Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Institute of International Banking Law and Practice

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Abbreviation
  
IIBLP

Formation
  
1987

Motto
  
Amat Victoria Curam

Region served
  
International

Institute of International Banking Law & Practice

Headquarters
  
Montgomery Village, Maryland

The Institute of International Banking Law & Practice is a not-for-profit educational and research organization dedicated to achieving a better understanding of banking law and practice and their relationship to each other. For more than 20 years, it has brought together leaders of the letter of credit community from the fields of banking, law, business, regulation, and academia in forums and educational events to foster and promote the exchange of ideas.

Contents

Its pioneering efforts to harmonize international law and practice have resulted in such initiatives as ISP98 (International Standby Practices) and ICLOCA (International Center for Letter of Credit Arbitration). It has also played an important role in reforms such as U.S. Revised UCC Article 5 and the United Nations Convention on Independent Guarantees and Standby Letters of Credit, and been at the forefront of combating commercial and financial instrument fraud.

General

The Institute of International Banking Law & Practice, a non-profit educational and research organization based in the United States, sponsors projects, programs, and publications intended to harmonize letter of credit law and practice. Since its formation in 1987, the Institute has been a leading force in the Letter of Credit world.

The Institute issued the International Standby Practices (ISP98) (ICC Publication 590). Its principles have also played an important role in the revision of U.S. UCC Article 5, the formation of the United Nations Convention on Independent Guarantees and Standby Letters of Credit, the eUCP, and the International Standard Banking Practice (ISBP), having worked on these and other projects with organizations such as the BAFT-IFSA, the International Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade.

Its work involves issues as diverse as rulemaking, amicus curiae briefs, risk management, product management, consultation on litigation issues, standard forms, and reviews of international operational procedures, new products, and systems evaluations.

The Institute has also been at the forefront in the battle against financial instrument fraud, sponsoring international programs and publications directed at combating these scams.

History

Established in 1987, the Institute is directed by George Mason University School of Law, Professor James E. Byrne. The Institute regularly brings together leaders of the letter of credit community from banks, law firms, regulatory agencies, importers, exporters, and third party intermediaries in interactive forums and educational events designed to foster and promote the exchange of ideas.

Programs

The Institute hosts The Annual Survey of Letter of Credit Law & Practice and The Guarantee & Standby Forum each year in important banking centers throughout the world such as Hong Kong, China, Singapore, North America, the Middle East, India, Russia, and Europe. It also holds an annual LC Law Summit for lawyers, and various local and on-site training programs and educational seminars. These events bring together leaders of the letter of credit community from banks, law firms, regulatory agencies, importers, exporters, and third party intermediaries in interactive forums and educational events designed to foster and promote the exchange of ideas. Through its private training and seminars, the Institute has trained representatives of organizations from around the world.

In addition, the Institute publishes the industry’s leading monthly journal, Documentary Credit World (DCW), successor to Letter of Credit Update, and a series of books including the Annual Surveys of Letter of Credit Law & Practice (gathering together all LC related articles and abstracting legal opinions in the English language), the 20th Century Survey of LC Law & Practice, The Official Commentary on the International Standby Practices, the Commentary on UCP500, ISP98 & UCP500 Compared, Letter of Credit Rules and Laws: Critical Texts and the Comparison of UCP600 & UCP500.

Annual Survey of Letter of Credit Law & Practice

Covers all reported letter of credit and independent guarantee court decisions from around the world of the past year. This reference tool tracks industry activity impacting ICC rules (UCP600, URDG758, ISP98), and other incidents influencing international banking.

Documentary Credit World

Containing statistics and expert opinions regarding specific operational and legal issues, Documentary Credit World is a monthly publication that tracks the development of Letter of Credit Law and Practice.

UCP600: An Analytical Commentary

The Institute's UCP600: An Analytical Commentary provides an exhaustive, analytical, and historical interpretation of the text of the UCP in light of letter of credit practice. This study is approximately 1,500 pages, and is updated annually with Pocket Parts. The Commentary includes:

  • Extensive examination of each article and subarticle of UCP600.
  • Discussion of the prior history of each article tracing its development through prior versions of the UCP.
  • Reference to ICC Banking Commission Opinions and legal cases from around the world relevant to each article.
  • Reference to other rules of practice (ISP98, URDG) and legal systems (US UCC Article 5, UN LC Convention, Chinese LC Rules) relevant to each article.
  • Comprehensive index and appendices.
  • Pocket parts which are annually updated to reflect developments in law and practice.
  • Comparison of UCP600 & UCP500

    This work compares UCP600 and UCP500 by article with analysis and commentary of the evolving rules appearing below the text. Regarded as a practical text indicating what is changed, how it affects bank and business practices, legal implications and how SWIFT has adapted to suit the changes to these rules.

    The Official Commentary on the International Standby Practices

    The Official Commentary on the International Standby Practices provides guidance for users, bankers, attorneys, and other specialists in working with ISP98 for sound standby Letter of Credit practice. Each of the 89 rules is analyzed in depth, including context and implications.

    ISP98 & UCP500 Compared

    A companion to the Official Commentary on the ISP. Written an indexed to track the relationship between ISP and the UCP this book is a practical legal reference to compare the two rules. It is supplemented with a concise reference sheet that notes significant differences between ISP98 and UCP600.

    Letter of Credit Rules and Laws: Critical Texts

    Containing UCP500, ISP98, eUCP 1.1, UCP600, and the International Standard Banking Practice (ISBP) this book contains the relevant sections of the major letter of credit rules for use by practitioners, students, and lawyers working in the field of letters of credit.

    References

    Institute of International Banking Law & Practice Wikipedia