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04 March 2026
Categories: Legal News , Technology , Career focus , Commercial
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Core Disciplines Shaping Today’s Commercial Legal Practice

Commercial law is changing fast, driven by new technologies and the growing complexity of global markets. The University of Manchester’s LLM in International Commercial and Technology Law brings focus to that shift, highlighting the core areas that now define effective commercial legal work. By exploring corporate governance, data rights, fintech regulation and digital era intellectual property, this course gives professionals the insight they need to make informed, confident decisions in a rapidly evolving landscape

The course focuses on four core areas central to today’s commercial practice:

  1. Corporations, Technology and Law—examining corporate governance, AI in corporate decision making, and the legal implications of blockchain based financing models such as ICOs and STOs.
  2. Online Privacy, Defamation and Data Protection—covering GDPR, the 'right to be forgotten', and the tension between privacy rights and freedom of expression.
  3. Financial Law and FinTech Law—analysing regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrencies, online lending, market integrity, and the role of AI and big data in financial markets.
  4. Intellectual Property in the Digital Ecosystem—addressing challenges posed by 3D printing, global online distribution, and the enforcement of IP rights in a borderless digital environment.

Towards the end of the course, students also complete a supervised research project, allowing them to explore a specialist topic in depth.

The online, part-time nature of this course means professionals can study alongside current employment. Recent graduate and senior lawyer Hilda Wehbi said she 'would recommend this course to all legal professionals. We are in the midst of a technological revolution, and it is imperative that we are prepared for dealing with the legal challenges as well as opportunities that lie ahead.'

Visit the course page to learn more.  Apply by 30 June and receive 10% off tuition.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
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When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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