The Revival of Distribution Law

April 23 & 24, 2026

Conference organized by the Innovation, Communication, and Market Laboratory (LICeM, UR-UM 213), with support from the Social Sciences Division at the University of Montpellier, the SVA consulting firm, and the CIAM Serge Lazareff.

Under the academic supervision of Jean-Louis Respaud, Associate Professor (HDR), University of Montpellier,
& Mélanie Cescut-Puore, Ph.D. in Law, qualified as an Associate Professor, University of Montpellier

Distribution law has long served as a testing ground for innovation in contract law, competition law, and other legal disciplines—notably through the concept of contractual solidarity, the Doubin Act of 1989, and the application of antitrust law. 

The question now arises as to whether this catalytic role will persist in the face of new practices (online distribution, short supply chains, partnerships) and emerging legal areas (digital law, compliance, environmental law, and agri-food law). 

The goal of these two days is therefore to assess the legacy of distribution law and examine its future along two lines: first, by reexamining its connections to traditional legal disciplines, and second, by exploring its interactions with new areas of law.

Program