Innovative Master of Laws to train legal talents in cross-border commercial law

Singapore, 7 October 2015 (Thursday) – With the high level of interconnectivity of today’s world, and the exponential growth of global trade and commerce, there is an increased expectation on lawyers to provide legal advice on transnational deals and perspectives on domestic laws and legal systems, as well as to engage with cross-border commercial dispute resolution.  With a view towards educating legal talents who are well-versed in both Eastern and Western legal systems, who understand both the law and local business culture, and who are able to offer a highly nuanced service to their multi-national clients, the Singapore Management University (SMU) and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) have announced an innovative Dual Master of Laws (LLM) in Commercial Law (Singapore and London) programme, which both universities will jointly offer from July 2016.

Officiating the partnership in London on 2 October 2015 were Professor Yeo Tiong Min, Dean of SMU School of Law (SOL) and Professor Spyros Maniatis, Head of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) , QMUL.  CCLS specialises in the knowledge and skills in commercial law that can be placed at the service of the UK government, public bodies, overseas institutions, the legal profession, industry and commerce.  Through their specialist schools and institutes, they continue to maintain their lead as one of the top commercial postgraduate law schools in the world.

The 15-month programme, which will be jointly delivered by SMU and QMUL, will offer students the unique opportunity to study commercial law in two of the world’s major business and financial centres – Singapore and London.  Students will first spend six months in Singapore where they will develop a broad overview of Asian commercial law.  In particular, the Singapore leg is designed to expose students to a broad range of legal issues which businesses in Asia are likely to encounter. Thereafter, the programme will take them to QMUL’s campus in Holborn, the heart of London’s legal district, where they will take a series of specialised modules taught by leading commercial law experts.

Another unique feature of the programme is the high level of integration that will significantly benefit students.  They will stay connected with both universities throughout the 15 months, and instructors from both universities will be available to them, regardless of which campus they are in.

The specially-designed curriculum features a major focus on international and comparative issues, and on the importance of legal principles, rules and laws underlying business and commercial relationships.  By the end of the programme, students will be equipped with a thorough understanding of key aspects of commercial law from multiple perspectives, enabling them to develop an in-depth understanding of different regions’ approaches to resolving commercial problems.  The varied knowledge-base, coupled with the specialist expertise, will make them very attractive to potential employers, particularly multi-national firms.

Professor Yeo Tiong Min said, “We are proud to be the Asian partner of the CCLS at QMUL in the delivery of high quality postgraduate legal education.  The dual LLM programme that we are jointly offering has been specially curated to take advantage of the respective commercial law expertise of the faculty at both institutions.  We believe that the opportunity to study in London and Singapore, both hubs for transnational businesses, will be attractive to candidates who are keen to learn more about legal issues affecting cross-border commercial transactions.”  Professor Yeo is also Singapore’s first Honorary Senior Counsel and the Yong Pung How Professor of Law at SOL.

Professor Spyros Maniatis said, “I am delighted that SMU and QMUL are offering this innovative programme allowing students to immerse seamlessly into diverse legal and business cultures, looking at East and West from an international and comparative perspective. Students will be part of an eclectic and dynamic group of students taught by top commercial law academics and practitioners, as part of a unique learning experience that draws on the strengths of both universities.”

Applications for the inaugural intake of the new course will open in late October 2015; the Universities expect to welcome about 40 students in the first intake which begins in July 2016.

To date, SMU SOL has established partnerships with 43 universities internationally.  SMU is also the first Asian university to have joined the ranks of top European law schools as part of the THEMIS network, alongside Università Bocconi (Milan, Italy), Esade (Barcelona, Spain), Freie Universität (Berlin, Germany), Université Paris Est Créteil Val de Marne (Paris, France) and Maastricht Law School (Maastricht, The Netherlands).  THEMIS represents a network of six institutions which have come together to create a new standard in business law in response to an increasing demand for law professionals with international know-how and expertise.
 

[Photo: (L-R) Professor Spyros Maniatis, Head of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London; and Professor Yeo Tiong Min, Dean of Singapore Management University School of Law officiating the partnership in London on 2 October 2015. (Photo © Jorge Duarte Estevao)]

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Enclosure

- More details on the Dual LLM: http://www.law.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/singapore/index.html

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