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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

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Switalskis—Naila Arif, Harriet Findlay & Ellie Thompson

Firm awards training contracts to paralegals through internal programme

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Ward Hadaway—Matthew Morton

Private client disputes specialist joins commercial litigation team

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Nina Hood

Cumbria firm appoints new head of residential property

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
A quiet month for employment cases still delivers key legal clarifications. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ, Ian Smith reports that whistleblowing protection remains intact even where disclosures are partly self-serving, provided the worker reasonably believes they serve the ‘public interest’ 
Family law must shift from conflict-driven litigation to child-centred problem-solving, according to a major new report. Writing in NLJ this week, Caroline Bowden of Anthony Gold outlines findings showing overwhelming support for reform, with 92% agreeing lawyers owe duties to children as well as clients
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