1. A variety of international conflict situations

Given the complexity of the international environment, the diversity of issues and the diversification of legal sources, companies at the start of the new millennium are faced with a number of challenges. XXI ^e century are confronted with a variety of conflict situations that can result in :

• disputes between :

  • private parties (two companies for breach of contract, for example),

  • a company and an individual or group in a product liability action (with the intervention of a class action in the United States, for example);

• a conflict with a state in the case of direct investment (FDI) in a foreign state.

Just as the role of states is...