民法法系（civillawsystem）又称为大陆法系、罗马一德意志法系、法典法系，它是指以古罗马法,特别是以19世纪初《法国民法典》为传统产生和发展起来的法律的总称。其影响范围主要是在欧洲大陆国家，特别是法国和德国，其主要法律的表现形式均为法典。属于这一法系的除了欧洲大陆国家外，还有曾是法国、德国、葡萄牙、荷兰等国殖民地的国家及因其他原因受其影响的国家。其英文释义为：CivillawisalegalsystemoriginatinginContinentalEuropeandadoptedinmuchoftheworld.ThecivillawsystemisintellectualizedwithintheframeworkofRomanlaw,andwithcoreprinciplescodifiedintoareferablesystem,whichservesastheprimarysourceoflaw.Thecivillawsystemisoftencontrastedwiththecommonlawsystem,whichoriginatedinmedievalEngland,whoseintellectualframeworkhistoricallycamefromuncodifiedjudge-madecaselaw,andgivesprecedentialauthoritytopriorcourtdecisions.
普通法系(commonlawsystem)又称普通法法系、英国法系、判例法系、英美法系，它是指以英格兰中世纪的普通法为基础和传统产生与发展起来的法律的总称。它主要渊源于英国普通法，以判例法为法的主要表现形式。在现代它由英国法与美国法两大分支构成。这一法系的范围，除了英国(苏格兰外)以外，主要是曾为英国殖民地、附属国的许多国家和地区。其英文释义为：Commonlawisabodyofunwrittenlawsbasedonlegalprecedentsestablishedbythecourts.Commonlawinfluencesthedecision-makingprocessinunusualcaseswheretheoutcomecannotbedeterminedbasedonexistingstatutesorwrittenrulesoflaw.TheU.S.common-lawsystemevolvedfromaBritishtraditionthatspreadtoNorthAmericaduringthe17th-and18th-centurycolonialperiod.CommonlawisalsopracticedinAustralia,Canada,HongKong,India,NewZealand,andtheUnitedKingdom.
如：
1.ThetrustisaspeciallegalsystemoriginatinginEnglandandwidelyusedinthecommonlawsystem,whichthenintroducedtothecivillawsystemgradually.
信托制度是起源于英国的一种独特的法律制度，在普通法系运用十分广泛，并逐渐被引入到大陆法系国家。
2.Notwithstandinganydutyotherwiseexistingatlaworinequity,butsubjecttotheprovisionsofthisSection4.12,eachofthePartnersandanyRelatedPersonsmayengagein,investin,participateinorotherwiseenterintootherbusinessventuresofanykind,natureanddescription,individuallyandwithothers,including,withoutlimitation,theownershipandinvestmentinSecurities,andneitherthePartnershipnoranyPartnershallhaveanyrightinortoanysuchactivitiesortheincomeorprofitsderivedtherefrom.IftheGeneralPartnerdetermines,initsdiscretion,thatanyproposedtransactioncontemplatedbythisSection4.12(d)towhichaRelatedPersonwouldbeapartypresentsamaterialconflictofinterestwithrespecttothePartnership,thentheGeneralPartnershallsubmittheproposedtransactiontotheAdvisoryCommitteeforapproval.