Dr Richard Austen-Baker

PhD Supervision Interests

Law of contracts; contract theory, especially relational contract theory; history of contracts; outsourcing/insourcing contracts; framework (umbrella) contracts.

Current Teaching

• Law 106 Law of Contracts (Convenor)
• Law 216 Introduction to Business Law and Practice
• Law 314 Advanced Contracts (Convenor)

Research Interests

Recent Conference Presentations

Austen-Baker, R., "Ian Macneil and the Relational Theory of Contract: In Memoriam Ian R. Macneil", Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Southampton 13-16 September 2010.

Austen-Baker, R., "Challenges to Contract (Law) in a Globalized Age" Conference on Legal Education and Globalization, School of Law, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China, 19 September 2009.

Austen-Baker, R., "Contract Law and the Myth of the Vulnerable Consumer", Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, London School of Economics, 15-18 September 2008.

Austen-Baker, R., "Towards a Four-Norm Model of Contract Relations", Seminar on Relational Contract Theory, Lancaster University Law School and Lancaster University Management School, 30 April 2008.

Austen-Baker, R., (Invited Participant), "Private Consumer Construction Law in the UK", Conference on Private Construction Law in Germany, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Switzerland, University of Heidelberg, Germany, 18-20 October 2007.

Austen-Baker, R., "Slimming Down for Better Relations: Can Essential Contract Theory be Made Handy?", Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Durham, U.K., 10-13 September 2007.

Additional Information

Richard Austen-Baker read law at Cardiff Law School and read for the Bar at the Inns of Court School of Law. He was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1997, and was awarded the Mackaskie Prize that year. He undertook his Ph.D. at Reading University under the supervision of Professor T. A. Downes, and his doctoral thesis was on relational contract theory. Since 1999, he has taught law at the universities of Warwick, Reading and Leeds, joining Lancaster in August 2004. He is currently the Law School's Director of Admissions. He is also Dean of Lonsdale College.

Dr Austen-Baker was convenor of the Contract and Commercial Law section of the Society of Legal Scholars from 2008 to 2010 inclusive, and is an External Examiner for the School of Law, University of Sheffield.

Consultancy & Training

Dr Austen-Baker is willing to undertake consultancy in relation to contract planning and terms, contract management, and contract disputes. He is also willing to provide tailored training courses in relation to contract law, and contracts and their negotiation and management, and the resolution of contract disputes.

Media Comment

Dr Austen-Baker is willing to provide comment for the press and other media in respect of contract law, consumer rights, legal education, entry to universities and preparedness for higher education.

• Consumer Construction Law

  24/07/2007 →
  Richard Austen-Baker
  Acting as UK Reporter for a project to compare the law on consumer construction contracts in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland. This work is part of a project being undertaken at Rupre ... Read more»

• Comprehensive Contract Theory

  01/06/2007 →
  Richard Austen-Baker
  This project is an attempt to produce a "streamlined" version of Ian Macneil's essential contract theory, and proposes a four norm model of contract relations to replace the 14 or so norms proposed by ... Read more»

• Implied Terms

  01/08/2005 →
  Richard Austen-Baker
  Research into the law concerning implied terms in contracts. This project began with an investigation into the history of The Moorcock as a precedent, examining the varying fortunes of dicta in The M ... Read more»

• Lancaster-Helsinki Interdisciplinary Co-Operation Established

  08/09/2008
  The Centre for Law & Society is pleased to announce the establishment of an interdisciplinary and international network to study practices of business-to-business contracting, particularly large ... Read more»