New Book Details Legal Implications of Brexit

The Institute of International Economic Law at Georgetown Law has recently published a book detailing the legal implications of “Brexit,” or the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU. Legal Aspects of Brexit: Implications of the United Kingdom’s Decision to Withdraw from the European Union is a collection of papers produced in a one-of-a-kind seminar taught at Georgetown Law over the Fall of 2016. Professors Jennifer Hillman (former member of the WTO Appellate Body, Commissioner of the United States International Trade Commission, and General Counsel at the United States Trade Representative) and Gary Horlick (former counsel to the United States Senate Finance Committee, head of the Import Administration of the Department of Commerce and the Chair of the WTO’s Permanent Group of Experts of Subsidies) led a class exploring the unsettled and rapidly developing legal implications of Brexit.

A small group of students authored chapters summarizing Brexit legal issues in a variety of contexts: Northern Ireland’s border with the Republic of Ireland, Scotland’s tumultuous relationship with the United Kingdom, future investor-state disputes, trade agreements, human rights, financial services, the English Premier League, and Scotch Whiskey. As a participant in the seminar, I authored a chapter outlining the existing data regulation regime, characterizing the complications introduced by Brexit, and outlining several negotiating options available to the U.K. and the EU. The book also includes a broad and detailed roadmap of existing legal research resources.

As a complement to the overwhelming volume of extant Brexit political commentary, Legal Aspects of Brexit is designed to serve as a resource for government officials, lawyers, journalists and business people who are attempting to sort through the complex legal structures implicated by ensuing negotiations.

A free digital copy of the book is available here and hard copies are available on Amazon. The Institute of International Economic Law explores issues of investment and financial regulation, tax, trade, business and monetary law especially insofar as the interaction of these policy fields, impact how law is devised, practiced and enforced.