Review of Karsten Thorn's The Protection of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Private International Law: Analyzing Legal Challenges and Reform Initiatives

Karsten Thorns The Protection of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in International Private Law critically examines the legal challenges faced by SMEs in international transactions. The existing legal framework in international private law, designed to meet big companies' needs, frequently fails to offer adequate protection to SMEs, the structurally weaker party in B2B contracts compared with big companies, leaving them to face unfair practices and imbalanced contractual relationships.Thorn advocates for reforms in conflict of law and jurisdictional rules to safeguard SMEs, drawing parallels with existing protection frameworks. However, legislative disparities across countriessuch as varying subcontractor protections in France and Indiaundermine uniform safeguards, creating inequitable outcomes. This review highlights the tension between equitable protection proposals and practical enforcement, summerizing the content of the book and trying to find a solution to protect SMEs.