Visiting Researchers and Scholars, 2001-2002

Spring 2002 Visiting Researchers

María Esther Blas López (Spain) Spring 2002
Esther is working on Syndicated Loans in Private International Law, specifically the law applying to these transactions. The choice of law is the starting point for the analysis of importants aspects of private international law concerning specific problems such as the general theory of international contracts in Private International Law and the problem of the contractual qualification of the Syndicated Loans.

She received her law degree from Alcala University of Madrid in 1995. In 2001 she obtained her PhD (cum laude) with a dissertation entitled "Conditional Sale in Bankruptcy Procedures. Aspects of Private International Law". Esther has been a Visiting Researcher at the following Schools of Law: Pantheon-Sorbonne (Paris I) and Pantheon-Assas (Paris II) in France. She has also been graduated student at the Institute of Comparative Law of Paris and Cujas Library, (Paris, France). At the same time Esther was "stagiaire" at the Colegio de España in Paris. Her academic background includes: law studies in Lancaster University (England) funded by the European Community; D.E.A. in Private International Law from Robert Schuman University of Strasbourg (France); Cour de Droit International Privé de l'Academie de Droit International de la Hague (Netherlands); guest lecturer at the Law School of Robert Schuman University of Strasbourg and a scholarship holder with the Bank of Commerce of Madrid and the Economic Affairs Rectorship at Alcala University. She has been published in the Annual Review of the Alcala Law School and currently she is Assistant Professor of Private international law at Alcala University.

Antonio Segura Serrano (Spain) Spring 2002
Antonio Segura Serrano obtained his law degree in 1993 at the University of Granada where he began to specialize in the Law of the European Union as a researcher. He has visited the London School of Economics and Political Science (1994) and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva (1995-1996), where he received a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures (DES) in International Law. His stay in Switzerland allowed him to get in contact with some WTO officials and to become aware of the most critical Trade Law issues, such as those related to international trade in services. He defended his Ph. D. in April 2001 (cum laude) at the University of Granada titled “General Interest in International and intra-EU Trade in Services”, under the direction of Professor Liñán Nogueras, which is to be published soon. Currently, he has a Faculty position at the University of Granada. He has already published some works: “Organización Mundial del Comercio: Informe del órgano de apelación en el asunto Estados Unidos – prohibición de las importaciones de determinados camarones y productos del camarón”, Revista Española de Derecho Internacional, Vol. LI, 1999, nº 2, pp. 566-580; “La aplicación judicial del Derecho comunitario en España durante 1999”, Revista de Derecho Comunitario Europeo, 2000, nº 8, pp. 503-530 (together with L. M. Hinojosa Martínez); “La liberalización de las telecomunicaciones y la Unión Europea”, in La europeización de las políticas nacionales, Comares, Granada, 2001, pp. 281-308.

Taking into account his background, Antonio Segura Serrano is now focusing at the European Law Research Center on the relationship between International Law and the so-called “Information Society”. His research project intends to further analyze trade in services but from a slightly different point of view, i.e., taking into account the new developments introduced by the information technologies, more specifically the Internet. It is important to clarify, if possible, what are the challenges faced by International Law in the Information Age and the ways in which International Law is addressing the new situation. However, no definitive trends can be easily established. The approaches taken respectively by the United States of America and the European Union differ so as to make it very difficult for International Law to present a single stance on the theme of the Information Society. Antonio Segura's project purports to focus on all the above-mentioned problems with the aim of reaching some helpful conclusions.

Fall 2001-Spring 2002 Visiting Researchers

Okeoghene Odudu (United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland) Fall 2001, Spring 2002
Okeoghene Odudu recieved a BA degree in law from Cambridge University in 1998, an MA degree in criminology from Keele University in 1999 and is a doctoral research student at Oxford University. His doctoral thesis examines the scope of Article 81 of the EC Treaty vis-a-vis vertical agreements. Okeoghene's is currently analysing the role of intent in antirust enforcement.

