Book Launch: F.A. Mann - The Lawyer and His Legacy

This event marks the publication of "F.A. Mann - The Lawyer and His Legacy" by Oxford University Press, with short presentations by Professor Gerhard Dannemann (co-leader of the project), Lord Collins of Mapesbury  (contributor and long-term associate of F.A. Mann), and Nicola Beauman (daughter of F.A. Mann).

The book traces the life and legacy of a German-Jewish lawyer, FA Mann, who moved to the UK in 1933, fleeing racial persecution in Germany, and later became one of the best-known legal minds of his age, equally versed and experienced in legal practice and legal scholarship. His book The Legal Aspect of Money, first published in 1938, opened an entire area for legal scholarship. His numerous publications—in particular, on public international law, conflict of laws, commercial law, procedural law, and arbitration—eclipse those of many full-time academic lawyers. As a solicitor and partner at the law firm Herbert Smith, he was instrumental in transforming a legal profession in England which traditionally had left litigation to its clerks and instructed barristers to become the experts in international litigation for which London solicitors have become famed. Drawing on some 12,500 letters of Mann’s personal correspondence with judges, academics, and legal practitioners, this book explores how Mann’s biography, his equal familiarity with German and English law and with academia and legal practice, and his wide range of legal interests have contributed to his lasting influence on law and legal scholarship until today.

The book launch is followed by a reception where refreshments will be served.