Publications

September 2006 (Revised November 2007)
Case

Board of Directors of Medtronic, Inc.

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Alexis Chernak

The board of directors of Medtronic, Inc., a company known for its commitment to effective corporate governance, must prepare for the departure of Chairman and CEO Bill George and the retirement of four long-time directors. The company had experienced rapid growth in... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Succession; Organizational Culture

August 2005 (Revised January 2007)
Supplement

The Board of Directors at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (B)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Alexis Chernak

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Financial Services Industry

July 2004 (Revised April 2005)
Case

Digitas (B)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Ashley Robertson

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

June 1999
Case

Furr's/Bishop's, Inc. (C)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Katharina Pick

Keywords: Food; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

November 1996
Case

Del Webb Corporation (A), The

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Samanta Graff

Begins with a company history, tracing the tenures of founder Del E. Webb and his successor as chairman and CEO, Robert H. Johnson. Johnson inherited a diversified company that was involved in construction, real estate development (including the famous Sun City), and... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Conflict Management; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Succession; Crisis Management

April 1977
Supplement

Interview with Marlene Hoffman (B)

By: Michael Beer and Jay W. Lorsch

March 1977 (Revised June 1977)
Case

Interview with Marlene Hoffman (A)

By: Michael Beer and Jay W. Lorsch

07 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: Sept. 7

http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/The-current-crisis-and-the-essence-of-capitalism.php Reversing the Null: Regulation, Deregulation, and the Power of Ideas Authors:David Moss Publication:Chap. 4 in Challenges to Business in the Twenty-First Century, edited View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2015 (Revised March 2021)
Case

Proxy Contest at DuPont

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Emily McTague

On January 9, 2015, Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund Management launched a proxy fight for four out of the twelve seats on the DuPont board. The fund had previously published a public letter addressed to shareholders outlining its proposal to break the company into three... View Details

Keywords: Board Of Directors; Hedge Fund; Activist Investing; Activist Investors; Proxy Fight; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Investment Activism; Chemical Industry; United States

June 2011
Case

Trouble in Islandia; Computer Associates 2001 - 2004

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Melissa Barton

The Board of Directors of Computer Associates deals with pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice as its members try to gain better insight into the accounting practices of the company's top management team. View Details

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Corporate Governance; Management Teams; Ethics; Practice; Florida; United States

August 2010 (Revised March 2012)
Supplement

The Dow Acquisition of Rohm and Haas (E)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Melissa Barton

Dow completed the acquisition of Rohm and Haas and escaped a battle in a Delaware courtroom View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Legal Liability; Managerial Roles; Complexity

July 2009 (Revised June 2011)
Case

RiskMetrics Group

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Kaitlyn Simpson

RiskMetrics Group, a risk and governance consultancy, had a great deal of influence on U.S. companies. This case examines the history and growth of the company, the governance services it offers, the extent of its impact on shareholders, the controversy surrounding its... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Risk Management; Governing and Advisory Boards; Corporate Governance; Power and Influence; Consulting Industry; United States

October 2006 (Revised October 2006)
Case

DLA Piper: Becoming a Global Firm

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Alexis Chernak

Focuses on DLA Piper, a global law firm resulting from the merger of the combined U.S. firm Piper Rudnick Gray Cary and the British firm DLA. At the time of the merger, the firms had similar strategies for the future and approaches to clients. While figuring out some... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Global Strategy; Leadership; Alignment; Expansion; Legal Services Industry; United States

July 2004 (Revised August 2004)
Case

On Becoming a Board Member

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Ashley Robertson

A Hispanic executive is considering whether to join the board of directors of a company and receives advice from several more experienced directors. Teaching Purpose: To focus on the issues related to joining a board of directors. View Details

Keywords: Management; Leadership; Ethnicity; Governing and Advisory Boards

June 1999
Case

Furr's/Bishop's, Inc. (A)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Katharina Pick

Keywords: Food; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

Article

The Chairman's Job Description

By: Jay W. Lorsch and A. Zelleke

Keywords: Management; Jobs and Positions

2005
Chapter

The Professionalization of Corporate Directors

By: Martin Lipton and Jay W. Lorsch

Keywords: Management Teams; Governing and Advisory Boards

May 2014
Article

How to Outsmart Activist Investors

By: Bill George and Jay W. Lorsch

We offer opinions on how management and corporate boards of directors can best manage investor relations with activist stockholders such as hedge funds who are demanding major changes within a corporation to improve stockholder return. Beverage industry firm PepsiCo is... View Details

Keywords: Investment Activism