracts.

The domains of interest to business law are also of interest to a number of other social science disciplines. Among them are economics, business administration and political science. The difference is that business law is a branch of law and thus focuses upon legal problems and challenges connected to its domains of interest.

Since legal rules and principles often have a high impact on normative aims of other social science disciplines this research also has great instrumental value for other disciplines. For example, it is obvious that economic efficiency to a large extent is affected by how the rules and rule-governed institutions are shaped and how the legal institutions support the market economy.

How law interacts with businesses and society

Our research focuses on several legal areas of study, including contract law, corporate law, market law, intellectual property law, competition law, tax law, environmental law and labour law. A common theme in our research is to analyse how law interacts with companies, industries and society.

The increased internationalisation means that these legal areas all have an international dimension. EU law and international law in general are therefore integrated and often central components in our research.

From sustainability to AI

The department is currently developing research projects in the area of artificial intelligence and machine learning and several projects are already running in this field.

We have long been, and are still engaged in, research projects which relate to different aspects of sustainability, such as social and green clauses in public procurement, corporate social responsibility and business ethics, taxation of the digital economy, protection of workers in the collaborative economy and labour law protection through global collective agreements. An overarching aim of our research is to show how law can function as a management tool for creating value in the company. Moreover, we engage in multi- and interdisciplinary research projects thanks to our collaborations within and outside the School of Economics and Management.

Research stimulates teaching

The researchers at the Department of Business Law are all engaged in national and international networks in order to exchange research results, organise work shops and conferences and develop joint research applications.

The department's research is deeply integrated into its teaching. The new focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning has for instance generated new courses regarding legal aspects of artificial intelligence and data protection.

Questions facing society

Research in business law contributes to society by focusing on legal issues that have a great impact on society at large. For this reason, the Department of Business Law initiated a joint cooperation centre with the Faculty of Law (ACLU – a centre for business law at Lund University) in order to stimulate research of high relevance to society. The department is also engaged in a similar form of collaboration as regards tax law.

Presently, the society faces great challenges due among other things to the digital transformation of the economy and increased use of artificial intelligence. The legal perspective, i.e. how the law is to be understood and ought to be reformed in the context of this new reality, is of great importance for decision-makers in economics and management.

The Department of Business Law in the Research Portal

Contact

Jörgen Hettne
Head of the Department of Business Law, Professor