Fidel Porcuna de la Rosa (Spain) Fall 2001
Mr. Fidel Porcuna de la Rosa, Computense fellow at Royal Complutense School in Harvard, is a PhD Candidate in the area of commercial law in the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, where he also received his Law degree in 1998. His doctoral dissertation deals with the juridical implications of the use of names in commerce, with emphasis on the so called trade names, and his protection by the current laws of unfair competition and the trade mark laws in the European Union. So far, his research has taken place in Madrid, Spain (2000-2001), Cambridge, UK (1999-2000) and in Bologna, Italy (1997-1998), where he completed his last year Law degree. He is also member of Law firm "Polo Patent" (former, Polo & Seitz,Trade Marks), as young lawyer since 1998, and as lawyer assistant, since 1994.

Fall 2001 Visiting Researchers

Mar Aguilera-Vaqués (Barcelona), is an Assistant Professor at the University of Barcelona and at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Barcelona). She received her law degree from the University of Barcelona in 1994. In 1995 she obtained a LLM Degree (Columbia Law School, New York) and in 2002 a PhD (cum laude by unanimity) with a dissertation entitled "Constitutional Limits to the Regulation of Private Property. Special Consideration to the Environmental Aspects" (University of Barcelona). Her academic background includes law studies, among others, in The European University Institute in Florence (Visiting Researcher), The Victoria University of Manchester (England), funded by the European Community, and in the London School of Economics (England). She has practiced private law at two international law firms in Barcelona and Venezuela (Balanya Eguia-Loeff, Claeys Verbeke and Torres, Plaz & Araujo) and has been a European Union and United Nations Electoral Officer and Observer in many places such as East Timor, Bosnia, Serbian Republic, Guatemala and Tanzania. She has recently published, “Soil Pollution and Decontamination in Spain” European Environmental Law Review (2002) Maastricht. Kluwer Law International; Public Environmental Law in Spain (2002) Maastricht, Kluwer Law International (Chapter on Spain); “El desarrollo sostenible y la Constitución Española” (2000) Barcelona, Atelier (book); Legal Aspects of Soil Pollution and Decontamination in the EU Member States and the United States (2000) Maastricht (co-author) (Chapter on Spain); and “El proceso de autodeterminación de Timor Oriental” (2000) Barcelona. Anuario de la Revista de las Naciones Unidas (co- author). Mar Aguilera is involved in many research projects at the University of Barcelona and other European Universities. Her research interests are: Constitutional Law, Environmental Law, Human Rights, Property Law and Law and Development.

Esther Monterroso Casado (Spain) Fall 2001
Esther Monterroso Casado (Spain), received her Law degree from Autonoma University of Madrid in 1995. In March 2001 she obtained her Doctor of Juridical Science Degree (cum laude), and a European Doctor's mention. Currently, she is a Professor of Law, at Autónoma University of Madrid. This is her second visit to the Euopean Law Research Center at Harvard Law School. Esther has also been a Visiting Researcher at the following Schools of Law: Cologne University (Germany); Syracuse University (NY, USA); and San Simón de Cochabamba (Bolivia).
She has recently published "Accidentes de circulación: la concurrencia de causas en la responsabilidad civil extracontractual", Arzandi, Madrid, 2001. Among other publications she has collaborated in a Family Law Enciclopedy, El Derecho, 2000 (CD). She also collaborates in the Law Review Journal "Revista de Derecho Patrimonial", issued by Aranzadi Publishers, as well as in the Jurisprudence Sections of "Anuario de Derecho Civil". Esther is actively participating in Law's Journal "Revista Jurídica de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid", issued by Dykinson.
Esther's investigation at ELRC is focused on accident liability. At this moment, she is covering the theoretical parts of her working with concepts related to Economic Analysis of Accident Law.

ELRC 2001-2002 Fellow

Alejandro Lorite Escorihuela (Spain), 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002
is currently in the SJD Program at Harvard Law School. Alejandro graduated in 1997 from the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva (Switzerland) and got his D.E.S in Public International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in 1998. In 1997-1998, he worked with the Legal Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva. His doctoral project at HLS deals with a comparative perspective on the theory of international law in Europe and the United States.

The Center counts itself fortunate to have Alejandro on staff as its ELRC 2001-2002 Fellow. This year he will work closely with the Director, Professor Kennedy, to organize lectures, events and conferences that will take place. Alejandro will also coordinate all the directed research for the Center.

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