Nordic Commercial Law Days

DATE
Wednesday 24 April 2024 at 2:30 PM until Friday 26 April 2024 at 1:30 PM 
PLACE
University of Iceland Faculty of Law, Sæmundargata 2, 102 Reykjavík
ORGANIZER
University of Iceland Faculty of Law and Lagastofnun Háskóla Íslands with support from LOGOS legal services

Registration

The Nordic Commercial Law Days take place on 24 - 26 April 2024 in Reykjavík. The conference was originally established in 1994 by the Institutt for Privatrett in Oslo and will now be held for the 15th time. The 2024 conference is organized by the University of Iceland Faculty of Law and Lagastofnun Háskóla Íslands with support from LOGOS legal services.

The conference begins on Wednesday 24 April, with a seminar for PhD students in the field of commercial law. On Thursday 25 April and Friday 26 April, seminars on topics within the individual fields of commercial law will take place. The conference ends around noon on Friday 26 April.

The conference will take place at the Hilton Nordica on the 25th of April but in the university's main building on the 24th and 26nd of April. 

 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Eyvindur G. Gunnarsson egg@hi.is
Kristín Benediktsdóttir kristben@hi.is
Trausti Fannar Valsson tfv@hi.is
Valgerður Sólnes vas@hi.is (chairman)
Víðir Smári Petersen vidir@hi.is (chairman)

 

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

IMPORTANT: Please register for the conference here no later than 1 March 2024.

There is only room for 100 conference guests, in addition to participants and organizers.

The conference fee is DKK 3,000 and it includes:

  • access to the conference
  • lunches (Thursday 25 April and Friday 26 April)
  • coffee
  • a guided bustour to Þingvellir (Wednesday 24 April)
  • dinner (Thursday 25 April)

An invoice for the conference fee will be sent. Participants do not pay a conference fee.

All conference guests must book and pay for flights and hotels themselves. Conference guests receive a discount at Hotel Hilton Nordica, Berjaya Reykjavik Natura Hotel, Hotel Holt — the Art Hotel and Íslandshotel, see further information here.

Several airlines fly between Iceland and the Nordics, including:

  • Icelandair
  • Play air
  • SAS
  • Air Baltic
  • Wizz air
  • Lufthansa
  • Finn air

Transportation from Keflavik International Airport to Reykjavik includes:

  • Flybus
  • taxi (e.g. Hreyfill +354-588-5522)
  • bus (bus no. 55, opreated by Strætó, drives from Keflavík Intl. Airport to BSÍ Reykjavík bus terminal — further information can be found via Strætó's Klapp app).

Transportation within Reykjavik includes bus (Strætó, see Strætó's Klapp app), taxi, scooters (e.g. Hopp and Zolo) and car rentals.

Conference guests have the opportunity to particpate in a guided bustour to Þingvellir National Park (24 April) free of charge. Þingvellir is an hour away from Reykjavík and is well know for its landscapes and legal history.

Conference guests are eligible for a 15% group discount to visit the Sky Lagoon on 25 April if 15 or more persons (and max. 50 persons) register. The discount applies to Sky Lagoon's Pure Lite-package, starting at ISK 6,790. Transportation to Sky Lagoon, Vesturvör 44-48, 200 Kópavogur, is not included.

Wednesday April 24 - at the University of Iceland Ceremonial Hall on the 2nd floor of the Main Building, Saemundargata 2, 102 Reykjavik

Kl. 2.30-3.00 pm Registration and coffee (outside the Ceremonial Hall)
Kl. 3.00-5.00 pm Ph.D. seminar
Kl. 5.00-6.30 pm Refreshments and opening speach (on the ground floor of the Main building)
Kl. 6.30-9.30 pm Guided bus tour to Thingvellir (optional) - the bus will pick participants up putside the Main building, attn. the tour will take participants outdoors for about an hour or more, bring a warm overcoat, bad weather can always be anticipated in Iceland.

Thursday April 25 - at Hotel Hilton Reykjavík Nordica meeting room on the 2nd floor, Suðurlandsbraut 2, 108 Reykjavik

Kl. 09.00-10.30 am Seminar 1: The interplay between commercial law and public law
Kl. 10.30 am -11.00 am Coffee
Kl. 11.00 am -12.30 pm Seminar 2: A new collaboration within Nordic commercial law
Kl. 12.30-1.30 pm Lunch
Kl. 1.30-3.00 pm Seminar 3: The interplay between commercial and the political system
Kl. 4.00-6.00 pm Sky Lagoon (optional) - attn. participants make their own travel arrangements
Kl. 7.00-10.00 pm Dinner at Vox restaurant, Hilton Reykjavík Nordica

Friday April 26 - at the University of Iceland Ceremonial Hall on the 2nd floor of the Main Building, Saemundargata 2, 102 Reykjavik

Kl. 09.00-10.30 am Seminar 4: Commercial law in the information society
Kl. 10.30-11.00 am Coffee (outside the Ceremonial Hall)
Kl. 11.00 am -12.30 pm Seminar 5: Administrative contracts
Kl. 12.30-1.30 pm Light lunch before departure (outside the Ceremonial Hall)

Presentations:

