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Article
A Global Analysis of Corporate Litigation Risk and Costs
International Review of Law and Economics
  • Matteo P. Arena, Marquette University
  • Stephen P Ferris, University of Missouri - Columbia
Document Type
Article
Language
eng
Publication Date
12-1-2018
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract

We analyze a unique hand-collected international sample of 475 corporate lawsuits involving 361 publicly-traded defendant firms headquartered in 16 developed countries to explore how country factors influence litigation risk, equity market value, lawsuit outcomes, and settlement costs. Unlike U.S.-focused studies, we do not find a significant relation between stock turnover, equity performance, and the probability of litigation. Defendant firms headquartered in civil law countries or countries with less efficient judiciary systems face lower litigation risk and costs as well as less share price decline at filing. Countries whose courts are less independent demonstrate a significant bias against foreign defendant firms.

Comments

Accepted version. International Review of Law and Economics, Vol. 56 (December 2018): 28-41. DOI. © 2018 Elsevier. Used with permission.

Citation Information
Matteo P. Arena and Stephen P Ferris. "A Global Analysis of Corporate Litigation Risk and Costs" International Review of Law and Economics (2018) ISSN: 0144-8188
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/matteo_arena/27/