Agency, Representation
A party acting as a representative once, may not be a representative twice.
In the absence of a validly conferred power of attorney, the principal shall only be bound if the third party can rely on its own legitimate representation of the situation.
De facto contract, Self-contracting
Contract for the chairman of a listed company: how to manage a conflict of interests?
A stock corporation whose board of directors is reduced to two members due to a dispute among shareholders cannot validly enter into a contract of mandate (director) and employment (manager) with the chairman of the board without violating the prohibition of self-contracting.
Sale of goods
No matter what… it’s art!
The duty to inform on a specific feature of an artwork exists only if a seller should assume that this feature might influence the decision of a buyer to conclude a contract or even the conditions under which a contract is concluded.
Agency
Home renovations with a limited budget? Watch out for the quotes and the bills!
A homeowner who entrusts home renovations to an architect must clearly indicate if he wants a binding cost limit. Otherwise, the architect will only be liable for exceeding the cost estimate if the estimate was flawed or exceeded more than 10%.
Pre-contractual negotiations
Bona fides in negotiating: how disingenuous can one be?
Swiss law provides for a special basis of liability for conduct contrary to the rules of good faith in the context of pre-contractual negotiations. The more unreasonable the position adopted by a negotiating party, the more difficult it is for that party to successfully claim that the other party who broke off the negotiation is liable.