Simen McAdam Lium, Norway (s.m.lium@jus.uio.no): Sluttavtaler i arbeidsforhold

Lara Ann Waters, Denmark (lara.ann.waters@jur.ku.dk): Aftaleindgåelse med anvendelse af blockchain og smart contracts

Andrea Algård, Sweden (andrea.algard@har.lu.se): Ansvarsformer: Skadestånd vid avtalsbrott

Måns Dunfjäll, Danmark (mdun@jur.ku.dk): Ökad insyn i företag: Genomförande av EU:s direktiv om hållbarhetsredovisning bland nordiska börsnoterade företag

Moderator: Johan Giertsen, Norway (giertsen@uib.no) 

 

This topic will explore the influence of public law within several areas of commercial law. For example, are the rules on good practice applicable to financial institutions of significance when it comes to their obligations towards customers, liability, the creation of contracts etc.? Other areas of public law, such as competition law, tender law, and marketing law, respectively, also interact with commercial law. The ultimate question is if it remains relevant to distinguish between the rules of public law and commercial law, or else if the close interaction between these rules of public and private law now in fact means they should be examined comprehensively as a whole.

Presentation (30-45 min.): Mads Bryde Andersen, Denmark (mads.bryde.andersen@jur.ku.dk) 

Panel discussions (5-10 min. hver):

  • Eiríkur Jónsson, Iceland (eirikurj@hi.is)
  • Jori Munukka, Sweden (jori.munukka@juridicum.su.se) 

Moderator: Eyvindur G. Gunnarsson, Iceland (egg@hi.is) 

A working group has been tasked with creating a platform for discussions and cooperation within commercial law between and among the Nordic states. Here, the working group will present some of the most pressing tasks ahead, including examining the possibility of establishing a Nordic research school, if and how resources can be shared between the higher education institutions in the Nordics, and how cooperation can be increased. The working group would like to point out that everyone interested in the increased cooperation within Nordic commercial law is most welcome to participate. Those interested will be able to raise questions and ideas to the working group, and learn about how to participate.

Working group:

  • Mads Bryde Andersen, Denmark (mads.bryde.andersen@jur.ku.dk)
  • Johan Barlund, Finland (johan.barlund@helsinki.fi)
  • Birgitte Hagland, Norway (birgitte.hagland@jus.uio.no)
  • Johnny Herre, Sweden (johnny.herre@lexmerc.se)
  • Víðir Smári Petersen, Iceland (vidir@hi.is) 

This topic will explore some of the various manifestations of how politics can influence the rules of commercial law. This will include recent seminal judgments rendered by Nordic national courts on e.g. to which extent one can deviate from statutory law such as the Contract Act (U 2011.2602), and if standard terms should apply even if they have not been referred to in a contract of the disputing parties (NJA 2022 s. 574). This will also include a discussion of how the lagislator can rely on nudging when enacting statutory law in order to achieve goals, such as climate goals. All of these issues revolve around a contractual relationship primarily governed by the rules of commercial law.

Presentations (20 min. each):

  • Jakob Heidbrink, Sweden (jakob.heidbrink@law.gu.se)
  • Johan Giertsen, Norway (giertsen@uib.no) 

Panel discussions (5-10 min.): Ellen Efterstøl, Norway (ellen.j.eftestol@bi.no) 

Moderator: Þorgeir Örlygsson, Iceland (orlygsson@hi.is) 

This topic will discuss the impact of digitization on commercial law, including financial transactions, payment via data, AI, long-term contracts, consumer protection, and digital signatures. 

Presentations (30 min. each):

  • Olav Torvund, Norway (olav.torvund@jus.uio.no)

Panel discussions (5-10 min. each):

  • Marie Jull Sørensen, Denmark (mjs@law.aau.dk)
  • Johan Bärlund, Finland (johan.barlund@helsinki.fi). 

Moderator: Hjördís Halldórsdóttir, Iceland (hjordis@logos.is) 

Administrative contracts in Nordic law are a complex topic and, until most recently, subject to a gap in knowledge. The topic raises questions on the interplay between administrative law and commercial law, primarily contracts. To which extent are rules within commercial law confines applicable when the contractual setting is administrative law? Is the creation of contract between two private parties different to contracts between a public party and a public and/or private party? The seminar will examine these and other problems.

Presentation (30-45 min.): Rasmus Grønved Nielsen, Denmark (rasmus.gronved.nielsen@jur.ku.dk) 

Panel discussions (5-10 min. hver):

  • Ola Mestad, Norway (ola.mestad@jus.uio.no)
  • Torbjörn Ingvarsson, Sverige (Torbjorn.Ingvarsson@jur.uu.se)

Moderator: Trausti Fannar Valsson, Iceland (tfv@hi.is) 

The conference begins with a seminar for Ph.D. students led by Professor Johan Giertsen at the University in Bergen. Interested ph.d.-students can send their abstract (max. 500 words) to Víðir Smári Petersen (vidir@hi.is) no later than 1 February 2024.  

Please contact assistants:

  • Líney Helgadóttir (lih17@hi.is)
  • Sigurlaug Eir Þórsdóttir (set16@hi.is)

regarding practicalities — and:

  • Valgerður Sólnes (vas@hi.is)
  • Víðir Smári Petersen (vidir@hi.is)

regarding the program and/or individual seminars.