Law for Project Managers provides an easily understandable and practical guide to the laws of contract, liability, intellectual property and so on, entirely from the perspective of the project manager. It will enable you to approach projects forewarned and forearmed, able to avoid potential legal problems altogether.
The book covers everything from intellectual property disputes with the client organisation about who actually 'owns' the outcome, to confusion arising during an international project from the different legal systems and their approach to contracts and health and safety problems in the management of contractors. Most importantly, it explains everything in very straightforward terms; legal jargon is either avoided altogether or defined with its relevance to the project manager explained.
In essence, Law for Project Managers is a clear, readable and expert guide on this and many other important legal matters for the practising project manager as well as a supplementary text for post- or undergraduate students studying the commercial aspects of law, contracting and project management.
PART 1 – GENERAL
- The law’s approach
- The Contract
- Law in the UK
- European Union law
- How contracts are made
- The Letter of Intent
- The meanings behind the words
- Lateness Specifications and Defects
- The Law of Breach
- Using the professionals
- Disputes
- Negligence
- Liability for Escapes
- Intellectual Property
- Forms of Security
- Exporting and Importing
Law is about relationships
Legal systems
Law and companies
The real world
The basic principles
A practical approach
PART II – THE ORIGINS OF LAW
A summary
Law made by legislation
What legislation means
Law made by judges
Keeping up to date
An introduction to the EU
The organisation
How the EU makes law
PART III – CONTRACT LAW
Introduction
The requirements for a contract
Offer and acceptance
Putting it in writing
Agency and the commercial organisation
What is a Letter of Intent
The preliminary contract
Authorisation to start work
A cautionary tale
The problem of words
The role of terms
Civil law
Interpretation
The principles in practice
Liability for lateness
The specification
Liability for defective work and equipment
Excluding and limiting liability
Contract termination
Remedies for breach
Civil law
PART IV – USING THE LAWYERS
The rules
Finding advice
Preparing for dispute
Fairness in law
Methods of resolving disputes
Other countries
PART V – LIABILITY LAW
The law of tort
The principles of liability for negligence
Civil law
Corporate and personal liability
Strict liability for creating a hazard
Nuisance liability
PART VI – OTHER TOPICS
Introduction
The patent
Design rights
Copyright
Knowhow
The consequences
Assets as security
Sureties and bonds
The letter of credit
The negotiable instrument
The world system
Shipping terms
Biography
David Wright is an independent consultant, specialising in project management and engineering. He is an experienced arbitrator, mediator and adjudicator in the process industry and has author and contributed to a number of books, including The Purple Book, the standard guide to the ICHEME conditions of contract.
