Haiwen Edward Liu speaks at young foreign-related legal talent development programme

2026年6月13日，海问律师事务所香港办公室合伙人刘洋律师受邀参加“2026律动 FT・星链 Hub｜青年涉外法治菁英成长计划——国际商事法律系列课程”，并以“误述与错误——英国法体系下的合同自始无效与可撤销”为题进行授课。

On 13 June 2026, Edward Liu, a partner in Haiwen’s Hong Kong office, was invited to speak at the 2026 FT Starlink Hub Young Foreign-Related Rule of Law Talent Development Programme – International Commercial Law Series. His session was titled “Misrepresentation and Mistake: Void and Voidable Contracts under English Law.”

本次系列课程由深圳市司法局、深圳市律师协会指导，中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会华南分会、福田区司法局、深圳市律协福田律工委等联合主办，围绕国际商事规则、跨境交易风险及争议解决等主题展开，面向粤港澳大湾区青年涉外律师及企业法务开展系统培训，旨在提升涉外法律服务能力，服务企业国际化发展需求。

The programme was guided by the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Justice and the Shenzhen Lawyers Association, and jointly organised by the South China Sub-Commission of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC), the Futian District Bureau of Justice and the Futian Working Committee of the Shenzhen Lawyers Association, among others. Designed for young lawyers and in-house counsel in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the series focuses on international commercial rules, cross-border transaction risk and dispute resolution, with the aim of strengthening foreign-related legal capability in support of business internationalisation.

授课中，刘洋律师围绕英国法框架下合同效力瑕疵的核心问题，系统梳理了合同自始无效、可撤销与不可执行三种法律状态，并重点分析了误述与错误在构成要件、举证责任、法律后果及对第三人影响方面的关键区别。刘洋律师指出，“在国际商事交易中，法律并不为一切判断失误提供救济；只有当交易诚信被破坏，或合同成立的基础被根本动摇时，法律才会介入。”

In his session, Edward Liu examined key defects affecting contractual validity under English law, and set out the distinctions between contracts that are void, voidable and unenforceable. He also analysed the differences between misrepresentation and mistake, including their constituent elements, evidential requirements, legal consequences and implications for third-party rights. As he noted, “The law does not provide relief for every error of judgment in international commerce. It intervenes where transactional honesty has been undermined, or where the foundation of the contract has been fundamentally displaced.”

本次课程以英国法经典判例为基础，结合并购、跨境投资、金融交易及国际仲裁等实务场景，对交易结构设计与争议解决路径进行了延伸分析。刘洋律师特别就陈述与保证条款、完整协议条款及不依赖条款在风险配置中的作用进行了讲解。他表示，“合同保护的是承诺，侵权保护的是说服方式。对跨境交易而言，准确识别一项表述究竟是合同条款、订约诱因，还是根本性错误所依附的事实基础，往往直接决定案件的救济路径与结果。”

Drawing on leading English authorities and practical experience across M&A, cross-border investment, financial transactions and international arbitration, the session also explored the implications of these doctrines for transaction structuring and dispute strategy. Particular attention was given to the role of representation and warranty clauses, entire agreement clauses and non-reliance clauses in the allocation of transactional risk. Edward Liu observed that “Contract protects promises; tort addresses the manner of persuasion. In cross-border transactions, correctly identifying whether a statement is a contractual term, an inducement to contract, or part of the factual basis said to give rise to a fundamental mistake will often determine both the remedy and the outcome.”

在课程最后，刘洋律师结合跨境争议解决经验指出，普通法对于“误述”与“错误”的区分，并不仅是概念层面的技术划分，更体现了交易安全、市场诚信与实质公平之间的平衡。对于企业出海及涉外律师实务而言，相关规则不仅影响合同效力判断，也直接影响尽职调查、交易文件设计、索赔策略及仲裁安排。

In concluding, Edward Liu noted that the common law distinction between misrepresentation and mistake is not merely a technical one. It reflects a broader balance between transactional certainty, market integrity and substantive fairness. For companies expanding internationally and for practitioners advising on cross-border matters, these rules affect not only questions of contractual validity, but also due diligence, drafting strategy, claims analysis and arbitration planning.

“出海问海问”，海问长期关注涉外法治建设与国际化法律人才培养。未来，海问将继续依托在跨境交易、国际仲裁与复杂争议解决领域的综合经验，积极参与高水平涉外法治交流与专业人才培育，为中国企业高质量“走出去”和更高水平对外开放提供坚实法律支持。