Party Autonomy in Private International Law

Alex Mills is Professor of Public and Private International Law at the Faculty of Laws, University College London. He is the author of The Confluence of Public and Private International Law (Cambridge, 2009) and was awarded the American Society of International Law Private International Law Prize in 2010. He has directed studies in private international law at the Hague Academy of International Law, and he is a member of the Academic Research Panel of Blackstone Chambers and the Editorial Board of the International and Comparative Law Quarterly.

'Alex Mills, of University College London, has undertaken a comprehensive analysis of party autonomy, the result of which is this stunning book, introducing an equilibrated approach to the theme, covering not only historical background and theoretical justifications of the principle but also a comparative study of the relevant rules of different jurisdictions. … the many magnificent features of this entirely faultless book enable the reviewer unhesitatingly to recommend it to academics and scholars who are seriously concerned with private international law, not disregarding its value also for practitioners engaged in the field. Postgraduate students could also highly benefit from this essential resource for their conflicts of laws module. No more needs to be said, apart from buying the book and giving it pride of place in your library.' Aygun Mammadzada, Journal of Business Law

• 1. Introduction; 2. Historical and theoretical foundations of party autonomy; 3. Choice of court agreements: effects and effectiveness; 4. Choice of court agreements and non-contractual claims; 5. Limits on party autonomy in choice of court; 6. Arbitration agreements; 7. Choice of law in contract; 8. Choice of law in non-contractual relations; 9. Limits on party autonomy in choice of law; 10. Choice of non-state law; 11. Conclusions.